Should you suspect your pet has ingested anything poisonous then contact your veterinary surgeon immediately. You can also call the Animal Poison Line on 01202 50 90 00 (charges apply).
Gardening
As the spring weather approaches many of us prepare to spruce up our gardens. Just remember, some of the products we use to help our gardens flourish can be poisonous to our dogs, cats and rabbits.
Metaldehyde-based slug pellets can cause the most dangerous poisonings. Even small amounts of pellet can cause significant poisoning with severe signs, including incoordination, tremors and convulsions, and muscle spasms within an hour of consumption. Signs to look out for: sickness and diarrhoea, drooling, anxiety, tremors, convulsions.
Fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides containing organophosphates can produce life-threatening effects, even in small amounts, so it’s best to read the label and avoid them when possible. While most are not very toxic (resulting in minor gastrointestinal irritation), some fertilizers can be fatal without treatment.
Glyphoshate is another common ingredient seen in weed killers and can be irritant to the skin and stomach if consumed. These can affect dogs, cats and rabbits.
Flowers
Be careful when planting spring and summer bulbs; they may look beautiful but can have serious consequences for our pets. Common flowers found in the garden such as daffodils, hyacinths and tulips can be poisonous for cats, dogs and rabbits. The most toxic part of these plants is in the bulb and, when ingested, can result in tissue irritation to the mouth and oesophagus, profuse drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea. Large ingestions may cause an increase in heart rate, difficulty breathing, tremors and convulsions.
The yellow flowers in daffodils contain a poisonous alkaloid that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea and symptoms can develop within 15 minutes of ingestion.
Different species of lilies are more dangerous to certain animals. For example, Lily of the Valley is highly poisonous to dogs and rabbits and lilies commonly known as Tiger, Day, Easter or Japanese show Lilies are poisonous to cats. Lilies contain a toxin that makes eating even the smallest amount of any part of the plant extremely dangerous; just licking the pollen off their coat or drinking the water from a vase can cause grave illness. Once ingested, the toxin causes severe damage to the kidneys, which can cause the kidneys to fail and even result in death. Signs of lily poisoning can include, drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy and depression.
The leaves and berries produced by the various sub-species of ivy are all considered to be toxic to dogs, and cats too. Dogs are the more likely of the two species to try to eat ivy and doing so can lead to severe bouts of drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea. Contact with ivy can cause skin reactions, conjunctivitis, itchiness and skin rashes.
Author: STUART EDGAR
OSCAR Pet Foods Carlisle offer a wide range of foods for dogs, cats in order to cater for your pet's needs throughout their lives. Diets include grain free, gluten free, weight control and joint care support. Contact Stuart Edgar on 01228 658143 or Mobile: 07486 457 237, or visit www.oscar.co.uk for more information.
