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Are You Planting Pet Poisons in Your Yard? #MKHPMarchChallenge

March 12, 2016

Please note: This post is an educational resource for common pet poisons (i.e. not for emergencies). I don’t have pictures of all the plants and fertilizers. If you believe your pet has ingested something toxic, please visit the Pet Poison Helpline or ASPCA Poison Control site (includes horse toxicity information) for a more comprehensive list, or call them at 855-764-7661 or 888-426-4435 respectively.

As many of you know, our March Challenge is all about pet poisons. My hope is that with this challenge, you will feel empowered to learn more about potential pet poisons. Today, we are going to discuss the different types of pet poisons that might be lurking in your yard. Unfortunately, there are a TON.

In today’s post, I will do my best to include the most common pet poisons from your yard. Later, I will discuss what you can do as a pet parent and the steps you need to take if you believe your pet has ingested any of the below items:

Common Plants:

For a complete list of poisonous plants, please visit Pet Poison Helpline’s Poisons Plant page, here. For the purpose of this post, I am concentrating on common plant types. 

Are You Planting Pet Poisons in Your Yard?

Azaleas

Azaleas: These plants are toxic to both cats and dogs. Symptoms include everything from digestive upset to general weakness, but can be fatal. This plant can be deadly; please call your veterinarian IMMEDIATELY if you think your pet has ingested any part of an Azalea.

Baby’s Breath: These plants are toxic to both cats and dogs. The level of toxicity is considered mild to moderate. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, vomiting, diarrhea, and depression.

Bird of Paradise: These plants are toxic to both cats and dogs. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, lethargy, increased heart rate, and muscle tremors.

Cala Lilly: These plants are toxic to both cats and dogs. The level of toxicity is considered mild to moderate. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, drooling, vomiting, and pawing at the mouth.

Crocus: These plants are toxic to both cats and dogs. This plant can be deadly; please call your veterinarian IMMEDIATELY if you think your pet has ingested any part of a Crocus.

Daffodils: These plants are toxic to both cats and dogs. The level of toxicity is considered mild to moderate. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, increased heart rate, abnormal breathing, or vomiting.

Are You Planting Pet Poisons in Your Yard?

Easter Lily

Easter Lily: These plants are poisonous specifically to cats. This plant can be deadly to cats; please call your veterinarian IMMEDIATELY if you think your cat has ingested any part of an Easter Lily. The Easter Lily is also not the only toxic type of Lily for cats; please visit this link from Pet Poison Helpline for more information on toxic lilies.

Eucalyptus: This plant is toxic to both cats and dogs. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, diarrhea, weakness, or vomiting.

Fern Palm: This plant is toxic to both cats and dogs. This plant can be deadly; please call your veterinarian IMMEDIATELY if you think your pet has ingested any part of a Fern Palm.

Glacier Ivy: This plant is toxic to both cats and dogs. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, diarrhea, vomiting, or excessive salivation.

Hydrangea: These plants are toxic to both cats and dogs. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, diarrhea, vomiting, or lethargy.

Iris: These plants are toxic to both cats and dogs. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, diarrhea, vomiting, or drooling.

Mistletoe: This plant is toxic to both cats and dogs. This plant can be deadly; please call your veterinarian IMMEDIATELY if you think your pet has ingested any part of Mistletoe.

Are You Planting Pet Poisons in Your Yard?

Peony: This plant is becoming more common in today’s modern decor. However, this plant is mildly toxic to both cats and dogs. Symptoms include gastrointestinal upset.

Poinsettias: This plant is mildly toxic to both cats and dogs. Symptoms include gastrointestinal upset.

Rhododendrons:  This plant is toxic to both cats and dogs. This plant can be deadly; please call your veterinarian IMMEDIATELY if you think your pet has ingested any part of a Rhododendron.

Tomato: The green portion of this plant is toxic to cats, cows, and dogs. Symptoms include gastrointestinal upset.

Tulips & Hyacinths: These plants are toxic to both cats and dogs. The level of toxicity is considered mild to moderate. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, increased heart rate, abnormal breathing, or vomiting.

