For nearly 60 years, Poison Prevention Week is observed the third week of March. Poison Prevention Week is intended to bring awareness of potential poisons and toxins that are commonly found in our households, and to remind people to keep those poisons in a safe place and out of the hands of children and pets.

Surprisingly, our pets are some of the most vulnerable to poisoning. Not only are they vulnerable because a lot of our animals are willing to eat almost anything but also because there are several things that aren’t poisonous to us that we use in our daily lives but are to our pets. We want to take this time to remind you of some items that can be poisonous to your pet and should be kept out of their reach:

Cleaning Supplies: While this one might seem obvious, it's always good to have a reminder to make sure our pets can’t get into the chemical cabinet.
Human Food: Various human foods can be detrimental to your pet’s health. Things such as chocolate, grapes, garlic, onions, table salt, and more can all cause harm to your pets. Here is a more detailed list of some of those human foods we should help our pets avoid: http://bit.ly/2SFYVik
Human Medications and Vitamins: Medications are among the top reasons that pet owners call the Pet Poison Hotline. Medications such as antidepressants, Tylenol, and NSAIDs can cause harm to your pet. Some components of vitamins are safe for animals to ingest. However, things like iron and vitamin D can be harmful to your pet’s health.
Pesticides: insecticides and rodenticides also rank highly on reasons pet owners call the Pet Poison Hotline. While dogs can handle ingesting most insecticides easily, there are some that contain organophosphates that are not tolerated well and are poisonous for dogs. Rodenticides, on the other hand, are not handled well by pets regardless of their ingredients. Symptoms range from bad to worse, and only one type of rodenticide has an antidote to curb the symptoms.

It’s always a good idea to keep these and other potential toxins up and out of the way of your pets. We know that accidents happen, so being as prepared as possible when our pets get into things they shouldn’t is always a good idea. This list is not comprehensive and when in doubt, call your vet or the Pet Poison Hotline at 1-800-213-6680.