Common Toxins and Foods

Food items that dogs may get exposed to by pilfering in the garbage or compost pile or rutting around in the yard can pose a problem. Ingestion of certain items can be especially troublesome for pets. Sprouted potato peels, moldy cheese and nuts (containing aflatoxins), peach, cherry or apricot pits (containing cyanide) or onions (resulting in red blood cell destruction), and grapes and raisins (resulting in kidney failure) can all result in toxicity. Chocolate, especially abundant and potentially accessible to your pet during Halloween, Christmas and Easter, is also toxic. According to the type of chocolate, it contains varying amounts of theobromine and caffeine. The darker, unsweetened type (as is often used for baking) has seven more times theobromine than milk chocolate. That is why dogs can eat the occasional piece of milk chocolate without any apparent ill effects. But serious illness can occur with the ingestion of as little as 0.25 oz of baking chocolate by a ten pound dog. Signs of chocolate toxicity are: vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst and urination, lethargy, increased heart rate and heart arrhythmias, and occasionally, seizures and death. Ribbons, wrapping ribbons and tinsel, are tempting for cats, especially, kittens, and when ingested, they cause intestinal obstruction and result in vomiting and decreased appetite. Coins, when ingested, especially those containing high levels of zinc such as US pennies minted after 1982, will result in an inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis) and anemia. Ingestion of such foreign bodies is especially a concern with puppies. Liquid potpourris, popular during the holidays, can be toxic to pets by causing burns in the mouth or skin or eyes. They can be exposed by ingestion from simmering pots or spills, by rubbing against containers and when cleaning themselves. Ethylene glycol, found in anti-freeze and in smaller amounts in motor oil, will result in acute kidney failure. Animals are attracted by its sweet taste and even a teaspoon will kill a cat and less than four teaspoons will kill a 10 lb dog. Prestone's Low Tox TM antifreeze coolant contains propylene glycol, a safer ingredient that is relatively less toxic for pets. Metaldehyde is found in snail and slug bait, and it results in seizures and tremors in dogs that are attracted to the granules or powder, even when scattered in the garden. Iron phosphate products such as Escar-Go! or Sluggo are safer products for pets. Rat, mouse and gopher baits contain a variety of toxins. The most common are anti-coagulants such as bromadiolone, brodifacoum, diphacinone and chlorophacinone that result in internal and external bleeding, usually manifesting a few days after ingestion. Animals literally bleed to death. There is also cholecalciferol which elevates the calcium levels to the toxic threshold to cause death. And there is bromethalin that causes swelling of the nerve tissue to result in paralysis, convulsions and death. Strychnine is sometimes used and results in increased rigidity of the muscles; paralysis of the respiratory muscles causes death. Zinc phosphide is also used and causes weakness, vomiting and death. Topical insecticides that are inadvertently applied to the wrong species can result in twitching, seizures and death. This most commonly occurs with over-the-counter flea products- shampoos, dips or spot-on applications (such as those containing permethrins, organophosphates, carbamates) that are labeled for use in dogs only but are mistakenly applied to cats. Similarly, Raid ant and roach sprays or other sprays meant for environmental application can kill cats and is toxic to dogs when misused. Herbal remedies, despite being "natural", can be toxic. Sometimes, pets accidentally ingest herbal remedies; sometimes, they are applied to pets by well-meaning owners. But they can be toxic when remedies contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids which can be toxic to the liver or inorganic contaminants such as arsenic. Just a few of the herbal remedies that can be problematic...Aloe applied topically is rarely a problem but when ingested by grooming pets after dermal application, it can cause diarrhea. Camphor can cause neurological signs (tremors, seizures). Eucalyptus oil can cause a variety of signs such as difficulty breathing, vomiting and seizures. When given long term, garlic and onion, either raw, cooked or in the powder form can cause anemia in dogs and cats. Oil of wintergreen contains an element similar to aspirin and can cause vomiting and stomach ulceration in both dogs and cats. Pennyroyal oil has a long history of use as a flea repellent. A component of this oil is metabolized to an element that is toxic to the liver, and there has been at least one death that has been reported in a dog when pennyroyal oil was applied topically. Sassafras oil is used as an insecticide and especially in cats, can cause sedation, vomiting, and heart failure. Recommendations for treatment with the ingestion of any toxin usually include the induction of vomiting if oral ingestion has occurred within a short period of time, usually within 1-2 hours. Induction of vomiting can be efficiently done by your veterinarian by giving certain drugs that stimulate the vomiting center of the brain. Gastric lavage ("stomach pumping") is occasionally done. In cases when vomiting is recommended but when there is delay in getting the pet to a veterinarian for immediate treatment, it may be recommended that the owner give hydrogen peroxide orally; sometimes, but not always, this can stimulate vomiting. The dosage is fresh 3% hydrogen peroxide- 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of body weight. It is ok to repeat one time if no vomiting occurs within 20 minutes. If no vomiting occurs, there is no benefit of continuing to give hydrogen peroxide. The total amount given should not exceed 3 tablespoons. Note that syrup of Ipecac is not recommended since it is usually not effective and can cause heart problems and protracted vomiting. However, not in all cases is the induction of vomiting recommended. If the animal is too sedated from the toxin, it may get vomit material into its lungs and suffocate and/or get aspiration pneumonia. When a caustic (i.e. bleach, some oils such as pine oil, turpentine and phenols used in such household disinfectants such as Lysol) or abrasive (ground glass, metallic materials) substance is ingested, damage to the esophagus can occur when the material is passed back up. In these cases, vomiting is contraindicated. If more than 1-2 hours has elapsed since ingestion, the drug has already been absorbed via the intestinal tract and causing vomiting may not prevent further uptake. The administration of activated charcoal may be recommended by your veterinarian to help "bind" the toxins already in the intestinal tract. An important part of the treatment includes supportive care such as the administration of intravenous fluids and medications to control seizures and heart arrhythmias. Unfortunately, specific antidotes for toxins are rare. In the case of a topically applied product (i.e. insecticide), immediate bathing is recommended, usually with a detergent such as Dawn liquid detergent as well as efforts to prevent grooming and oral ingestion, especially in the case of cats. In the case of ingestion of a foreign body such as string or plastic toy, surgery is usually necessary. Sometimes the string can make it through the intestinal tract to exit via the rectum. Resist the temptation to pull on the string hanging from the rectum since this will cut through the intestines higher up where it is anchored. Please contact your veterinarian, instead. Coins or other metallic foreign bodies can be readily identified on an x-ray and can be retrieved by surgery and sometimes, by endoscopy ( a fiber optic cable that is passed down the mouth and esophagus into the stomach and duodenum of an anesthetized animal). In addition to your veterinarian, another valuable source of information and help is the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana, Illinois. Their web site is www.aspca.org. They have a 24 hours emergency hotline (888) 4-ANI-HELP. For a small fee, they will immediately put you in contact with a veterinary toxicologist who can advise you on what to do, what to watch for and what to expect. They will also be able to advise you of the need to consult with your veterinarian if hospitalization is recommended. In any case when a known or suspected toxin may have been ingested by your pet, contact your veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center immediately. DO NOT TAKE A WAIT AND SEE APPROACH. If you have any questions regarding food and household toxins, don't hesitate to contact your veterinarian. The above is general veterinary information. Do not begin any course of treatment without consulting your regular veterinarian. All animals should be examined at least once every 12 months.