Common Household Items that are Dangerous for your Pet

A pet is a sweet addition to a family, but like children, pets have to be watched because they can get into things that can be harmful to them. Common household goods that we use for everyday purposes can be exceptionally dangerous to our beloved pets. The following household goods are detrimental to your pet and should be out of plain sight and put away where there is not easy access.

• Medication– The #1 household item that pets get into most often. This includes prescriptions, as well as over-the-counter. Veterinary costs can be nearly as high as $6,000. Ouch! Talk about a hit on the wallet. Keep those medications in well tight-knit and hard to enter places.

• Plants– Cats are especially susceptible to plants, and lilies are highly dangerous to them, causing vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite and kidney failure. All of these ailments, if left for a prolonged time untreated, can lead to death. Dogs also eat plants, so it’s best to know which plants are dangerous to both your cat and dog’s health.

• Household chemicals– Pet owners submitted numerous amounts of claim last year with their pet ingesting chemicals. Antifreeze tastes sweet to dogs and cats, but is highly toxic and causes many deaths in pets if too much is ingested or gets in their blood stream and is not treated. Pesticides are also highly dangerous, and if you note a spill anywhere in the house and you’re unsure of where it came from, be sure to mop it up regardless.

• Foods– especially garlic, dark chocolate, onions and macadamia nuts. These foods are highly toxic to pets, and sometimes are consumed while dropped during cooking, as well as many owners are unaware that these foods are dangerous. Also, gum in purses is a hazard and should not be kept in plain view or easy accessible to your pet.

•  Fatty meats– these meats are high in fat, and can cause pancreatitis in your pet; this disease is when the pancreas digests itself. Consuming raw fish like salmon can cause a parasite to be ingested and cause vomiting, fever, diarrhea, weakness and dehydration.

• Everything else– there have been reports of pets ingesting everything from pennies, to plastic gloves, batteries and foreign objects. Recently, a Jack Terrier had to have 111 pennies removed in an emergency procedure. Wow! Please keep everything and anything away that your pet could possibly ingest or get sick from. Be aware and alert also.

It’s also good to note that if these substances are dangerous and toxic to your pet, it’s likely that it’s the same for other animals. To ensure the health and safety of your pet, keep your pet away from household goods or items that are potentially dangerous, or keep these items away from them in a secure, tight-locked place.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8334-204_162-57575454/common-household-items-that-can-lead-to-a-costly-trip-to-the-veterinarian/