It is always a good time to make changes to protect your companion animals from accidental poisoning.

Note: For emergencies scroll down to “Emergency Help.”

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) provides an alert about common household products that can be dangerous and even deadly to pets. Called Chocolate, Daffodils and many Household Items Can Poison Pets, the alert is available online .

According to Dr. Steve Hansen, director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, medications and flea control products are some of the most frequent commercial products that poison pets.

More pet poison prevention tips are available online, and includes a list of common foods that are poisonous to pets, including some surprises such as yeast dough, coffee grounds, tomato leaves and stems, and onions.
More tips are also available at Pet Poisoning Prevention.

Plants
Watch out for those avocado leaves, bittersweet, daffodils, and other plants that are toxic to animals! Make sure to know what plants you have may be toxic to your pet companions by checking the
Toxic Plant Database at the Veterinary Medicine Library at University of Illinois. For an introduction to the University of Illinois database of plants toxic to pets click here , or try the list from the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service.

For a list of specific garden plants toxic to pets, click here.

Emergency Help
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, an operating division of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and affiliated with the University of Illinois, is the only animal-oriented poison control center in North America.

In an emergency call your vet and The Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour animal poison control center staffed by veterinarians at 888-4ANI-HELP (888-426-4435). The fee is $45 per case, including as many follow up calls as necessary, and it could save your pet’s life.

The staff of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center are veterinary health professionals who have been trained in veterinary toxicology and the many differences between the various species of animals.