Get the latest news and advice for your furry friends at PETOLOgy! Our pet blog covers topics from proper nutrition and health care to training tips and fun activities. Visit us to learn more about how to best care for your pet.
If you are looking to adopt or consider try the best pet rescue for you. I am not affiliate marketing I just know www.petfinder.com is reliable. It’s worth a shot to see all the pups and kits nearby. Consider fostering!
Oh I’m sorry is my house light and free rent bothering you? Get up it’s 4pm!
Top 10 Reasons; never adopt!
Reasons NOT to adopt a shelter pet for animal rescue week.
They start by making you come home regularly to let them “potty.” Who wants to be responsible?
You legit have to pet them, or they sigh at you because they love you so much and you’re their world
Sometimes they’ll do things like throwing a toy at your cellphone just to get noticed.
THEY MAKE YOU EXERCISE. You genuinely feel like a POS if you don’t take your pet out multiple times a day to smell the grass and other animals’ butts.
After all that, they make you liable. You can’t live on the edge when you have children.
First, they want the end of your bed, and by the time they’ve gotten what they want, they already have started to take up the whole bed
When you read the news and your blood pressure starts rising, and fear takes over, you want to play fetch. Right there. Right then.
You have to say goodbye at some point, and it’s a hard pill to swallow, but the lessons learned are beyond necessary they’re fundamental values.
They make you freak out, thinking they ate something off your floor.
They put up with you. Even when you can’t face yourself anymore. They keep you on a good track. They can replace bad habits. Resilient. They know it, they “apologize” when you get mad and it’s not even at them. Did I mention they never love you less? They fully dedicate their lives to you. Clingy.
Sometimes your cat face times your friends dogs.
Animals have personalities. Some don’t believe this, but they do. Cats and dogs are constantly speaking to you. For mental health awareness and pet adoption and rescue month, let’s talk about all the rescue dogs who’ve saved my life. Those dogs and cats I’ve rehomed to better homes or fostered or taken on cause someone couldn’t have been the spark in my life, and they give me a purpose. Protect them and help them as they have me. Cause in your darkest hour, you will find yourself alone, lifehack: you’re never lonely when you have a dog.
Come on, and I don’t just like dogs cause they’re cute. I need a dog because they’re your partners.
Did I mention they fall asleep on you sometimes and then you can’t get up and you have to calm down, cuddle, and go back to bed.
Picture proof that rescue dogs are awful! Just the worst.
Get up? Not today! Dog is too cute to wake up. Morning breath is real though.
The “attention seeker”
05.06.2022 pet of the day- dale The French bulldog. Found on petfinder.comOkay I guess I’m gonna have to snuggle you oddly or just sit elsewhere? Too cute to move you. Okay how did we get from being allowed on the foot of my bed to sharing the bed to full bed takeover. But still too cute to wake up! WtfYeah you’re gonna need an iPhone. When they’re too cute to move all you can do is take really good pictures of their cute faces. The two species pretend they aren’t a team. But than they are both too cute too move. Sleeping in the middle like a cuddle sandwich. If you have a dog with guard like personality traits they’ll stare at nothing all day long just to protect you. If they don’t move they just grow from the grass🤷They love car rides. Not statistically speaking cops don’t wanna fck with the dog😛Better like doing laundry. That fur does not remove itself Seriously can’t get up today, dogs on me. Work will understand.
Besides forcing your bad habits into good ones and testing / teaching your core values, many dogs and cats are euthanized every day. Idiots.
They are however much work you invest in them. Some dogs are very personable, and others (pitty) are big giant babies. They’re unique. Mutts are the best.
Every day this month, I will post a story about a dog I’ve fostered or an animal-related / veterinary-related blog. Shoot me a pic of your furball!
No time like the present to save a pet.
This blog is a satire- yes, yes, you should always adopt, and yes, you need an animal.
Not sure if a pet is suitable for you? Ask your closest friends and family. If they say you should get a dog, you’re likely annoying them with your loneliness.
Lastly, you are to continue to adopt even when your best friend has passed because a dog’s love teaches you unconditional love and forgiveness; that is what you do. You commit to loving something for 10-14 years. It’s not so bad.
