{"id":11784,"date":"2016-03-23T00:10:23","date_gmt":"2016-03-23T04:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/?p=11784"},"modified":"2016-03-23T19:39:49","modified_gmt":"2016-03-23T23:39:49","slug":"march-is-poison-prevention-awareness-month-how-to-keep-your-pet-safe-with-information-from-the-pet-poison-helpline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/march-is-poison-prevention-awareness-month-how-to-keep-your-pet-safe-with-information-from-the-pet-poison-helpline\/","title":{"rendered":"National Poison Prevention Week – Tips to Keep Your Cat Safe for Easter and Spring Cleaning"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chocolate<\/a>

An Easter basket might seem harmless enough, but to a cat it is lurking with dangerous foods and items that could harm them.<\/p><\/div>\n

With Easter only a few days away many of us will be celebrating the holiday. Many of us will also be gearing up for some spring cleaning as the weather starts to warm up and so\u00a0it\u00a0seemed\u00a0appropriate to share a post on behalf of\u00a0National Poison Prevention Week (March 20 – 26). We certainly don’t want to think a celebration or some cleaning could harm our kitties, but the truth is, cats\u00a0are naturally curious and many common items inside and outside of our house can be toxic to them\u00a0(and dogs and other animals as well). Without knowing what these items are, or what the symptoms can be, it could result in a serious illness or even death to our beloved pet if we don’t react accordingly.<\/p>\n

\"Easter<\/a>

The Easter Lily\u00a0is beautiful, but it is highly toxic to cats. Photo from FreeImages.com<\/p><\/div>\n

To aid in identifying these potentially dangerous items, the Pet Poison Helpline website<\/a>\u00a0has an\u00a0A to Z list of what items are poisonous,\u00a0what animal they are poisonous to, the level of toxicity if ingested, and what the common signs to watch for are. The list is far too comprehensive for me to outline, but I highly recommend you click here<\/a> and look it over – you might even want to print it and keep it on file. I would also suggest you have\u00a0the Pet Poison Helpline number, along with that of your veterinarian, on your cell phone and refrigerator\u00a0in case of emergencies so you don’t have to go searching for the information in a panic.<\/p>\n

If you find your pet has ingested something poisonous\u00a0and you\u00a0need to contact them, they are a 24\/7 animal poison control service available throughout the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean for pet owners and veterinary professionals who require assistance with treating a potentially poisoned pet. Please be advised there is a $49 per incident fee\u00a0which\u00a0covers the initial consultation as well as all follow-up calls associated with the management of the case.<\/p>\n

\"pet<\/a><\/p>\n

As taken directly from the Pet Poison Helpline website, the steps you should take if you suspect your pet has ingested something poisonous:<\/p>\n

EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If your dog or cat just ate something poisonous call your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline at\u00a0800-213-6680<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0for help immediately! The sooner a poisoning is diagnosed, the easier, safer, and less expensive\u00a0it is for your pet to get treated!<\/p>\n

Remove your pet from the area.<\/p>\n

Check to make sure your pet is safe\u00a0and breathing and acting normally.<\/p>\n

Do NOT<\/strong> give any home antidotes.<\/p>\n

Do NOT<\/strong> induce vomiting without consulting a vet or Pet Poison Helpline.<\/p>\n

If veterinary attention is necessary, contact your veterinarian or emergency veterinary clinic immediately.<\/p>\n

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Immediately remove your pet from the area, and make sure no other pets (or kids!) are exposed to this area. Safely remove any remaining poisonous material from their reach.<\/p>\n

Check to make sure your pet is breathing normally and acting fine otherwise.<\/p>\n

Collect a sample of the material, along with the packaging, vial, or container, and save it \u2013 you will need all that information when you talk to your veterinarian or to a Pet Poison Helpline expert.<\/p>\n

Do NOT<\/strong> give your dog any milk, food, salt, oil, or any other home remedies! Also, never inducing vomiting without talking to your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline \u2013 it may actually be detrimental or contraindicated to induce vomiting!<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t give hydrogen peroxide to your pet without checking with a vet or with Pet Poison Helpline first. For you cat lovers, hydrogen peroxide doesn’t work well to induce vomiting (it just causes massive foaming and salivating instead!), and stronger veterinary prescription medications are necessary to get your cat to vomit up the poison kitty ingested!<\/p>\n

Get help. Program your veterinarian phone number, along with an ER vet and Pet Poison Helpline\u2019s phone number (800-213-6680)<\/strong><\/span> in your cell phone so you will always have immediate access to help.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that the prognosis is always better when a toxicity is reported immediately, so don\u2019t wait to see if your pet becomes symptomatic before calling for help. It\u2019s always\u00a0safer for your pet for you to call immediately. Remember that there\u2019s a narrow window of time when we can decontaminate (induce vomiting or pump the stomach) in the case of a poisoning!<\/p>\n

\"hearts\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This post has been updated from a previous publication in order to reflect current times.<\/em><\/p>\n