Every year many pets are exposed to toxins inside their home, resulting in serious health complications. Substances that are toxic to pets can be found in several places throughout your home. Our Central Kentucky Veterinary Center team wants to highlight this issue for National Poison Prevention Week, so we’re unveiling common pet toxins lurking in your home and providing tips to protect your four-legged friend.

Your kitchen hides pet toxins

Pets typically want to eat what you are eating, and they may scavenge food off the floor or from the trash can. This behavior can be problematic if they ingest a toxin. Human foods that are toxic to pets include:

  • Chocolate — Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which are stimulants that cause nervous and cardiovascular stimulant effects in pets. Signs include hyperactivity, excessive panting, gastrointestinal (GI) upset, and increased heart rate.
  • Grapes and raisins — Grapes and raisins contain an unknown toxin, potentially tartaric acid, that causes kidney failure in pets. Signs include lethargy, vomiting, and increased thirst and urination.
  • Sugar-free foods — Many sugar-free foods contain the artificial sweetener xylitol, which causes hypoglycemia in pets. Signs include weakness, vomiting, lack of coordination, and seizures.
  • Allium vegetables — Onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, scallions, and chives contain a toxin that causes red blood cell damage, leading to anemia. Initial signs include vomiting and diarrhea, but as more red blood cells are affected, anemia occurs.

Your living room hides pet toxins

Many people enjoy keeping houseplants, but some are toxic to pets, including:

  • Lilies — Lilies are especially harmful to cats, causing severe kidney damage. All parts of the lily are dangerous, including the water in the vase.
  • Aloe — If ingested, aloe can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle tremors.
  • Dieffenbachia — Dieffenbachia contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that can irritate the mouth and GI tract, causing drooling, oral pain, decreased appetite, and vomiting.
  • Sago palm — All parts of the sago palm are dangerous for pets, but the seeds are the most toxic. Ingestion causes acute GI signs and can lead to liver failure.

Your bathroom hides pet toxins

Pets love to follow you everywhere, including into the bathroom where they may encounter the following toxins:

  • Over-the-counter medications — OTC medications, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and cold and allergy medications, are toxic to pets.
  • Prescription medications — Prescription medications, such as cardiac medication, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications, and antidepressants, are toxic to pets. 
  • Hygiene products — Many hygiene products, such as toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, and some cosmetics, contain xylitol, which is toxic to pets.

Your bedroom hides pet toxins

Many people keep sleep aids by their bed, and their pet may mistake the tablets for a treat. Potential signs include severe sedation, severe agitation, aggression, excessive panting, drooling, lack of coordination, vomiting, muscle tremors, and decreased heart and respiration rates.

Your garage hides pet toxins

The garage is a common place to store household chemicals and other products that can be dangerous for your pet. Examples include:

  • Antifreeze — Antifreeze commonly contains ethylene glycol, which causes severe kidney damage in pets. To complicate the issue, the substance tastes sweet, which makes it attractive to pets.
  • Rodenticides — Several types of rodenticides are available to help control rats and mice on your property, but they are all extremely dangerous for pets. These products are commonly desirable to pets because they are made palatable to help attract rodents.
  • Deicing products — Deicing products contain compounds that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, GI ulcerations, and dehydration.

Your yard hides pet toxins

Your yard is a nice place to relax, but toxins your pet may find include:

  • Toxic plants — Azaleas, tulips, and chrysanthemums, which are commonly planted around homes, are toxic to pets.
  • Fertilizers — Fertilizers, especially those containing blood or bone meal, herbicides, or insecticides, are toxic to pets.
  • Snail and slug bait — These products often contain bran or molasses, making them tasty to pets. They contain metaldehyde, which causes vomiting, excessive panting, tremors, seizures, and hyperthermia.

Tips to protect your pet from toxins in your home

  • Don’t store food on your counters. When your pet can see food on the counter, they may be tempted to steal a bite, potentially resulting in poisoning.
  • Keep your garbage in sealed containers so your pet doesn’t ingest a toxin you threw away.
  • Read all food labels before feeding your pet to ensure the product doesn’t contain any substance toxic to them.
  • Put childproof latches on your cabinets to prevent clever paws from finding off-limits items.
  • Store medications on high shelves in secure cabinets.
  • Don’t take medications with your pet in the same room so they can’t scavenge a pill if you drop it.
  • Research the plants and flowers you plant around your home or bring inside to ensure they are pet-friendly.
  • Secure your guests’ handbags and coats so your pet can’t get into medications or xylitol-containing products.
  • If you use rodenticide, fertilizer, or snail and slug bait, don’t allow your pet access to these areas.
  • After an outing on a winter day, wipe off your pet’s feet and coat to remove deicing crystals.
  • Clean antifreeze spills as soon as possible.

This information should help safeguard your pet from toxin exposure. If you know or suspect your pet has ingested a toxin, contact our American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA)-accredited team at Central Kentucky Veterinary Center so we can ensure they receive the necessary care.