Cats do not love people more than anything. For them to love a human more than food, water, or other cats is just the unique characteristic of that cat. As evolution goes on, we notice new features in anything newborn. In time, it’s likely cats will evolve to be friendlier by nature: it’s all in the DNA which cat breeders And bioengineering. Though cats have proven to show compassion, cats are like humans in many ways. Not all cats like all cats. Not all cats like their owners. Not all domestic cats do either, but still, we coexist with them for comfort, pest control, and fun, and they do the same, but for food. Food is always the drive.
El Niño, Norwegian Forest Cat, Living the good life
Working at Chicago Animal Care and Control, it was my duty to clean all the cat wards. When doing so, I realized how crazy, unpredictable, and “human-like.” every cat was. Some cats were mean, others scared, others trying to get me to take them, etc.; they are incredibly similar to human Beings personality-wise, and no two cats were the same. They have personalities. They think, and they feel.
Worried Cat
Cats are very manipulative, not necessarily in the wrong way, but like a baby crying for attention, they can lie, and they know how to get what they want and will care less if you disagree. While your dog might be your companion and love you regardless of circumstances, your cat is more like your roommate or best friend. No two human/cat bonds are the same. Dogs are all loving, and cats are all-knowing or self-serving (like humans). The main reason cats get along with humans is that we are shelter, comfort, safety, and we supply constant food and cuddle sources. Cats who don’t display affection for their humans haven’t run away because they don’t want to risk losing a stress-free life.
Snuggles
Angry cats are likely ungrateful for the attention. Loving cats want you to know they appreciate you. They may be extra loving (Especially when there is food involved) in a situation where they want action from you. Unlike puppies, cats are born with innate knowledge; they know that their claws are there to fight and that other cats are outside. Most cats choose the free food And shelter option.
Cats are independent carnivores. In the wild, they survive around three years. Domestic cats can live up to about 21 with new medical advances. They do not, however, “need” you but generally speaking, they’re pretty happy with their owners, or they’d escape/vandalize your home. That’s when you call a cat counselor. Real thing. If they are here to hunt and survive, that’s by nature why they need humans.
Suppose your cat loves you more than anything that means precisely that. You have an outstanding bond with your cat. My cat (http://Https://www.thetacocattalk.com/) and I, who I’ve had for eight years, get in fights with me. Not physical, but we get annoyed with each other. I don’t care for him sitting on my phone, and he doesn’t care for me not paying attention to him when he wants it.
Cats can rotate their ears to listen to many different noises. They can attend for prey and hear your gossip.
Cats are insanely mesmerizing, rude, and marvelous creatures (excellent rodent control), and they get along with humans more than they love humans more than anything. That is impossible because the cat loves itself more than anything. They are often confused with dogs regarding behavioral questions because they are domesticated wild animals (well, the dog is now artificial but descended from an extinct wolf), and they CAN coexist. Not all can, though. You wouldn’t consider your iguana to have a personality like your dog or cats (they have their personalities and behaviors)
Dogs NaturallyMagazine, a Veterinary based magazine, inspired me to research this incredibly important, Interesting, and alarming article about dog nutrition.
Studies recently show canines eating brand new diets to pups eating brands with nutrition deficiencies (I.e., Pedigree, Beneful, Alpo), which contain large amounts of processed foods, found that dogs eating fresh foods statistically live on average two years and eight months longer than those with the low nutritional diets and/or “cheap” brands.
That’s an extra thirty-two months on your beloved fur baby’s life.
There are many explanations for canines prematurely aging. Contemporary research shows that telomeres – a compound structuring at the end of a chromosome “shortening” could be one connection between processed diets and a shortened life.
TELOMERES, VITALITY, LIFESPAN
The end of each chromosome is a stretch of DNA named telomeres in both canines and homo sapiens.
Telomeres 🧬 are essentially the tough rounded ends of shoelaces. Telomeres conceal the perimeters of your dog’s chromosomes and stop ✋ them from unfolding. 🚫
As canines age, their telomeres get shorter. Generally, old canines have immensely shortened telomeres. Every time a cell divides, the acting telomere for that chromosome gets shortened. Cells are continually dividing, such as surface cells like skin and cells within significant organs such as the liver.
