23/03/2022
📣 Poison Prevention Awareness Week 📣
Five Common Pet Poisons
This month is National Pet Poison Prevention Month, and SASH have teamed up with the Animal Poisons Helpline to bring you information on the five most common pet poisons dangers in Australia. Last year, the Helpline provided advice for nearly 10,000 animal poisons exposures involving over 600 different poisons. Many of the calls made to the Helpline were regarding one of the following five most common poisons.
5. Grapes: Most of you will know that grapes, raisins, and sultanas should not be fed to dogs. Dogs that ingest these common food items may be at risk of kidney injury. Despite research efforts, the exact compound that causes harm remains unknown. Some dogs seem to be able to eat grapes and not develop any complications. It is not known if this is because only certain dogs are sensitive to the toxin, or only some grapes contain the toxin in sufficient quantity to result in problems.
Dogs will often eat grapes that are dropped on the ground during unpacking or preparation. Another common scenario is a well-meaning child feeding grapes to the family dog. If you own a dog, be careful when preparing grapes and never leave a dog, a young child, and a bowl of grapes unsupervised!
4. Wild Mushrooms: Australia is home to over 10,000 mushroom species. Pets that eat wild mushrooms can develop a range of symptoms depending on the mushroom species and toxin involved. Whilst many mushrooms result in either no symptoms or a transient and mild gastroenteritis, some mushrooms such as Amanita phalloides (commonly known as the Death cap) can be life-threatening even with small amounts. As some wild mushrooms have a fishy or rotten meat odour, they can be highly attractive to pets.
Consider keeping your pet on a leash during walks at times of heavy mushroom growth. Heavy growth periods typically occur in the weeks after heavy rain, particularly in autumn and early winter. For wild mushrooms that grow in your garden, daily picking each morning during growth periods is a good way to reduce the risk to your pets.
3. Fertiliser: Organic fertilisers are typically made of different types of manures, blood meal, bone meal, and other meal products. Many dogs think that organic fertiliser smells fantastic, and therefore it’s not hard to see why fertiliser was the third most common call to the Helpline in 2021. Some dogs will ingest very large quantities of organic fertilisers if given a chance to do so. This has the potential to result in severe gastroenteritis, gastrointestinal obstruction and possibly pancreatitis.
Please keep your pet safe by restricting access to fertiliser containers or packaging. Keep in mind that dogs can readily chew through packaging, so they need to be stored out of reach. Apply fertiliser as per the manufacturer’s recommendations (do not use excessive amounts) and always water in pelletised organic fertilisers after application.
2. Chocolate: Contains theobromine which is toxic to most small animals. The risk of poisoning is dependent on the type of chocolate, the amount ingested, and the size of the animal. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning can include increased urination and thirst, vomiting, restlessness, increased heart rate, tremor, and potentially seizures. Dark chocolate and cocoa powder are particularly dangerous, as they contain high concentrations of theobromine.
Easter is rapidly approaching and is a particularly high-risk period for chocolate poisoning in our pets. Please be vigilant in storing all chocolate containing items out of reach, and do not feed your pet any chocolate or cocoa containing food items. This includes chocolate brownies, hot chocolate, Milo, and Nutella.
1. Brodifacoum: The most common call to the Helpline in 2021 was brodifacoum. This is a potent second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide that poisons rodents by reducing the ability of the blood to clot. Unfortunately, pets that ingest these baits can also be at risk of bleeding, which can be life-threatening if not treated in a timely manner. Rodenticides are often formulated in grain-based baits which are designed to attract rodents. Dogs are also attracted to grain-based baits and will often eat large quantities if given a chance to do so.
Where possible, reduce your use of anticoagulant rat baits and consider humane traps or alternative products such as salt-based baits. If you must use an anticoagulant bait, consider using first generation baits (such as warfarin or coumatetralyl) which carry less risk of secondary poisoning. When using anticoagulant baits, only use as much as is necessary and ensure that they are removed when they are no longer required. Always ensure baits are secured and placed in areas that your pets cannot access.
If your pet has been exposed to any poison, please phone your local SASH North Ryde 02 98890289 Central Coast 02 43111311, Adelaide 08 81335300 or contact the Australian Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738 for advice. Some poisons have delayed effects and it is important to seek immediate expert advice even if your pet looks well.
