More Things That Kill Dogs If They Eat It

Common Pet Poisons to Beware of

My dog chewed on an industrial mouse poison bait trap. I have no idea where he got it but I found it in our gated and locked backyard. He was scheduled for his annual vet visit anyway, so it was a good time. I should have brought the mouse poison along with the stool sample so I had to call my husband to read me the information off of the box.

The vet said that the mouse poison works by congealing the blood and that the best thing to do is:

1) Make your dog vomit. Hydrogen peroxide is effective. If this doesn’t work (and it didn’t), the vet has a shot.

2) Test the blood twice over an hour period. If the blood is thickening, then the dog goes on Vitamin K therapy.

Strangely, the mouse exterminations showed up the next day for their inspection. It wasn’t their mouse bait; they don’t leave it outside and their box is much smaller. He did say that our 80-pound dog (4 pounds overweight!) would have to eat hundreds of his mouse bait to die though which made me feel a little better. Still, we have no idea what kind of bait was in that commercial mouse bait casing.

The Pet Poison Hotline has released a list of the top 10 most common dog emergencies in 2011, providing insight into the poisons dogs most frequently ingest. Call 24/7 Animal Poison Control Center at 800-213-6680 if you have questions.

The items, in order of frequency, include:

• Foods such as chocolate, xylitol (an ingredient in sugar-free gum), grapes, and raisins
• Insecticides including lawn/household sprays, bait stations, and spot-on flea and tick treatments
• Mouse and rat poison
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory human drugs such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen and naproxen
• Household cleaners, detergents and polishes
• Human antidepressant drugs, which include Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, and Effexor
• Lawn fertilizers like bone meal, blood meal, and iron-based products
• Human cough and cold medications such as Tylenol
• Amphetamine human drugs such as Adderall, Ritalin, and Concerta
• Veterinary pain relievers like Rimadyl, Deramaxx, and Previcox