Wisteria: These plants are toxic to both cats and dogs. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, diarrhea, vomiting, or depression.

Gardening Add-Ins:

Blood Meal: This product is often used as organic fertilizer and can cause severe pancreatitis or iron toxicity.

Bone Meal: Similar to blood meal, this product is used as an organic fertilizer and is dangerous for pets.

Cocoa Bean Mulch: This product has the same toxic ingredients found in chocolate. It is difficult to determine the level of toxicity from brand to brand, but in extreme cases, the toxicity levels can be high enough to be fatal.

Compost: As the organic matter begins the decomposition process, molds may grow that can be toxic to pets. The symptoms associated with compost toxicity can be mild digestive upset and irritation, but can also include serious neurological symptoms such as seizures.

Pesticides: In theory, pesticides that are toxic to pets can make any plant (even plants that are not on their own toxic to pets) toxic. Most pesticides or insecticides are toxic, and a few are life-threatening, so act with caution and call your veterinarian IMMEDIATELY. 

Are You Planting Pet Poisons in Your Yard?

Other Items Commonly Found in Backyards:

Mushrooms: This is a very common toxicity. I have treated more than a few patients for eating mushrooms they found in the yard or on their walks. While there are mushrooms that aren’t toxic to pets, it is difficult to identify between toxic and non-toxic mushrooms, so we, therefore, need to treat every mushroom as a dangerous mushroom and act accordingly.

Mouse & Rat Poisons: According to the Pet Poison Helpline, there are 4 different types of mouse and rat poisons available on the market today. Each of which, have different toxic components, and, therefore, different consequences. It is also important to note that these toxins can cause relay toxicity. Relay toxicity is when your dog or cat is affected by the toxin ingested by a rat or mouse if they ingest the rat or mouse.

Slug & Snail Baits: According to the Pet Poison Helpline, slug & snail baits can be very toxic to pets. If you think your pet has ingested any slug or snail bait, please contact your veterinarian IMMEDIATELY!

Everything is toxic to my pet, so what do I do now?

If You Live in a Single-Family Home:

  1. When designing your garden and your backyard keep your pet in mind. Understand the difference between highly toxic plants and plants that might cause digestive upset. Simply knowing what you do, and do not, have in your garden and the potential toxicity levels can be crucial to saving your pet. Additionally, set up boundaries to keep your pets away from potential hazardous plants and fertilizers.
  2. Don’t turn to artificial plants as a solution. Some of these leaves & flowers might seem just as appetizing to a curious puppy or kitten. The toxicity levels of artificial plants vary greatly and should be taken seriously if you believe your pet may have ingested part of an artificial plant. (VPI Pet Insurance)
  3. If you believe that your cat or dog has swallowed any of the above items, immediately take them to your veterinarian or emergency vet. The sooner you take your pet to the veterinarian the better! Veterinarians can make your pet quickly vomit what they have ingested and then they can give them an absorbent agent that will prevent your pet’s body from absorbing the toxins.
  4. If you decide to look online before calling your veterinarian or another service (I still always recommend making the call!), please check multiple sources and stick to sites that have veterinary authors. Dr. Google is full of false information and it’s definitely not worth the risk.
  5. Have the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) or the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) and your emergency veterinarian’s number readily available on your fridge. In an emergency situation, these services may encourage you to have your pet vomit before bringing them into the hospital if time is a factor (in some cases, it may be because you live far from an emergency veterinary hospital). If you need to make your pet vomit (also known as emesis), you will need 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, a turkey baster, and a towel. Once on the phone with one of the above services, they will tell you how much Hydrogen Peroxide to give your pet based on their weight. (PetMD). Be sure to wear gloves when you clean up your pet’s vomit as to not spread the toxin further. (Embrace Pet Insurance). Hydrogen Peroxide SHOULD NOT BE USED in rodents, rabbits, birds, horses, or ruminants (including sheep, goats or cattle) (VSPN). 
    1. NOTE: I am not giving your measurement references or further instructions in this post because I believe you should call your veterinarian or one of the above services first! Your dog or cat may be at risk, and this might not be the right course of treatment. For example, if you have a short-nosed dog, you are risking aspiration by forcing them to vomit. PLEASE discuss this risk with the above services before inducing vomiting.

