Ladies...what poison is lurking in your purse???

March is Pet Poison Prevention Month
Ladies...what poison is lurking in your purse???




It is very important that we keep all prescription & OTC drugs away from our pets, as we do our children.  Most of us are very cautious keeping harmful items away from our children, such as child-proofing our home, but what about your counter area where dogs can jump and reach a bottle of aspirin or a prescription bottle?  Pets are curious when it comes to stuff in our home.  A dog, for example, may grab a bottle of prescription pills from the counter and before you know it, has chewed the cap off and swallow the pills inside.

Ladies, what about your purse?  You may keep it away from your child but what about your curious dog who starts to investigate the items inside.  These are the most common items that are poisonous to your pets found in a purse:

• OTC Drugs
• Prescription Drugs
• Hand Sanitizer (Alcohol content is very high)
• Cigarettes (Nicotine) 
• Birth Control Packet
• Asthma Inhaler

It's better to be safe by hanging up your purse or putting it out of reach of your pets and children.  If you think your pet has ingested a poisonous item from your purse, it's very important to know what item it is before contacting your vet or the pet poison hotline.  For example, you noticed that your purse is on the ground with the contents scattered about.  You find a bottle of OTC medicine (Ibuprofen) and the top chewed off.  You're not sure how many pills were inside, but you notice your dog not acting right (depressed, ataxia, vomiting, etc).  The more information you have the better that they can treat your pet.

Always have on hand:

• Your veterinarian phone #
• Pet Poison Hotline 1-800-213-6680 (there is a cost for this service, but includes consultation and all follow-up calls regarding the current situation.

#1 RULE:  Safety Always

Teri Ann Tate is a Pet Tech Instructor and teaches Pet CPR, First Aid and Pet Care Classes in Arizona.  She is also a certified Emergency Animal Medical Tech I (EAMT I); certified Large Animal Rescue Tech II (LART II); and a certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR).  She runs a pet care business, Comfy Pets of AZ and has a passion for animals as well as the great outdoors.  To learn more about her business and classes, go to http://www.comfypetsofaz.com