Once the telomeres are wholly gone, its chromosome on the DNA unfolds 🧬 , and the cell will execute one of three plans:
Self-destruction (apoptosis)
Go Solo (evolve cancerously)
Retire (becomes senescent)
The body is continually residing with cancers and stands adequately equipped to handle them. If the immune system is working sufficiently, it can pick up and demolish any cancerous cells. Again, that’s if the immune system is not compromised.
It’s the senescent (or cessation of cell division) cells that do the most damage to the body. Senescent cells are the one guy who ruins the party as these cells come baring early-onset of age-related disease.
Senescent cells lay dormant, and at any given time in the body, they discharge poisonous chemicals. These chemicals begin to grip to encircling healthy cells, causing that cell to become senescent or cancerous.
You need to protect the telomeres.
HOW PROCESSED FOODS DESTROY TELOMERES
Researchers in Spain looked at telomeres size and diets in human participants. They lay the first stone that the more processed diets they ate, the faster they shortened telomeres.
Partakers that ate three or more servings of refined or processed foods everyday stood 82% more apt to bring into light shortened telomeres.
What is refined or processed food? Like yourselves, your canine companions rely solely on the diet you feed them and to enhance longevity, as well as address specific breed diets and needs it’s important to know how to read a dog food label and more important to understand it. Think of processed food as “fillers”. Bad brands of dog food will usually list a filler or a meat “meal or derivative” (essentially ANY part of the protein source, I mean any part) and include a lot of grains such as corn to keep your pet full for longer. Corn, isn’t easily digested whole for humans, and it’s no better for dogs. This does not mean you should feed your pets grain-free food. It means the grains if at all should be healthy, ground up if needed, and easily digested.
Recent articles in both frontline and DVM360 have linked grain-free diets to cardiomyopathy or heart disease/failure. Hills Food Manufacturer sent a disturbing informational article to all associate Veterinary hospitals in June of 2019 showing the research-based evidence and development of grain-free diets and heart failure or sudden death due to heart issues in over five hundred canines.
WHAT IS A PROCESSED FOODS PURPOSE?
A LOT of pet foods and food brands (raw foods included) encompass refined ingredients. The ingredients are exposed to high heat, processing machines, or prepared in a laboratory and approximately entirely nurtured by human reserves. It cuts expenses for the pet food corporation to put fillers and processed food in the nourishment as grain is an inexpensive crop and corn is the cheapest. Corn that is not ground up is not generally tolerated by humans nor pets- the food must contain appropriate grains such as “ground” corn.
The first ingredient listed should always be the protein source (meat). Don’t be fooled by the word meal derivative or meals; this meat is essentially the meat you don’t want your pet to have (I.e., Weird body parts or even meat from untrustworthy or none grass-fed animals from non-accredited farmers).
Dog food standards are not the same as human food standards. The only thing a dog food brand needs is a label listing the ingredients and for it to be visible on the bag. No further testing of the food to date is required by law. PET FOOD DOES NOT need to be FDA tested unless it’s a prescription diet. It does need to pass its own “FDA” mentioned below.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) provides nutritional standards (called model bills and regulations) that pet food manufacturers must abide by if they want to advertise their food as “complete and balanced.” – dogsnaturallymagazine
While the pet food industry reduces their costs by supplementing essential nutrients with fillers, processed foods and protein meals and maybe save a few bucks on the packaging, this day in age the brands are all aware (if they weren’t before) and still sell garbage to gain more personal profit (though they swim in it as is), they add bills to your veterinary tab and take years off your pet’s life, practically load your dog up with fillers, meat and meal derivatives, and indigestiblele grains. We simply have no idea we are slowly killing our pets. Not to mention they STILL push grain-free when it causes heart failure.
Name brand pet food. Is it malicious? Not all, well some probably are, but there are many brands of food. It’s unlikely intentional all pet food corporations are trying to murder your pet since canine and feline nutrition is only recently becoming a significant component of raising healthy pets, and though many brands have been forced off shelves or forced to re-do their recipe; to this day, pedigree, also, and Beneful cut corners. Will display labels below
What are the ingredients most likely to be processed? What do you need to pay extra attention to? Words.
