Glow Sticks/Jewelry a Danger to your Pets

Who remembers glow sticks at the county fair or wearing them around our necks during a carnival or a fun family event?  I live in the country, so it’s very dark on my street and I use glow sticks to hang on the outside gate to mark my house.  My friends just love that idea.

Even though glow sticks are awesome and fun for our children and us, did you know that they can pose a danger to our pets?  Cats are more prone to chew on them than dogs, believe it or not.  The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Hotline receives over 70 calls a year regarding pet(s) who have chewed opened some type of glow stick or glow jewelry and it involves mostly cats. 

The liquid inside a glow stick is usually not life threatening, but can cause other issues, such as:

• Pain
• Irritation
• Foaming at the mouth
• Profuse drooling

Keep all types of glow sticks out of reach of your pets and children.  Remember, it’s nice to have fun wearing them but you don’t want your pets to have to suffer for it.

If you find your pet has chewed thru the glow stick/jewelry and shows signs listed above, please contact your vet for further instructions.

Candy Dangers to your Pets

Candy Dangers to Your Pets

Did you know during the week of Halloween, the Pet Poison Hotline is the busiest by over 12%?  Most calls are regarding their pet(s) eating Halloween candy or décor.  However, the #1 emergency issue is their dog eating chocolate.

Of all candy, chocolate is one of the most toxic.  In 2011, the hotline received more than 1,100 calls involving mostly dogs and chocolate.  Dogs love the smell of chocolate….hey, don’t we all?   Another interesting fact is that the darker the chocolate, and more bitter, the more poisonous it is.  The most toxic chemical in chocolate is methylxanthines, which is similar to caffeine, and dark chocolate has a more heavy concentration of it.  A 50lb dog can only ingest 1 oz of dark chocolate and be very sickened by it.  However, the same dog may have to eat up to 8 ozs of milk chocolate to become ill by it.  

White chocolate, on the other hand, has very low concentrations of methylxanthines and will rarely cause toxic poisoning.  As we baby proof our homes, it’s important to pet proof them as well, during any holidays.  Keep all candies and décor out of the reach of your pets to avoid any issues.  Nothing sucks worse during the holidays than having to rush your pet to an emergency animal hospital.

Signs and Symptoms of Chocolate Toxic Poisoning:

· V & D

· Lethargy 

· Increased Thirst

· Agitation

· Elevated HR

· Seizures (in severe cases)

If your pet has consumed any type of toxins and is showing symptoms, call your vet or:

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Hotline

(888) 4ANIHELP (426-4435)

There is a charge for this call, but it includes all follow-up calls as necessary 

in critical cases, and will contact their vet if requested.