Make sure your furry friends are safe from harmful substances
Foods, plants, vitamins and other medicines are important. In fact, we can’t live without them. However, have you ever stopped and wondered how safe they are to your pets if they ever came into contact with them? Over the next three weeks we will go into detail on harmful substances and how to avoid getting your four-legged friends infected. Some of the common toxic substances to your pet may actually be in your home, so take extra precaution. 1. Raisins and grapes, are very toxic to dogs, and can result in kidney failure. Keep both fruits sealed and out of reach. 2. Insecticides and rodent bait stations, including sprays, can be life threatening to dogs even when ingested in small amounts. Insect sprays usually contain pyrethroid, an active ingredient which is fatal. Poisoning can result in internal bleeding, brain swelling, kidney failure, or severe vomiting and bloating. According to vet, Dr Michael Rissik of Oukaapsevet, Metaldehyde, a chemical found in blue colour snail and slug bait is the most dangerous and dogs find it very tasty and will eat it. He says in some instances patients have died. “Metaldehyde affects the nervous system leading to uncontrollable tremors and seizures, resulting in hypothermia and a major pH derangement in the blood,” he says. Signs of toxicity begin within 30 minutes of ingestion and, if untreated, will be fatal for the dog. Never use insect sprays directly on your pet’s fur, cover your fish tank and dispose of dead rodents in a bin out of reach, as pets can be poisoned by eating dead mice and rats that have ingested deadly bait. And keep baits hidden from pet reach. 3. Onions, garlic and chives are in most cases our kitchen staples, and some of us can’t help but give our dogs table scraps. Stop now! The three ingredients may cause a form of Heinz body anaemia which damages red blood cells, followed by kidney damage. Signs include pale gums, heart palpitations, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and bloody urine.
Don’t forget to get your paper next week to learn more.
Source: Oukaapsevet