If You Live in an Apartment Complex, Condo, Townhouse or other shared space:

The reason I singled this out as its own category is because this is the most common type of living for people in the Bay Area and we don’t necessarily have control over the plants, pesticides and rodent deterrents that are used in our common living areas.

For example, in the place we live in now, there are mouse and rat traps all over, and I have seen dead rats in some of the side areas. Because I know that Rooney is at risk for relay toxicity if he chooses to consume any of these rats or mice, I only take Rooney out in the common areas on a leash (this is the right practice anyhow, but if you have a really well behaved dog you might want to consider common-area toxins) and I don’t let him go potty in the common areas.

Since you don’t own the property, do what you can to identify the different plants and potential toxins in your area and proceed with caution.

No matter the circumstance, always play it safe! If you don’t know, call your veterinarian or ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) or the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661)!

A note on bird toxicity for my loyal reader Kismet: I did take a look at plant toxicity for birds. Here is a list of plants that are safe for birds from VCA.com, and here is a list of toxic plants for birds from the BirdChannel.com. Many of the plants listed above are also toxic to birds, but I didn’t include them in the above list because there was limited information on level of toxicity and symptoms. Lastly, here is a list of the top 5 most common bird toxins. I hope this helps!

So what do you think? Are there any surprises on the list?

4 Ways to Reduce Allergy Symptoms for You and Your Pets!

March 9, 2016

Although Northern California is inundated with rain right now (and many other areas are still covered in snow), Spring is right around the corner, and with Spring comes allergies.

As a lifelong sneezer, I can tell you that bad allergy days are the WORST! You spend your day with watery eyes, a runny nose, a headache, and very little energy. The worst part is knowing that your pet is also suffering from seasonal allergies!

Many veterinarians describe seasonal allergies as inhaled allergies or atopy. It is important to understand that inhaled allergies are different from food or flea allergies. It is also important to know that inhaled allergies in pets do not present the same systems as in humans. For example, while I might have watery and itchy eyes, Rooney will actually display itchy ears and skin.

The following are symptoms of inhaled allergies or atopy (Dr. Fosters & Smith):

  • Chewing of the feet
  • Licking of the paws & flank
  • Rubbing of the face
  • Red or infected ears
  • Hotspots or facial scabbing in cats
  • Wheezing

So you know that Spring is right around the corner, and you know that any minute your dog or cat is going to start itching or displaying other symptoms that are going to result in a trip to the vet’s office. Not to mention, as an allergy suffer you know your symptoms are only a few weeks away.

Therefore, I thought I would share 4 ways reduce allergy symptoms for you and your pet’s today!

1. Wipe Their Feet

Dogs and cats drag in a lot of allergens from the external environment. While you do your very best to clean your floors and vacuum the carpets regularly, this might not be enough to prevent the spread of allergens throughout your house. Therefore, I recommend wiping your pet’s feet before they come back into the house. This is especially important for dogs since cats will groom their own feet throughout the day (not to mention, they might not let you clean their feet). This one small task can help you reduce allergens in your home.

What should you use to clean their feet?

Make sure that you clean your pet’s feet with grooming wipes that are specifically safe for your pet (be sure to read the instructions). Here is a list of wipes from Chewy.com.

2. Wash Their Blankets (& Yours)!

Similar to wiping your pet’s feet, washing their blankets and your own at least once a week can help reduce allergens in your home.

You may be thinking to yourself, okay I can wash my dogs blankets, but how the heck am I supposed to wash their beds and toys? If your pet doesn’t have a machine washable bed or toys, I highly recommend you take a look at Pridebites! All of their beds, blankets, and toys are machine washable!

That’s right, their beds have a removable fleece cover that you can easily keep clean, further reducing allergens for your family AND reducing any pollen or allergens your dog might have brought in from outside.

4 Ways to Reduce Allergy Symptoms for You and Your Pets!

 

3. Bathing

To improve your pet’s allergies, you should bath them regularly. This applies specifically to lazy cats (i.e. the cats that choose not to groom) and to dogs.