Meals (like chicken meal or corn meal)
Flavors (even natural flavors)
Colorings
Vitamins – what vitamins and how much?
Minerals– what minerals and how much?
You probably already know to stay away from meals and flavors. But many “high end” brands and freeze-dried foods contain vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins sourced in pet food are made with petroleum or fat products and are highly processed in factories. Minerals are also being processed in high heat and can be toxi. Avoid “added vitamins and minerals” or “all-natural and fresh with added supplements”
Processed foods are deficient in antioxidants. A fixed stream of antioxidants is vital to ameliorate oxidative stress harm and telomere curtailing.
HOW TO PREVENT TELEMORES FROM SHORTENING
Simple! Food and lifestyle change. Small adjustments you can make that will help keep your dog’s telomeres long and inflammation down.
Here is a list of supplements proved safe to give to pets that are found OTC. These you can purchase yourself.
Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fats: Both omega-6 and omega-3 fats have the ability to control hormones — and the hormones they control have very different jobs. The omega-6 fatty acids produce hormones that increase inflammation, which is an important part of the immune response. They also help with blood clotting and cell growth. The hormones produced by omega-3 fatty acids also control the immune system and they work alongside the omega-6 fats in an antagonistic manner. So, balance between these fatty acids is an important part of a healthy immune system. Both fats are important and your dog needs both in his diet. But these fats must be reasonably balanced for a balanced immune system … and today’s modern diets make this balance difficult.
Sulforaphane: Broccoli and especially broccoli sprouts are rich in a polyphenol called sulforaphane. This is a powerful antioxidant and liver detoxifier … but make sure it’s not heated as heat destroys the enzyme that converts sulforaphane in the body.
Probiotics/Prebiotics: A prosperous stomach includes an abundance of bacteria that reduce inflammation. And as pups age, their microbiomes become less distinct, and this can cause inflammation and telomere shortening.
Those are just expansions to your pet’s diet. Additionally, for an upset stomach, you can serve none-dessert canned pumpkin or boiled chicken and white rice. “Bland” diets are preferred when a dog is experiencing digestive tract issues. What your dog food should contain are the three driving energy sources.
Your dog needs three sources to operate: protein, fats, and carbohydrates. These macronutrients are the only source of calories your dog gets.
Proteinsare made up of building blocks called amino acids. Amino acids are important not just for energy but for vitality and tissue assembly in the bodies cell production. They also fire up the metabolic process. (hence energy drinks are loaded with amino acids and bcaa)
Fat is a rich source of energy. Pound per pound fat is two times more highly caloric than the protein source. You need to watch the amount of fat per protein ratio when feeding. Fat is essential in protecting your dog’s cells and aids in makinghormones as well as fatty–solublevitamins. Without a steady supply of protein and fat, your dog will die.
Carbohydrates are not essential for life, and dogs can survive without them, but that does not mean they shouldn’t be removed from the recipe. Carbohydrates help boost the dog’s immune systems and help reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases.
That being said the following sites are great for pet nutrition recalls, questions, and information.
Dog food advisor Constantly updates with researched and laboratory-based evidence for every type of pet food imaginableDifferent breeds means different nutrition needs!
Example: GOOD DOG FOOD
Taste of the Wild Southwest Canyon Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
America is a country with an incredible history. It’s admired for being the most “popular” and inspiring to other countries.
When I moved here in 1999 from Canada, It was bizarre, and the culture of Americans seemed a bit backward. Still, I didn’t even think about race or religion because my best friends were Jewish, Russian, American, and- Canadian. We are a diverse nation, that’s beautiful.
I understand with all the resentment at what’s blathering on with the President, and the pandemic is altogether just another part of America’s enormous and extraordinary past. It took me nineyears to earn my citizenship; America is arrogant, but when I realized other countries were making fun of my country, a light switch went on. They can mind their own business; they are pompous too.
