Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Neil Wheadon — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:51:02 GMT

This is a very good one, thanks

I'm writing these for Petnet360 which is a Vets Now innituative and backed by the BVA, so thankyou everyone for these.

Martin 'Would you like copies of the articles E mailed too you?' (PM me with your E mail address if you do)

Neil

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:29:34 GMT

I do one of these for the local free directory each season and include most of what has already been mentioned, but something not noted so far, although it is related to chocolate is not so obvious, is cocoa bean husk, beloved of gardeners as a ground cover to discourage weeds, it contains as much if not more theobromine than chocolate itself.

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Hannah Wynne Richards — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:16:52 GMT

On the subject of drunk animals I (pre BSE days ) saw a heifer that was a dead ringer of the falling over cow in the famous BSE video -there was a crab apple tree growing in the hedge-and it stank of cider-had been scoffing the windfalls-complete recovery with plenty of water,a darkened shed peace and quiet and a hefty shot of multivits tosupport it's liver

I also remember being told by an elderly veterinary surgeon that in the days when most farmers kept a pig for domestic consumption that drunken pigs were a regular problem every autumn The farmers wife would have a grand jam making session, would put the apple peel in the pig bucket-leave to ferment for 24 hours...........................

Wynne

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Hannah Wynne Richards — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:10:04 GMT

Bob You remind me of an occasion when a hippy type owner brought his dog in saying it had eaten grass

Me (farmers daughter ) :He's probably doing it to make himself sick What's his appetite /thirst like?Has he actually been sick ?I'll just have a feel of his tummy etc

Owner : But I'm telling you -he's eaten grass

Me (soothingly ) Dog's often do

Eventually the penny dropped-he meant canabis I said (rather crossly ) "Why couldn't youhave said cannabis in the 1st place ?" and made the dog vomit Fortuneately he can't have eaten that much as he was ok

Wynne

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Tony Knapp — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:46:40 GMT

The obvious seasonal one is alcohol, nothing like a drunk CKCS showing up OOH from a houseparty to lighten up your evening! With alcohol is also caffiene (think coke... I suppose the other coke as well).

Not so seasonal but still toxic is avocado, seems to be toxic to everything that isn't a human, but seems to crop up (no pun intended) a lot for parrots, I suppose people don't often offer avocado to dogs.

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

bob lehner — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:28:41 GMT

Jolly New Year's eve parties can lead to cannabis toxicity in dogs which hoover up left overs.

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Marie Kubiak — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:18:39 GMT

With non-domestics, toxicities I see most frequently are:

zinc in parrots (from dodgy toys/chewing key rings/furniture)

lead in raptors and waterfowl

mite treatments in snakes (frontline alcohol solvent toxicity,permethrin overdose)

nicotine in snakes

Vitamin A overdose (generally in tortoises)

ivermectin in chelonia

Marie

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Anne Seawright — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:11:27 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]

[quote user="Anne Seawright"]Spring - daffodils, especially the bulbs (experienced this with my own cat!)[/quote]

Out of interest what happened. The handbook of poisoning I've got mentions dogs (I've seen this) but not cats.

Neil

[/quote] Well like an idiot I watched him chew and swallow a leaf before it clicking that it was poisonous. Went to induce vomiting and he vomited himself to save me the job, called VPIS who said make vomit and further than that supportive treatment. They said they had had about 15 cases in cats, in severe cases became hypothermic, badycardic and I think a few died (sorry this was about 5 years ago!). Luckily Max was a bit quiet (or maybe that was his response to being followed by a neurotic owner?!) had diarrhoea for a few days and then was fine. I found this paper at the time: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC548613/

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Neil Wheadon — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:34:33 GMT

[quote user="Anne Seawright"]Spring - daffodils, especially the bulbs (experienced this with my own cat!)[/quote]

Out of interest what happened. The handbook of poisoning I've got mentions dogs (I've seen this) but not cats.

Neil

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Lorna McHardy — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:24:58 GMT

Teabags and other sources of caffeine poisoning - owner's tablets

And always helpful to have a nurse who's good at getting information people don't want to give the vet, for those spaced out patients

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Anne Seawright — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:09:31 GMT

Slug pellets

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Anne Seawright — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:08:11 GMT

Spring - daffodils, especially the bulbs (experienced this with my own cat!)

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Tim Cheyne — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:05:18 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Dennison"]And in artificial sweeteners[/quote]

Some debate about the toxicity of aspartame, I seem to recall.

Tim.