I highly recommend using a soothing shampoo, I use Organic Grooming Shampoo & Conditioner from Only Natural Pet for Rooney. These shampoos are made from natural ingredients that won’t irritate your dogs skin. Not only will this improve their itchy skin, but it won’t irritate their skin if you keep up with regular baths. In general, dogs don’t need to be bathed more than once a month (Merck). However, I would suggest getting a recommendation from your veterinarian on the frequency of bathing based on your dog’s coat and allergies.

4. Start Prevention Now

Allergies are a long-term problem. Cats and dogs can be prescribed long-term seasonal medication and supplements for allergy treatment. For example, Rooney receives a topical medication that reduces his allergy symptoms and aids in allergy treatment, but I only give it to him during certain times of the year. Many veterinarians recommend the use of local honey and supplements to promote a healthy coat and may aid in the reduction of skin allergies. If you know that your cat or dog struggles significantly with inhaled allergies, talk to your veterinarian now and see if there is something you can start today to prevent an allergy breakout in a few weeks.

As for you, start taking your daily allergy medication BEFORE your symptoms begin. My mom informed me of this excellent information, and it has significantly improved my dad’s seasonal allergies. It would improve mine too except that I forget to take it until it’s too late, so don’t be like me 🙂

PLEASE NOTE: many allergy medications contain steroids and should not be given to your pet long-term, please DO NOT start your pet on any medications, even if they have been prescribed in the past, without first consulting your veterinarian!

So those are my suggestions. Do you have any suggestions for reducing allergies?

Disclaimer: I am a PrideBites PAWtner and an Only Natural Pet Affiliate. This post contains my affiliate links. If you purchase a product via these links and use my discount code, I will receive a commission. Neither PrideBites nor Only Natural Pet are responsible for the contents of this post. My Kid Has Paws only shares information about things we believe our readers will enjoy.

 

Additional helpful information:

3 Ways to Improve Your Dog’s Itchy Skin

Why Is My Dog So Itchy? Understanding Canine Allergies

The Number One Reason You Need to Brush Your Pet’s Teeth: Oral Cancer #MKHPFebruaryChallenge

February 16, 2016

Remember the 20 Day Challenge that we are doing this month? How’s it going? Are you making strides towards improving your pet’s dental health?

Today’s post will provide you with a little extra motivation if you need some.

Avoiding periodontal disease is reason enough to brush your pet’s teeth frequently. However, the number one reason you need to check your pet’s mouth frequently is oral cancer.

Unfortunately, oral cancer comes in several forms and proves to be yet another threat to animal health.

Some tumors grow on the roof of the mouth while others can be found on the gum line. On occasion, these tumors include both the bone and the tissue around the teeth, making them very difficult to treat. I don’t think it’s important to understand the many different types of oral cancer, but I do believe it’s important that pet parents know the symptoms of oral cancer and check their pet’s mouth often.

According to PetMD, here are some symptoms of Oral Cancer:

Excessive Drooling

Bleeding in the Mouth

Difficulty Chewing

Swollen Lymph Nodes in the Neck

Weight Loss

Facial Swelling

Growths/Lumps in the Mouth

While some of these symptoms are indeed associated with other illnesses and diseases, it is really important that you as a pet parent check your pet’s mouth frequently for growths and bleeding. I have seen a few patients have oral growths and lumps removed early, ultimately saving these pets from cancer, thanks to their proactive pet parents.

The Number One Reason You Need to Brush You Pet's Teeth: Oral Cancer #MKHPFebruaryChallenge

What if my pet doesn’t let me check their mouth?

Well, you are not alone. Most cats and dogs don’t want their people looking in their mouth. You can make an attempt to desensitize them to you looking in their mouth over time. However, if there is no way your pet will ever let you look in their mouth, be sure to keep up with your annual exams. Looking into/at your pet’s mouth is a standard part of an annual exam, and your veterinarian will be checking for many of the above symptoms.

If your pet is in need of a dental cleaning or procedure, this will provide an in-depth look at your pet’s mouth, which will allow your veterinarian an opportunity to discover or diagnose any abnormalities.