A few rotten eggs don’t change Americans as people of America as a country; it changes the way we operate things. Countries need authority the same way kids need parents. Sadly, it, a perfect entertainer, fooled a lot of honest Americans into believing they lived well and, and generally, we did, but last year, when we were living in a warped reality of life, we lost faith in our country. Stop acting like everything is a lieu now.
We are not all this type of American
When you bash your own country, or you let someone from another country (myself included), you’re authorizing people to make a mockery of your society, moralities, upbringing, and authority. Unless you denounce your citizenship (good luck earning it back), stand up for Americans.
Remember, this isn’t Utopia. It’s just a piece of American history. Begin letting in what promising things are to come, not with what has already occurred. Be cautious next period of time when you elect. It’s going to be okay, you can count on a president who has indogurations (how cute is that!). Joe Biden isn’t Donald Trump. Sure he’s old, but so is my grandma, and she’d make a great president. (sorry if you’re reading this gram).
PET TOXICITY: KEEP YOUR PETS AWAY FROM POISON DURING THE HOLIDAYS
When I was working at Banfield in 2013, our most popular days were the day after Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas morning. It’s not surprising that we happen to feast the most those holidays, especially turkey and ham. Unfortunately, wanting to share your meals and your merry behavior with your pets can be toxic, fatal, and cause liver, kidney, and pancreas problems. It’s important to remember that just because we are celebrating doesn’t mean we can start to feed our pets things we wouldn’t naturally. After one drunk Dog (Aunt Sarah brought over liquor-filled chocolates), two foreign body surgeries (inability to pass the turkey, chicken, and ham bones), cat E.R. transfers (plant toxicity), and other foreign bodies such as Sock removal, strings removal, and yes, wedding ring removal. I decided it best to write EVERY year to remind my fellow friends to be extra cautious with your pets on holidays.
There are a couple of main reasons your pet may or may not ingest something during the holiday season. There are also a couple of main reasons your cat or dog may be lethargic (tired), anorexic (loss of appetite), ADR (slang for ain’t doing right), and why your dog and or cat may be exhibiting destructive behavior.
Your pets don’t understand Thanksgiving and Christmas; they know that it usually causes us to sweat (anxiety, excitement, stress). They see that we are suddenly running around the house, rearranging our belongings and moving things around, including our pet’s stuff. They see an uprise in tidying up, adding trees and other foreign objects and food (chocolates, nuts, decorations) to our homes, and altogether it’s just a confusing time for them. After all, in doggy years, the last Thanksgiving was seven years ago. The joy of the holidays usually comes the day of or after, when everything goes great, and your home is back to being and smelling it’s the authentic way.
2. Something as little as moving your cat’s tree out of the way or rearranging his toys without his permission can cause not only anorexia but urinary blockage. In male cats predominantly, the urethra (straw-like body part that the pee comes from), which is already smaller than it should be, is curved. Suppose the urethra is blocked from excreting any of its urine through the passageway, often caused by the sudden onset of stress. In that case, that pressure builds up; it will cause urinary issues over time, and, when not addressed within 24 hours, will cause a blockage and 72 hours, death. What happens to a cat during a backup? They are no longer urinating, they are straining, nothing is coming out after every attempt, and their bladder is large and hard to palpate. Not addressing promptly, your cat will suffer and then fatally and uncomfortably die. Dogs feed off of human energy. If you are anxious and running around, don’t find it uncommon that your dog mimics your behavior. If you are crating your dog for the first time, it’s not the time to experiment and add the pillows and toys in there. Please keep it simple, keep it toxic-free, and keep your pets safe.
We have extended family members and friends. I say this as in they are the ones who send us the nuts, chocolates, poinsettias, and other news and exciting things. We wrap our trees to look beautiful to impress our friends and family. We cover our tree with tiny, foreign body objects for our friends and family. It’s not uncommon that your baby nephew is feeding your dog under the table. It’s not unusual to find your cat playing with a string that came from your Christmas tree or nibbling on the leaves of a new plant.
Bones are NOT okay for dogs to ingest; to start because they aren’t adequately digested. If the dog can pass bones through defecating, it’s unlikely to be a pleasurable experience but more a less bloody.
