How to Pet Poison Proof your Home | Brekke Veterinary Clinic

When you choose to bring a pet into your home, one of your main responsibilities is doing whatever is necessary to keep her safe. One of the biggest problems affecting domestic animals is exposure to poisons. Many items that don’t pose a threat to us as humans can be extremely toxic if consumed by our pets. Unfortunately, our pet’s curious nature means that they are often tempted to chow down on virtually anything that looks or smells good – whether it is edible or not!

While you may consider your property to be the safest possible place for your pet to spend time, many people, especially those new to pet parenting, aren’t aware of the number of potential poison hazards in their home.

If you are planning on taking on a new pet, one of the best things that you can do ahead of their arrival is to safeguard your home against potential pet poisons. To help you do so, we have put together this helpful guide to how to protect your pet from some of the most common household poisons.

Poison-proof your kitchen

There are a huge number of potential poisons in our kitchens, most of them in the form of human food that we wouldn’t think twice about leaving out. When we leave food products and condiments unattended, they can prove very tempting for our furrier family members. However, many human foods are unhealthy and even dangerous for your furbaby to consume.

The top 10 pet poisons found in the kitchen include:

Chocolate
Products containing xylitol (an artificial sweetener)
Caffeine
Grapes/raisins/currants
Fatty scraps
Macadamia nuts
Onion/garlic/chives
Unbaked yeast bread dough
Table salt
Alcohol

One of the best ways to protect your pet from being poisoned in your kitchen is to ensure that any toxic foods are put securely away. If you have a sneaky pet that can open cupboard, invest in some simple child locks to keep her nose and paws out.

Poison-proof your living room / den

This is often your most used living space, and somewhere that your pet likes to hang out too. However, there are some common living room items that could pose toxic to your pets. Here is a run-down of some of the most common dangers and how to prevent them from poisoning your furbaby.

Pot-pourri and other home fragrance products – pet owners in particular tend to purchase products that ensure that their home smells fresh and wonderful. Unfortunately, most of these solutions are toxic to animals and should be kept well out of their reach.

Plants – some common household plants are extremely toxic to pets, with even just one or two leaves or flowers proving fatal in some cases. Do your research before you buy.

Nicotine products and ashtrays – smoking isn’t only dangerous for your own health, it is also toxic to your pet. Keep ashtrays, cigarette butts, nicotine patches and other similar items well away from your furbabies.

Be bag aware – purses, backpacks, gym bags… all are often filled with a variety of things including sugar-free chewing gum, snacks, cigarettes and medications – all of which could be poisonous to your pet. Don’t leave bags hanging around your sitting room.

Poison-proof your bathroom

Bathrooms are notorious for their hazardous products, some of which can be as dangerous for other humans in your family as they can for pets.

Cleaning products - would you leave bleach within the reach of your toddler? Unlikely, so why would you put it anywhere that your pet may come into contact with it. Cleaning products of all descriptions pose a hazard to your pet.

Medications – many of us keep medications in our bathroom cabinet. However, you should make sure that all medicines, even basic ones such as mild painkillers – should be safely stored in a locked cabinet. Don’t keep your pet’s medications in the same cupboard as you may find yourself mixing them up.

Toilet bowl – remember to close the lid on the toilet bowl. Drinking the water can make your pet sick, especially if you use chemical bowl or tank treatments.

Poison-proof your storage areas

Whether it is a utility room, garage or yard container, storage areas often contain a variety of potentially harmful toxins. Typically, these could include items such as:

Laundry detergents

Cleaning products

Rodenticides (rat and mouse poison)

Insecticides

Pet parasite prevention products (giving your cat a dog flea or tick repellent could cause them to become very ill)

Glue
Paint
Anti-freeze
Engine oil
Windshield cleaner fluid
Brake fluid
Fertilizers

If you are concerned that your pet may have ingested a toxic product, you should seek the advice of our veterinarian as soon as possible. Contact us today for further advice.