Trick or treat or a trip to the ER

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1306743

I saw this title on a veterinary newsletter that I subscribe to and I had to steal it.  It is so true and there may be some dangers around Halloween that you have not yet considered.

The first and most obvious emergency we see around Halloween is chocolate toxicity.  Chocolate contains two compounds, both in the class of chemicals called methylxanthines, to which dogs and cats are particularly sensitive.  The first is caffeine.  The second is theobromine.  In general the more bitter or darker the chocolate the more theobromine the chocolate contains.  The smaller the dog the less it takes to cause toxicity.  Methylxanthine toxicity can cause increased heart rates, hyperactivity, tremors and even death.  Sometimes we also see increased thirst, increased urination and lethargy.

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/683215

Chocolate and other candies also contain a lot of fat and sugar.  Dogs and cats are not designed to digest this level of fat and sugar.  High fat meals can result in vomiting, diarrhea and in severe cases pancreatitis.  Pancreatitis is a severe inflammation of the pancreas in the abdomen.  The pancreas is the organ that produces insulin in the body as well as most of our digestive enzymes.  Pancreatitis leads to severe vomiting, diarrhea, pain in the abdomen and can be life threatening. 

Another toxin we are seeing more and more with candy or gum ingestion is toxicity from a sugar substitute called xylitol.  Dogs are extremely sensitive to xylitol and even a small amount can lead to a severe drop in blood sugar called hypoglycemia.  Severe hypoglycemia can cause seizures and collapse.  Xylitol also has effects on the liver leading to sudden liver failure, problems with the ability to clot the blood and hemorrhage.

It is very, very important to keep your Halloween candy away from your pets.  If you think that your pets have gotten into the candy contact your nearest open veterinarian immediately for emergency treatment.  If we catch the ingestion early it may be possible to induce vomiting, hopefully limiting the toxic effects.  This should be done under the supervision of a veterinarian so that the signs of toxicity can be looked for and treated as needed.

Photo Credit: www.dogtripper.com

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Spring is coming! And I don't know about you but I am looking forward to spending more time outside, sprucing up my yard, planting new plants and spending some time out in the sun. As I spend more time outside, my dogs also spend more time outside. I am sure many pet owners are the same. So I am taking this opportunity to remind pet owners of some of the common toxins to be aware of as you work and play in your yard with your pets.

Fertilizers and insecticides are usually well recognized as potential toxins. While it is a good idea to keep your animals away from freshly applied fertilizer or insecticide, we rarely see toxicity from animals just walking around on freshly applied fertilizer. Toxicity occurs more commonly when dogs or cats find whole bags of fertilizers and decide to take a taste.

For those of us in the Pacific Northwest, one of the most common toxicities especially in the spring is from slug and snail bait containing metaldehyde. These baits are molasses flavored to attract the snails and slugs. Unfortunately, they are also attractive to dogs and children. If you have children or pets in your yard do not use these products. There are safer alternatives, such as Sluggo.

Various mulches and barks used in planting beds can potentially cause problems as well. The most well publicized is probably cocoa bean mulch. This mulch is a by-product of chocolate production and uses the hulls of processed cocoa beans. Depending on the processing and source of the cocoa beans the level of toxic theobromine is variable in each bag of cocoa mulch. It can be difficult to predict what is a toxic level because of this variability. And the mulch is particularly yummy to many dogs because it smells like chocolate for the first week or two after application. In general I would recommend avoiding these mulches even if they are labeled safe for dogs. However, if you do choose to use it try and keep it away from areas your dogs spend time or be sure to carefully supervise your dogs when they are outside to be sure they are not eating any of the mulch.

There are many toxic plants, some of which we grow indoors and others we may have planted in our yards. There are too many to list here so instead I would recommend checking out the ASPCA's website where they have a searchable list of poisonous plants. http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/

The ASPCA also has an excellent summary of various dangers (other than just toxins) in your garden. Check it out at http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/pet-safe-gardening.html

The most important thing to remember is that if you have any concerns that your dog or cat may have eaten or chewed on something potentially toxic see your veterinarian immediately. Timely intervention is often the most important aspect of successful treatment. Better to err on the side of caution in any case of possible poisonings!