Vet’s warning on the ‘toxic’ things in homes every pet owner should know about
‘It can cause seizures and even death.’
A vet has dished out the five “toxic” things around homes every pet owner should know about.
Ben, from the UK, shared a video warning cat and dog owners to be cautious about the little-known items that can lead to serious seizures and even death.
“Here are five poisons or toxins that pet owners often don’t know about but really should,” Ben said.
“If your pet ingests any of these toxic substances, contact your vet ASAP.
“Treatment is much more likely to be a success with early intervention.”
1. Lilies
Ben — who regularly shares vet advice on his social media channel — warned cat owners to avoid having lilies at home.
“Please don’t have lilies in your house ever,” he said.
“I know it is really hard to throw lilies out if someone gives you a bunch… but please it is not worth taking the risk.
“I’ve seen several cats die of lily toxicity.”
Ben went on to explain that the problem with lilies is that they can cause kidney failure which is often fatal.
He said that all parts of the lily are toxic — but the pollen is often the “culprit”.
“It drops off on the surfaces or on their coat,” Ben warned, adding: “Cats lick it off, ingest it and get poisoned.”
2. Human painkillers
Ben urged owners to “please never self-medicate” cats or dogs.
“Painkillers are particularly toxic for cats,” he said/
“Ibuprofen and paracetamol, even small quantities, can cause kidney failure and severe stomach ulceration and gastrointestinal signs.
“Likewise, Ibuprofen and paracetamol is also very toxic to dogs and paracetamol. Although the medication can be used as a painkiller, it’s very easy to overdose small dogs in particular so never give your dog paracetamol without veterinary advice.”
3. Xylitol
Ben explained how artificial sweetener xylitol can be dangerous for your furry friends.
“This is an artificial sweetener that’s fine for humans to eat but can be very dangerous to cats and dogs,” he said.
He said xylitol can be found in many products — including chewing gum, mouthwash and sweets like gummy bears.
“It’s usually dogs with this one and there’s a sort of glitch in the system where the dog’s body recognises the xylitol as if it’s sugar,” Ben explained.
The vet said the sweetener can cause the release of insulin — dropping the animal’s “blood sugar to dangerously low levels” which can lead to seizures and even death.
4. Car products
Ben urged pet owners to avoid leaving anti-freeze products such as engine coolant, car wash and and windscreen devices containing ethylene glycol around the home.
“When it’s ingested by a dog or a cat, it can cause crystals forming in different organs like the brain and the kidneys and this can lead to neurological signs and again kidney failure,” he warned.
“Interestingly no joke one of the treatment options for ethylene glycol toxicity is intravenous vodka.”
5. Mouldy food
Ben shared the serious dangers of mould food.
Ben explained that while it is an issue most pets, it tends to be more of a “dog problem” than a “cat problem”.
“I once saw a little terrier, who presented with severe tremors, and we didn’t know what was originally causing it. It wasn’t until the owners looked in their garden and found that the dog had got into that compost bin,” he said.
“We then worked out it was because of exposure to mould toxins which are called tremorgenic mycotoxins and they interfere with nerve function and can even cause seizures.”
Ben explained that whilst the dog was in a poor condition, it miraculously made a full recovery.
His video has racked up more than 93,000 views — with many sharing their own experiences about their pets and household toxins.
“Lost my beautiful cat to lilies,” said one.
“My dog sadly ate mouldy food from a recycling bin and died,” said another.
“This is so informative, thank you,” said a third.
SOURCE: 7NEWS