Because many oral tumors are very tough to remove and treat, it is vital they are detected as early as possible.

Have you every had a pet with oral cancer? What was your experience? 

How Far Would You Go For Your Pet’s Health?

February 9, 2016
While working at the veterinary hospital, I had the pleasure of meeting many pets and pet parents.
To provide the most appropriate treatments for people and their pets, we needed to have a good idea of how aggressive (or not) they wanted to be with any given treatment or diagnosis. If I had to draw up a scale it would be from 1 to 10:
1- being a “do nothing client”
10 – being a “do everything”
I know this may sound harsh, but I couldn’t think of a better way to describe a 1. “Do nothing clients” were few and far between. However, we did run into a few. These clients typically brought their pet in, but didn’t want to move forward with any treatments or procedures, or have conversations about potential options. Now it may seem easy to quickly judge these people. How can they just do nothing? That’s ridiculous! Why even bring in their pet?
However, in some cases, it was simply a lack of communication. Either they were facing severe constraints, or there was something about the diagnosis and treatment they didn’t understand. Once they started to communicate with us their situation and what they wished they could do for their pet, we were able to make a better treatment plan.
My point is that the question is not simply, “How Far Would You Go For Your Pet’s Health?”, but rather a series of questions that can be addressed separately:

How Far Can You Go For Your Pet’s Health?

To provide people with the right health care for their pet, we had to understand the constraints they faced as pet parents. These were some of the common constraints I saw people face:

  • Finances: More often than not, the ability of a pet parent to give their pet the excellent care that they need is constrained by their financial situation. For this reason, we always provided estimates for clients before we moved forward with procedures. We also broke down the estimates into “must have items” and “ideal items”. For example, there would usually be 2-3 treatments that were absolutely necessary to diagnose and treat a pet. Then there were treatments that would provide the veterinarian with a more comprehensive view of the pet’s health and might contribute to your pet recovering much faster, but could be saved for another time to avoid costs that day.
  • Time: Long-term treatments and surgeries may take a lot of additional time. For example, I had a few patients in the past that benefited from acupuncture. Although acupuncture made a huge difference in the pet’s mobility, the appointments were at least an hour long every 4 weeks. When people are pet parents all by themselves, this may not be a time commitment they are willing, or able, to make. Additionally, there are specialty treatments that often require significant travel, which may not be possible for a client’s schedule.
  • Resources: Sometimes people are the only pet parent. Perhaps they are a single parent raising a family that includes a dog. Other times it’s just them and their pet at home. Often, not only does this play into financial constraints, but their schedule may not have the flexibility to bring their pet in for regular or frequent treatments, which may affect their pet’s health plan.
It’s important to know that as a veterinary staff we were very aware of these constraints and challenges that warrant conservative veterinary care. Not to mention, we often faced them ourselves. Therefore, don’t feel judged.
I have heard from many pet parents on several separate occasions that they felt like they were judged by the veterinary staff for not adding the extra test or taking additional steps. I certainly can’t speak for veterinary staffs around the world, but what I can say is that we often know when you are trying your best.

How Far Do You Think You Can Go For Your Pet’s Health? 

Sometimes pet parents come to conclusions based on lack of information. For example, some pet parent don’t realize that epilepsy is a disease that doesn’t stop pets from living long healthy lives. So they see their pet have a seizure, and they assume it’s the beginning of their pet’s deteriorating health. In a more extreme example, some pet parents might think that a brain tumor isn’t treatable. However, some brain tumors can be treated by a veterinary neurologist (which is a job many people don’t know exists).
My point is that it may seem like people don’t want to go as far as you would for their pet, but sometimes they are unaware of the treatments and specialty care that is available. If they are interested, it’s our job as veterinary professionals (in my case a former professional) to steer them in the right direction.

How Far Do You Want to Go for Your Pet’s Health?

