In honor of Pet Poison Helpline turning 20 years old, here are a few reminders on how to keep your furry family members safe during birthday festivities!
Food is always at the center of birthday parties. Keep in mind, pets can’t enjoy all the tasty treats that people can. While grapes are refreshing in the summer heat, they can cause GI upset and kidney disease if accidentally ingested. Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages should be kept out of reach from our four-legged friends. While caffeine can cause GI distress, increased or irregular heartbeats and even seizures, alcohol toxicity may lead to low blood sugar, CNS depression and low blood pressure. Grilling meat and veggies with onion and garlic is delicious, but they can trigger damage to canine and feline red blood cells. And what is a birthday celebration without cake? Keep in mind that chocolate toxicity can very strongly resemble caffeine toxicity and xylitol (artificial sweetener) may cause life threatening low blood sugar and liver damage. Best to keep them both out of paws reach.
Flowers are a beautiful way of making any space festive, however, lilies are dangerous to cats. Exposure to all parts of the plant, even just a small amount of pollen, may cause life threatening kidney disease. If the party is outside at a pool, make sure to keep all pool chemicals safely stored. When properly used, these chemicals are quite safe, but exposure to a non-diluted product can be corrosive, creating serious burns and erosions to the tongue, oral cavity, and GI tract. Another corrosive danger to pets is batteries included in all those newly opened toys. When a battery is ingested, time is of the essence. Call Pet Poison Helpline at 1-800-213-6680 immediately for instructions on how to safely get your pet the help they need.
During and after the celebration, make sure to cover all waste bins securely and don’t leave any food out to mold. Some molds may contain toxins that lead to body tremors and seizures. A foreign body obstruction can occur if a dog eats a discarded corn cob, requiring medical attention and sometimes surgery. Bones and grill brushes are often chewed on or ingested for their savory scents, resulting in potential life-threatening intestinal injuries. Even decorative balloons and ribbons pose a risk to our pets, creating linear foreign bodies when ingested. Horses and wildlife can ingest them or become entangled in balloon fragments, causing injuries, choking, and death.
If an exposure has occurred, you can stay calm, because we are here to help! Call your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline at 1-800-213-6680 24/7 for treatment guidance. If your pet is demonstrating signs of poisoning, seek immediate veterinary care.
