Each year millions of phone calls are made to human poison control centers regarding pets who have ingested a potentially toxic substance. About 75% of telephone calls involve dogs and 15% cats. Of the calls regarding dogs the great majority of them involve Labrador retrievers. A fact not surprising due to the popularity of the breed and the retriever’s natural instinct to carry things in their mouths.
Many of the foods and medications we commonly ingest can be potentially toxic to our pets. Some of the most common poisonings involve chocolate, grapes, raisins, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, and snail and rat bait.
So if you keep any of these items in your home they should be stored safely away from your pets. If your dog or cat accidentally ingests one of these items you should call or take them to a veterinary hospital immediately.
View this article in a .pdfJarrod R. Moss, D.V.M.
Author and Clinical Veterinarian
