Common Poisons

In this section you will find information about substances which are poisonous to pets. In my experience poisoning is a relatively infrequent cause of illness in pets, but unfortunately it does occur occasionally.

Animals may be poisoned accidentally or maliciously. Thankfully malicious poisoning of pets is quite rare in my experience. Dogs tend to suffer from ingesting toxic substances more often than cats because they are more likely to scavenge and have a less fastidious attitude towards food.

Accidental poisoning of pets often involves substances which are used to control vermin. Great care should be taken if you do use poisons to control rats or mice; always ensure that animals do not have access to these substances. Also make sure children cannot get to them; I once had a case where a toddler had fed rat poison to the family dog. The owners were scared for the dog and the child had to be checked in hospital because nobody knew if he had eaten any himself! That was one of the most worrying poisoning cases I have ever come across. You don't want anything like that to happen to you so please take great care with rodenticides! (Luckily both the dog and the child were fine.)

Poisoning can also occur with normal foodstuffs which are fine for humans. Chocolate and onions are both toxic to dogs. Many other substances can cause illness or even death if eaten by animals. If you suspect your pet has eaten something it should not have done contact your vet immediately. Giving your vet as much information as you can about exactly what has been eaten, how much and when, will help your vet to treat your pet and could save its life. If you have the packaging of any poisonous product which your pet has eaten take it when you go to the veterinary practice.

I hope your pets are never poisoned. This section of the website is intended to help you keep your animals safe.