Overfeeding any animal can be toxic, plants are EXTREMELY toxic to cats, and of course, dogs cannot eat chocolate, just because It’s a holiday.
Toxicities unaddressed with charcoal or induced vomiting within the first 15-25 minutes will require an emergency veterinary visit. Your local veterinary is unlikely to be open, so it’s a wise idea to have your nearest 24/7 E.R. vet’s phone numbers at hand as well as the poison hotline for pets.
It’s generally not a good time for your family to see and play with your pets. If you can make prior arrangements to put your cat and or dog away in a comfortable, safe spot, that is best. They have every day to roam freely, and though it may seem to mean, what’s more, meaningful is putting your pets at risk for ingesting foreign objects.
Cats mainly CAN NOT HANDLE STRESS. I can’t say that enough. Do not mess with your cat’s belongings. As I said, something as little as moving the cat tree can set your cat off. If your cat is usually a little finicky, I STRONGLY suggest you ask your Veterinarian for a tranquilizer/sedative for your pets.
No Veterinarian will deny your pet anxiety meds around a holiday or before a car trip. It’s the most common call we get. If you cannot pick up a prescription from your Vet, CALL THEM and let them know you’re worried about your pet’s anxiety during the holidays.
After the front desk gets the doctor’s approval, they will let you know, and you can tell the staff where you want to pick up those meds. Vets can call into CVS, JEWEL, WALGREENS, COSTCO; you name it. The drug they use is a human-grade drug (generally Trazadone or benzo diazepam), so most pharmacies carry it. Online pharmacies such as 1-800-PET MEDS and chewy.com will send your doctor an authorization, which they will approve via fax. I urge you to get the medicine from your Veterinarian because if you choose an online pharmacy and your pet has adverse reactions, the company that makes the drugs will NOT pay for treatment. If you get your dog’s prescriptions (any kind) from your Veterinarian and an adverse reaction, the Veterinarian or the company that supplies the drug will pay for your pet’s treatment.
Regardless, your Vet isn’t just there for your pet to see in person once a year; your Vet is like your doctor. You call when something is wrong, they call you to see how your pet is; most vets can remember most clients and pets, and keeping your cat and dog STRESS-free is very important. During this call, you can note some other issues or just how your pet has been doing, so the front desk can keep up to date with notes. No vet cares if your dog is behind in rabies, they won’t shame you.
Just call them, and they will fill the script if you’ve seen them within the past year and most likely if you’ve seen them within the past three years. There is a Veterinary guarantee year (this is the duration of an active relationship with your pet and Vet). If you do not want to medicate your pets, products such as calming herbal medicine and Feliway infusions for cats work great.
The point is, the holidays come and go. Your pets should be able to enjoy them with you, but there are just sometimes when it’s better to put them somewhere for their safety. You do not want a $6,000 foreign body surgery bill because you felt bad that your dog couldn’t be out during dinner time. These toxicities and surgeries are possibly fatal; they leave LONG-TERM DAMAGE to the liver, kidneys, and pancreas.
It’s easy for us to assume that what helps us when we’re suffering may help our pets. While some medicines are interchangeable at a veterinarian’s discretion, most are not.
Dog and humans do not share the same genetics or operate their internal machinery the same way humans do. Cats are more likely to handle human medicine, as we do share some similar DNA with them. Either way, unless prescribed to your dog- any medication ingested should be reported to your Vet, even if they aren’t exhibiting symptoms.
Prescription anti-inflammatory and pain medications can cause stomach and intestinal ulcers or kidney failure.
It’s hard to even for Veterinary Workers not to want to cave in to their dogs begging, sweet eyes as you’re enjoying your chocolate cake or pre-dinner chips & guacamole. Not giving them what they wish to is similar to not going for a walk with them when the weather is below freezing or the pavement is too hot. They are always going to beg, but YOU know they can’t eat these things. It’s important to print this list as a reference. Every household should have an open plan for everyone to see what is acceptable and not for their pet to eat.
Alcohol. Symptoms of alcohol poisoning in animals are similar to those in people and may include vomiting, breathing problems, coma, and, in severe cases, death.