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Tim Cheyne — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:01:09 GMT

[quote user="Tim Cheyne"]

Wasn't there a thread on this topic by the Veterinary Poisons people about a year ago? It was an extraordinary list that included sultanas (and grapes) and, I think, mistletoe (very seasonal). Perhaps Arlo can find it if I cannot. If I read it elsewhere I shall have to Google.

[/quote]

Yes, try 'Seasonal poisonings' http://www.vetsurgeon.org/forums/p/3840/10191.aspx#10191. It gives some useful links and has probably been updated.

Tim.

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Tim Cheyne — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 18:54:23 GMT

Tim.

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Neil Wheadon — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 18:46:18 GMT

[quote user="Jo Jones"] psoriasis cream?! Have heard of a couple of cases of hypercalcaemia from dogs licking this off their owner's legs!! Probably not terribly common though!![/quote]

Took a random quiz at the practice I'm locumming at today. 2 out of 4 vets said they'd seen psoriasis cream toxicity, neither were prompted and neither had been on this forum!!

Thanks for the others, keep them coming if you can, spring and summer ones? Someone at Vets Now saw a carnation poisoning recently in cats which is interesting. For this; VPIS advised of 12 recorded cases, 2 of which had died- the remainder all showed similar symptoms: v++, twitching, ataxia, dehydration, lethargy, hyperaesthesia, seizures and gastric ulceration. Recommended treatment was IVFT, treatment for vomiting and seizures, temperature monitoring and possible gastro-protectants if ulceration suspected.

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Anthony Dennison — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:26:03 GMT

[quote user="Deborah Stafford"]

Xylitol, sugar free chewing gum especially

[/quote]

And in artificial sweeteners

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Jo Cobbett — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:25:37 GMT

[quote user="CatherineThomas"]

I seem to remember pot pourri being toxic, but I think it's only certain types. I've never had to deal with one though.

[/quote]

There was a webinar last December on seasonal toxcities, which talked about Poinsettis, Misteltoe, Holly, pot pourri, christmas trees, chocolate, macademia nuts, raisins, bread dough, xylitol, overeating and decorations (FBs, choking and electrocution)

A summary of my notes:

Poinsettia: toxicity exaggerated, can cause dermal irritation or GI upset. Symptomatic tx only

Mistletoe: cardiac depressant, mainly mild and self limiting

Holly: mild/moderate GI upset, induce emesis if large volumes.

Pot pourri: oral/mucosal ulceration from oils - symptomatic/supportive tx

strychnine toxicity from a particular indian bark (I don't seem to have written the name down, sorry!), generalised rigidity/seizures, hyperthermia, death from hypoxemia.

Christmas trees: mid GI upset from drinking tree water.

Macademia nuts: mechanism unknown, toxic dose approx 1 nut/kg. clinical signs: weakness, depression. V+, ataxia, tremors.

Xylitol: hypoglycaemia from increased insulin secretion, acute liver failure

Bread dough: fermentation/rising in stomach producing ethanol/gas in stomach.

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Deborah Stafford — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:24:09 GMT

remember seeing a parrot once with severe feather problems due to its owners hand cream rubbing off!

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Deborah Stafford — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:23:11 GMT

Xylitol, sugar free chewing gum especially

Blue green algae for a seasonal one

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

peewit — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:18:45 GMT

Rat bait..... lillies...... see plenty of those

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Jo Cobbett — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:12:45 GMT

Maybe psoriasis cream?! Have heard of a couple of cases of hypercalcaemia from dogs licking this off their owner's legs!! Probably not terribly common though!!

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

CatherineThomas — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:12:29 GMT

I seem to remember pot pourri being toxic, but I think it's only certain types. I've never had to deal with one though.

I have had an onion toxicity, the owner had a guest staying who was suffering from a cold. So she had put a chopped onion on the guests bedside tablet every night for 3 nights in a row. They had a little dog, can't remember what breed it was but only about 5-10kg, it ate the onion each day for 3 days before it started showing signs.

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Elizabeth Tuley — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:08:30 GMT

Warfarin?

Re: Common toxins that owners should be aware off

Neil Wheadon — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:01:33 GMT

Thanks

Onions contain an ingredient called thiosulphate which is toxic to cats and dogs. The ingestion of onions causes a condition called hemolytic anemia, which is characterized by damage to the red blood cells. Onion toxicity can cause the red blood cells circulating through your pet’s body to burst.

Consumption of as little as 5 g/kg of onions in cats or 15 to 30 g/kg in dogs has resulted in clinically important hematologic changes. Onion toxicosis is consistently noted in animals that ingest more than 0.5% of their body weight in onions at one time