Pet Poisons Information
Our pets, do at times, try to eat things they shouldn’t and as a pet owner this can be a worrying time.
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What To Do If Your Pet Has Ingested Something Toxic
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The key message if you are concerned your pet has ingested something harmful or toxic:
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First, STAY CALM
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PHONE THE PRACTICE IMMEDIATELY: 0131 557 1819 or out-of-hours e-vets on 0131 662 1689
There is always a vet to speak to for advice.
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CONTACT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE: We can often make a pet sick to remove the harmful substance if within the first 2 hours of ingestion.
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BRING THE PACKAGING/INGREDIENTS LIST IF KNOWN: As much information as possible about what your pet has ingested really helps to be able to treat them, such as quantity and ingredients.
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DO NOT TRY TO MAKE YOUR PET SICK AT HOME: This can be potentially very harmful and cause more problems for your pet.
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Common Pet Poisons
This factsheet discusses the common accidental toxin ingestions we encounter in general practice:​
Chocolate Toxicity in Pets
Chocolate poisoning is one of the most common toxicities in dogs that we encounter and sadly can be potentially fatal depending upon the type and quantity of chocolate ingested. The culprit is the Theobromine within the chocolate, which is in higher concentration in dark chocolate.
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Knowing the approximate amount and type of chocolate ingested helps us to treat your pet, as at lower doses symptoms may only be a stomach upset. However, possible toxic doses require your pet to be made sick to try and eliminate the amount of toxin uptake, followed by activated charcoal to reduce further absorption. Depending upon severity sometimes it is recommended for your pet to be kept in the practice for fluids, blood tests and monitoring.
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Signs of toxicity occur usually within 24 hours of exposure with milder symptoms including vomiting, stomach pain, restless behaviour/hyper excitability. More severe toxin exposure can result in tremors, convulsions; compromise to the heart and sadly in some very severe cases can be fatal.
Ibuprofen Toxicity in Pets
This widely used human anti-inflammatory pain killer is not designed for pets to be able to breakdown in their body. Any level of ingestion can cause toxicity to a pet with harm to the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys.
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The key message is prompt action. If you believe your pet may have ingested this medication, call the practice. Treatment includes making your pet sick to reduce exposure, gut protectants, activated charcoal and minimum 24 hours intravenous fluids as an in-patient with a blood test to check kidney function after 24 hours of treatment.
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Avoid risk of exposure to your pet by keeping any medication in a sealed container out of their reach.
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We have seen a few cases of animals accidentally ingesting other species anti-inflammatory medication such as ‘Bute’ or ‘Danelon’ for horses, this again can be very serious to our smaller patients as it is designed for much larger animals.
Paracetamol Toxicity in Cats
Paracetamol is a widely used human pain killer medication, which although has some off licence use in dogs it CANNOT be tolerated by cats. A small amount can be fatal, so it is important if any accidental ingestion to get immediate veterinary help.
Lily Toxicity in Cats
Cats are very susceptible to lily toxicity and exposure to any part of the plant, including pollen, can be very dangerous. Ingestion can cause potentially fatal kidney failure. It is best to avoid having these flowers in any household with pet cats, as even if kept up high the stamens can fall off and the pollen is at risk of getting onto the cat’s fur.
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Signs of exposure can occur within hours, starting with poor appetite, possible vomiting, increased thirst and lethargy. This can progress quickly as the kidneys become damaged so prompt treatment is required. If you do see any pollen on your cat’s fur it is important to try and wash it off immediately to reduce the risk of exposure from grooming.
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Treatment includes kidney support with intravenous fluids and blood tests to monitor. The quicker treatment is started, the better the outcome.
Anti-Freeze Toxicity in Cats
This toxicity occurs mainly in outdoor cats from exposure to ethylene glycol; a component found within anti-freeze and car cooling fluids. Cats are very sensitive to ethylene glycol and even small amount of exposure can result in kidney failure and sadly in severe cases can be fatal.
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Initial symptoms can be quite vague such as increased thirst, drowsiness, incoordination, lethargy and may not be apparent until several hours after exposure.
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If you suspect your cat has been exposed, it is vital to get them seen by our vets as soon as possible even if not showing any symptoms yet. If you find any fluid on your cat wash this off immediately to prevent further exposure through self-grooming.
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Treatment includes hospitalisation of the cat with intravenous fluids to support the kidneys and blood tests to monitor the function.
Grapes, Raisins & Currants Toxicity
Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants are toxic to pets but the mechanism of toxicity in dogs is still unclear, for some animals even a small amount ingested can potentially be very serious. It is a common toxicity at Christmas time with mince pies and Christmas pudding and Easter time with hot cross buns, so it is important to ensure such food containing these are kept out of your pet’s reach.
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Initial symptoms of toxic exposure may include vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, weakness and increased thirst and urination as the toxicity can cause kidney failure in affected patients.
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Prompt treatment includes intravenous fluids to support the kidneys and blood tests to monitor function. If started early the outcome for recovery is better.
Slug Bait Toxicity
It is advisable in a pet household to avoid the use of such products, but accidental ingestion does occur, especially in spring and summer months. The toxin, metaldehyde, used in these pellets can cause neurological signs such as tremors and convulsions within a few hours of ingestion.
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Treatment includes hospitalisation for monitoring, possible anti-convulsant medication and sedatives. Again, prompt veterinary care gives the chance of a better outcome for the affected animal.
Rat Poison Toxicity
This is a common accidental toxin encountered most commonly in dogs. The poison prevents blood clotting resulting in internal bleeding, organ failure or neurological issues.
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Symptoms develop generally within 24 hours of ingestion with lethargy, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, increased thirst and urination.
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Knowing what type of rat poison and when the toxin was ingested will help dictate treatment. If within a few hours of ingestion your pet can be made to be sick, blood tests are required to check the red blood cells and kidney function, intravenous fluids and vitamin K treatment is needed.
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Non-Toxic Ingestion (Foreign Objects)
Sometimes our pets also eat silly things which may not be toxic but can still be harmful to your pet causing damage to the intestinal tract or in severe cases can cause an obstruction.
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If you have any concerns about your pet eating something they shouldn’t, please contact the practice for advice as we can often in early cases make them sick before the ‘foreign material’ has had a chance to cause any further problems.
Further Advice & Support
This not an exhaustive list of toxins, if you have any concerns about what your pet has ingested, please contact our vet team for advice.
More general information on possible pet toxicities can be found on The Animal Poison Line website run by the Veterinary Poison Information Service.
Get Emergency Help for Poisoning & Toxic Ingestion in Pets
If your pet has eaten something harmful or toxic, acting quickly is critical. Call our practice on 0131 557 1819 or out-of-hours e-vets on 0131 662 1689.