Daily News | How to protect your pet from seasonal threats at home and on vacation
Indoor and outdoor plants, lawn care products, favorite summertime snacks and vacation outings can all pose health threats. And many pet owners may be unaware of the risks right under their snouts — er, noses.Many plants, flowers, weeds and bulbs can make animals sick, but a few are especially dangerous.
Sago palm, used in landscaping and as a household plant, is toxic to all pets and can cause symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, liver failure, and death. All parts of this plant are poisonous, but the seeds or “nuts” contain the largest amount of toxins.Always read the labels, follow directions and note the warnings on lawn care product containers. Many dogs love to dig, and they may be attracted to the scent of fertilizers, compost and mulches that are toxic.
Insecticides used to keep bugs away from gardens can cause drooling, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in your pets. Keep pets off lawns for 24 hours after using fertilizer or pesticides. If they walk through a recently treated lawn, they will likely lick their paws, so it’s safest to wipe their paws as soon as you get home.Slug, snail, mole and gopher baits, as well as rat poisons, are toxic and can cause bleeding, severe neurologic issues such as seizures, and kidney failure.
If your dog ate sand, watch for signs of gastrointestinal distress, like vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite.Snacks can be hazardous to pets “The darker the chocolate, the more caffeine and theobromine which are much more toxic than milk chocolate,” said Daniel Goldner, veterinarian and co-owner of“Some dogs eat a bunch of grapes and they’re fine and some dogs eat three grapes and wind up in the ER,” he said.Each potential toxin may bring different symptoms but the most common outward symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and drooling.