Avocado. You might think healthy, but avocados have a substance called persin that can act as a dog poison, causing vomiting and diarrhea.
Macadamia nuts. Dogs may suffer from a series of symptoms, including weakness, overheating, and vomiting, after macadamia nuts.
Grapes and raisins. Experts aren’t sure why, but these fruits can induce kidney failure in dogs. Even a small number may cause problems in some dogs.
Xylitol. This sweetener is in many products, including sugar-free gum and candy. It causes a rapid drop in blood sugar, resulting in weakness and seizures. Liver failure also has been reported in some dogs.
Other foods you should keep away from your pet include tomatoes, mushrooms, and most seeds and nuts.
Top Poisons for CATS, Beware of These Feline Toxins
Following is a list of the top poisons for CATS, according to the Pet Poison Helpline. If you suspect that your cat has ingested or been exposed to a toxic substance, call your Veterinarian, a nearby emergency animal hospital, or the 24/7 Pet Poison Helpline at 800-213-6680. You can also download their Pet Poison Help iPhone app.
HUMAN OTC AND PRESCRIPTION MEDS
some human over-the-counter and prescription medicines are a serious threat to cats, so keep them in a place they can’t get into, including:
You may have heard that some common drugs work for people and cats. Never give your pet any pills without first talking to your Vet, though — it’s easy to provide them with the wrong medicine or too much, which can kill them.
Human Foods
Your kitty may beg when you sit down to eat (or try to steal some bites when you’re not looking), but some human foods can be poisonous for them, including:
Alcohol
Caffeine (coffee, soda, tea)
Chives
Chocolate
Garlic
Grapes
Onions
Raisins
Xylitol (found in sugarless gums, candies, kinds of toothpaste)
Yeast dough
Indoor and Outdoor Plants
Common houseplants — and a few others that you may bring into your home — can be hazardous to your cat’s health, including the following:
Aloe
Azalea
Chrysanthemum
Hyacinths
Lily
Marijuana
Mistletoe
Poinsettia
Rhododendron
Tulip
Insecticides and Other Chemicals
Some chemicals taste especially good to cats. To keep them safe, keep any chemicals locked away, especially:
Antifreeze
Bleach
Detergents
De-icing salts (which pets may walkthrough, then lick from their pads)
Dog flea and tick medication (pills, collars, spot-on flea treatments, sprays, shampoos)
Fertilizers
Herbicides
Insect and rodent bait
More Household Hazards
Watch out for everyday household items that can choke or strangle your cat. Some may even block their intestines if they swallow them.
Chicken bones
Dental floss, yarn, or string
Holiday decorations, including lights and tinsel
Toys with small or movable parts
IN THE EVENT OF POISONING OR CONCERN FOR PET
Every moment matters if you think your cat or dog has been exposed to something toxic.
Call your Vet. Post the clinic’s phone number in a prominent place, along with the number for the Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435. They can help you know what to do next.
Collect samples. Take samples of vomit, stool, and the poison your cat ate to the Vet with your cat. Make sure to watch, and take note of behavior and timing.
Know your Resources: Depending on where you live, there ARE nearby 24/7 emergency veterinarian EMERGENCY HOSPITALS. The emergency you take your pet if there is a severe emergency, as Veterinarians generally don’t handle emergencies unless they are non-severe. Have these resources printed and available for you or a family member to access at all times? You’ll thank yourself when or if you ever come into a situation where you need emergency help for your furry family.
Watch for symptoms of toxicity poisoning
Breathing problems
Confusion
Coughing
Depression
Diarrhea
Dilated pupils
Drinking more and urinating more
Upset stomach
A lot of salivae
Seizures
Shivering
Skin irritation
Tremors
Vomiting
Weakness
Educate. After your pet recovers, call your poison control center or humane society to let them know what happened so they can track problem poisons and help prevent harm to other animals.
It’s essential to follow up with your Veterinarian too.
It’s possible that though the poison did not infect the body at the time, it did some damage to the internal organs down the line. It’s always, always, best to let your primary Veterinarian know these things.
PETOLOGY 