Christmas Toxins - Why 'Only One' Mince Pie is Too Many...

 Why is 'only one' mince pie too many for our furry family members? 

Many of us this Christmas will spend a lot of time with friends and family enjoying the festivities. Naturally, we want to share this time with our pets (after all they are part of the family!). Although it appears as though we are spoiling them by giving them some of the treats that we enjoy safely, it can actually be a big danger for our pets to ingest some of the classic things we enjoy at Christmas time. 

In some toxins even a tiny amount can be enough to cause harm to our pets. The kidneys are often affected by toxin ingestion, as they as responsible for the breakdown and excretion of waste products from the body. Many pets will appear clinically well immediately after eating the toxin, and will become unwell at a later time. However, this unfortunately can mean that the damage has already been done, causing a lasting negative effect on the kidneys. Time is of the essence when treating a case of toxicity!

Below are some of the most common Christmas toxins...

Mince Pies/Raisins/Christmas Pudding - grapes and raisins are very common at Christmas time - they are present in puddings and desserts, as well as on many cheeseboards. Even one raisin or grape can cause permanent damage to the kidneys and make pets very poorly.

Nuts - some nuts, such as the Macadamia nut are toxic to pets. They can cause muscle tremors, vomiting and hyperthermia soon after ingestion. All nuts are high in fat, so it is best to avoid feeding any type of nuts to your pet. 

Onions/Garlic - all types of onion and garlic are toxic to pets, and can cause kidney damage even if only a small amount is ingested. Be mindful of feeding your pet anything that could potentially contain any onions or garlic (such as gravy or stuffing).

Chocolate/Xylitol - a favourite treat at Christmas, chocolate contains theobromine which is toxic. Theobromine is found in higher concentrations in dark chocolate, although it is still found in milk varieties. It can affect the central nervous system and heart as well as the kidneys, and severe cases can result in seizures. 

Bones - we don't advise giving any bones to pets as there is a big risk of splintering and perforation. This is particularly important with cooked bones as they are much more brittle after cooking. They can also get stuck after being ingested and become a choking hazard. 

Tinsel/Baubles/Fairy Lights - Christmas decorations can break, shatter and/or splinter very easily. This can result in cuts on the paws if stepped on, and blockages or perforations if ingested. Make sure you keep decorations and Christmas trees out of reach, and use pet friendly materials where possible. Salt dough should be avoided, as it can cause sodium levels to rise dangerously high if ingested. 

Poinsettia/Mistletoe/Potpourri - all of these Christmas plants are mildly toxic and can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and excessive salivation. 

If your pet ingests anything listed above, please get in touch with the practice as soon as possible. The sooner treatment is started, the better the outcome will be, and long term side effects will be less likely. The treatment plan will vary depending on the type of toxin and amount ingested. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week even throughout the Christmas period to care for your pets!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the team at Barnsley Vets4Pets!

Poisons - What You Need To Know

Hello everyone

as promised we are going to be doing lots of blogs about all the stuff you need to know as a pet owner.

This blog is about some of the most serious poisons/toxins that our pets can come across but we have focused and the things we don't want our dogs and cats getting a hold of. We will go into a bit of detail with some of the most common poisons but the general rule of thumb is that if your pet has come in to contact with anything that you think may cause them harm, ring the vet as soon as possible for advice. 

Do Not Wait For Symptoms To Start!!!  Act Before This Happens!!!

Some of the common toxins that you may have heard of are;

• Chocolate
• Raisins / anything from the grape family
• Vermin control products e.g. rat poison, slug pellets, ant killer
• Lilies
• Poinsettas 
• Daffodils
• Adder bite
• Many human medications including, paracetamol, some anti-inflammatory drugs,  (always check with your vet)
• Blue/Green algae
• Caffeine
• Ethylene glycol (anti-freeze)
• Some nuts, including peanuts, macadamia
• Nicotine
• Salt (do not make any animal sick with salt water)
• Toad venom
• Vitamin D
• Xylitol (found in chewing gum)
• Dog flea treatments can be fatal if applied to cats 

In most cases of poison/toxin ingestion our first aim is to rid the body of said poison, which is done by given an injection of apomorphine in the scruff of the neck.  This can only really be done up to 2 hours after ingestion as the stomach will have likely emptied after this time.  We will often recommend Intra-Venous Fluid Therapy which is exactly the same as when we are put on a drip at the hospital, the aim of this is to dilute and flush the toxins from the body and to support the kidneys are they are often the target organ for poisons to affect.  In some cases we will also advise charcoal ingestion as it acts as a sponge for the toxins and absorbs them before they can cause harm to the body.  

Depending on what poison and when it was ingested and will determine what treatment we recommend, but as stated above DO NOT wait for symptoms to start!!! Act straightaway!!!

We also induce vomiting when animals have eaten things they shouldn't such as socks, underwear and all the other strange and wonderful things our pets think are a good idea to eat.  The only time we wouldn't induce vomiting is when the eaten product may cause further harm on its way back up the food pipe e.g. caustic substances like bleach or anything sharp like a needle. 

Below is some information on the top 3 poisons we see in our practice;

Chocolate - The toxic ingredient in chocolate is theobromine, which is found in cocoa. Therefore the higher the cocoa content the more toxic it is, so dark chocolate in more harmful that milk chocolate.  Theobromine increases the heart rate and affects the nervous system.  

Symptoms - vomiting, increased water intake, excitement - if left untreated tremors and seizures can develop.  Cardiac arrest is the most severe outcome but also kidney failure can develop, which in its own right can be fatal.

Raisins/Grape family - These food types are very dangerous to dogs and cats, the ingredient that causes the harm is not yet known but even small doses can prove fatal.  Grape and raisin ingestion causes acute renal disease (sudden onset kidney failure).

Symptoms - lack of urination or only urinating small amounts, Vomiting and or diarrhea, reduced or loss of appetite, dehydration (this can be identified by a skin tent of sticky gums), lethargy or weakness. 

Lilies - All parts of the lilie are poisonous -  It is quite well known that lilies are poisonous to cats but they can also be poisonous to dogs too.  The general rule of thumb is that if you have pets - don't have lilies... Lilies are actually my favorite flower but I never have them in the house because of Charlie and Dobby, my dog and cat. 

Symptoms - drooling, vomiting, anorexia (loss of appetite), dehydration and again because it's the kidneys that are affected we see lack of urination.

Probably the best advice we can give is that if your dog or cat has eaten anything that you are unsure is safe or not, give us a call.  There are times that even we don't know but we have access to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service who are always on hand to help out. 

Stay safe :))