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For any visit to the veterinarian for a toxin, it is important to bring the packaging with you!
Toxins that will require trips to the ER:
- Antifreeze – bring your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible, as the treatment window is short – 3 hours in cats and slightly longer in dogs. Prognosis is very good for dogs treated with the antidote within 5 hours of ingestion. Dogs treated after this “golden window” may still have a good prognosis depending on the amount of kidney damage that has occured.
- Many human medications (for these we will refer you to the Poison Control Center to assess whether your pet requires an ER visit). Note – almost all medications with pseudoephedrine will overdose cats and most dogs with one tablet.
- Chocolate and caffeine – large amounts of milk chocolate, or ingestion of dark chocolate, cocoa, caffeine pills, cocoa mulch, coffee beans, and other related products are toxic to dogs and cats.
- Rat Poisons
- Lilies in cats – any part of a lily can be fatal to a cat, including the pollen.
- Xylitol (the sugar substitute)
- Overdoses of pet NSAIDs (like Rimadyl, Metacam, Deramaxx, Previcox)
Other toxins that also require a veterinary visit include:
- Permethrins/pyrethrins topical flea medication applied to cats
- Grapes / raisins
- Moldy foods
- Playdough
- Acetominophen (Tylenol)
- Marijuana
- Alcohol
- Amphetamines, including ADD/ADHD medications
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen (Alieve)
- Mushrooms
- And many other common household and environmental toxins
Two great resources are available for more information on poisonings in pets:
Some helpful tips to keep your pets safe:
Poisonous Household Products