If you want to do everything you can for your pet’s health, but find yourself facing constraints, here are a few things you can do to allow yourself to do more for your pet’s health:
1) Purchase Pet Insurance: I have spoken of pet insurance before, and I will probably continue to speak of it for a long time. We have it for Rooney, and I can’t tell you how much of a difference it has made in our ability to provide him with every necessary treatment. For example, when he slipped a disc in his back in June 2014, we didn’t have any extra money to spend, but we were looking at an overnight stay at the ER and a neurology consult. Thankfully, our Trupanion pet insurance covered 90% above our exam fees and deductible, saving us $1,000 in debt.
2) Be Proactive: While your pet may be diagnosed with a series of things your can’t predict or protect them from, you can take a proactive approach to their health.  Each walk, each day your brush their teeth, and each veterinary visit may seem isolated, but all of these actions are providing your pet with improved health. Not to mention, preventing diseases that will cost you money in the future. Here are just a few examples:
Brushing Teeth on a regular basis can prevent your pet from developing periodontal disease. Treating periodontal disease with dental surgery can cost upwards of $1500, and your pet may need multiple dentals over the course of their life.
Providing your pet with daily exercise can prevent diabetes, which requires years of ongoing treatment and medications.
No matter your situation, it is important that you communicate the answers to the above 3 questions to your veterinarian and their staff. Veterinarians have a wealth of information and a finite amount of time. The sooner you communicate your constraints, abilities, and goals, the more effective their treatment plan will be for your pet. Here is what my veterinarian knows about my family:
1) My family and I have financial constraints, but we have pet insurance for Rooney.
2) We are aware that specialty veterinary care exists and we are willing to pursue it.
3) We are willing to pursue every avenue and travel as far as possible for Rooney’s health. However, we face time constraints due to our full-time jobs and will need to see specialists with flexible hours (i.e. weekends).
Tell me, does your veterinarian know how far you are willing to go for your pet’s health?
medicine versus mom
For a Mom perspective on this topic, please visit my good friend Carol from Fidose of Reality.

February Challenge! 20 Days of Dental Health #MKHPFebruaryChallenge

February 7, 2016

If you have visited any pet blogs in the month of February, you are already well aware that February is National Pet Dental Health Month!

That’s why this month’s challenge is going to be 20 Days of Dental Health!

Specifically, I am challenging you to actively take steps toward improving your pet’s dental health for 20 days. Here are a few examples of steps you can take:

  1. Research: Teach yourself more about pet dental health! Why is it important? How does dental health affect the overall health of your pet? What exactly is a pet dental?
  2. Get Your Dog Used to Brushing: If your pet has never had their teeth brushed before, you may need to desensitize them to the process. A great way to do this is to simply start handling their mouth and checking their teeth every day. I will discuss more on technique in another post.
  3. Brush Their Teeth: If your pet is already used to you handling their mouth and perhaps you have even brushed their teeth a few times, I challenge you to brush their teeth 20 days in a row so that you can make it part of your routine!
  4. Find an Alternative to Toothbrushes: It’s common for pets to not tolerate teeth brushing. If that’s the case with your pet, there are alternatives to toothbrushes. My friend Carol from Fidose of Reality has some excellent suggestions.
  5. Find a Supplement: There are supplements available for pets to improve their dental health. I have not tried any of these with Rooney yet, but I hope to try VetriSCIENCE Perio Support for cats and dogs as a way to improve Rooney’s dental health.

February is National Pet Dental Health Month

For the next 20 days, I will be brushing Rooney’s teeth each night. Rooney doesn’t mind the brushing, and he loves the Poultry flavored C.E.T. dental toothpaste. I’m even taking some before/after pictures to see if we can notice a difference.

So what do you say? Will you join me for a month of improved dental health?

 

January’s Challenge was 31 Days of Exercise With Your Pet. Did you challenge yourself to more exercise? How did it go?

I committed to walking Rooney more often. While I didn’t reach the 6-7 days a week that I hoped for (we walked about 4 days a week), we still upped our usual exercise. By exercising more frequently, I noticed that Rooney was calmer at night and now walks much better on the leash. My hope is to continue with the minimum 4 days a week and see if I can’t improve that number as 2016 continues.

I want to recognize our friends Bentley & Pierre from Barking from the Bayou for increasing their activity in the month of January! Great job!

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