Dangers of Antifreeze
Antifreeze is necessary to keep cars from freezing in the winter and overheating in the summer. The sweet taste of antifreeze is attractive to pets and children.
Acute cases of antifreeze toxicity (when an animal consumes antifreeze) often present as if the animal is intoxicated with alcohol.
This is an emergency situation, and life threatening within hours. Please see your veterinarian immediately. Success of treatment depends on quick treatment. Low toxicity propylene glycol antifreeze is available. Please check your local automotive store for availability and details.
Related Reading
- Pet Safety Tip Archive
Prevent poisonings and household hazards - Got a pet safety tip?
Please share it with our viewers.
Photo: Radiator Antifreeze by evelynishere on Flickr
Do you buy holiday gifts for your pets?
My daughter asked if the cats and dogs would have stockings and gifts this year. Considering that I am barely organized to shop for human friends and family (who might actually notice that it is the holidays and gifts are typically exchanged at this time), I answered no. The pets receive little goodies throughout the year, and they love them when they get them.
Fast forward to me doing some holiday shopping the other day. I added in a few extra stockings for the pets. Some little presents are sure to follow. In this case, I was shopping for my kids as much as my pets, since the kids love presenting the presents to the pets. Plus, it keeps the pets entertained and out of trouble while we enjoy the festivities.
Do you buy holiday gifts for pets?
Please vote in the poll and share your reasons/opinions/gift buying tips below in the "comments" section.
Related holiday and pet resources
- Show us YOUR gift ideas for pets, vets and animal lovers
- Gifts that give back to help animals
- Holiday Gift Ideas For Pets & Their People
- Safety considerations when buying gifts for pets
- Holiday Help for Animals in Need
- Candy and Food Gifts - Prevent Pet Pilfering
Photo: Christmas Cat by dierken on Flickr
Twitter | Facebook | Free newsletter
Smelly Paws
Forum member mannysown62 writes: "We have a 1 year old beagle. He's an indoor dog although we let him out on occasion to do his business. We bathe him at least once a week, maybe twice, depending also what he's been doing when he goes outdoors.
Even though he gets a thorough bath, his paws always seem to smell. I even put some extra shampoo and scrub gently into paws but that doesn't help. Can someone give me some suggestions please?"
Photo: Paws of an American Staffordshire by Sarah Basford on Flickr
Toxic Foods for Pets - Raisins
Raisins and grapes are very toxic to dogs and possibly cats. Some dogs love eating raisins and grapes and will seek them out. Pet owners have used even raisins as a "healthy" treat for their dogs. This is not advised however, as grapes and raisins may cause potentially fatal kidney failure in dogs and cats.
Ahna Brutlag DVM and Justine A. Lee DVM DACVECC of Pet Poison Helpline share a raisin toxicity case report in a three year old female Labrador dog that survived raisin toxicity with aggressive emergency and supportive care.
Related Reading
- Top 5 most common holiday calls to Pet Poison Helpline
- Icky Things Pets Eat
- Pet Safety Tips and Alerts
Tell us: Share your story of the worst thing your pet has eaten
Photo: Raisins by babbagecabbage on Flickr
Foods Toxic to Pets - Yeast Bread Dough
Dough that has yeast in it poses a hazard to pets who consume it in large quantity. The risks are two-fold.
The first risk is that the dough may rise after ingestion, causing intestinal obstruction. Secondly, the yeast can ferment sugars, creating a secondary problem of ethanol (alcohol) poisoning in the animal.
Ahna Brutlag DVM and Justine A. Lee DVM DACVECC of Pet Poison Helpline detail the case of "Shorty" the cat who ingested yeast bread dough.
Related Reading
- Top 5 most common holiday calls to Pet Poison Helpline
- Icky Things Pets Eat
- Pet Safety Tips and Alerts
Tell us: Share your story of the worst thing your pet has eaten
Image: Rising Dough by ella novak on Flickr
Top 5 most common calls to Pet Poison Helpline
I asked veterinary specialists Ahna Brutlag DVM and Justine A. Lee DVM DACVECC at Pet Poison Helpline what top 5 topics they receive calls for during the holidays. Some of the items may surprise you.
Here is their list of common pet household hazards that they have received calls about in 2009.
Related Reading
Photo: Fireplace by Rick on Flickr
Poisonous Holiday Plants
Bright ornamental plants are a great way to dress up the house during the holidays and a dreary winter. Pet owners should be aware, however, that many of these common plants are poisonous to pets.
Many people worry about the beautiful Poinsettia plant, but just how toxic is it? Find out in this pet safety article. Also learn about other commonly seen plants this time of year, including mistletoe, holly, Amaryllis and Christmas trees.
Image credit: Poinsettia Flower © CodyR on Flickr
New Pet Safety and Alert Widget from the FDA
In an effort to streamline food and drug alert recalls and to be more "transparent" with health and safety information for pets and vets, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has created a tool for pet bloggers and web site owners. The tool is called a "widget" and the FDA Pet Health and Safety widget is free for anyone to use on their site.
What is a widget?
A widget is programming code added to a blog or web site that performs a function. In this case, the widget will automatically update with food and drug recall information and general pet health alerts from the FDA. Once installed, you do not need to do anything to update the information - the new alerts and info automatically "feed" into the widget for your viewers. Read more...
Second Cat H1N1 Fatality, New Feline Case in France
News of more feline cases of H1N1 infection was reported today by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
An 8 year-old female (spayed) cat in Oregon died from the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus on November 24, 2009 after being brought to a veterinary emergency clinic showing signs of "severe weakness and pain." The Oregon State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed the H1N1 virus from a nasal swab.
As with all other known cases of feline H1N1, the owner was ill with influenza symptoms prior to the cat becoming ill. In this case, the owner was also confirmed to have been infected by the H1N1 virus.
The first reported feline H1N1 death was also in Oregon on November 7, 2009. The cats were not from the same household or related in any way.
H1N1 Confirmed in Cat in France
The AVMA also reports that a 5 year-old male (neutered) cat has tested positive for the H1N1 virus after children in the household had been ill with influenza symptoms. This cat has recovered. "H1N1: un chat contaminé en France" (in French) on Le Figaro.
Related Resources
- H1N1 and Animals
News timeline of event - H1N1: Information for Veterinarians, How to Submit Samples for Testing
From the OVMA - Frequently Asked Questions by Veterinarians about 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus
From the AVMA - Frequently Asked Questions About 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus
From the AVMA
Image: H1N1 influenza virus - CDC Influenza Laboratory.
Gifts that give back to help animals
The holiday season is upon us and "gifts" are on everyone's mind. I have mentioned before that I am not much of a shopper, but shopping at businesses that give back always grabs my attention and make shopping less of a chore.
Giving back to help others
I don't know if it is the current economic situation or more global awareness because of the friends we make on the Internet, but it seems that more and more businesses are figuring out ways to give back to those in need. I love this trend, and have often selected vendors based on this premise. Here are some hand-picked choices from me and from my Twitter and Facebook friends.