The top 10 household items that are toxic to dogs.
1) OTC MEDICINES
Over-the-counter medications were the most common group of toxic products. This covers a lot of products including things like vitamins, OTC pain medications (paracetamol, ibuprofen), antihistamines and cold and flu medications. Your pets eating these is generally accidental so it’s really important to keep these well hidden
2) HUMAN PRESCRIPTIONS
ADHD medications, antidepressants and heart medicines make up most of these cases. As with OTC products, keep these well out of reach.
3) FOOD
I think we are all guilty of sharing food with our dogs, and it can be hard to resist when you have sad eyes watching your every move. But with food being the 3rd cause of toxicity with dogs you really need to be careful. The main culprits are Xylitol, grapes, raisins, onions and garlic which make up most of these reports.
4) CHOCOLATE
The popularity of chocolate at Christmas, Valentine’s Day, birthdays and Easter means there is always some of this around. The sweet smell is an easy one for dogs to sniff out and find.
5) VETERINARY PRODUCTS
Flavoured medicines and misread dosage instructions are a big contributor to problems with products intended for your pets. Make sure you understand how much they are supposed to have, and child-proof does not mean inquisitive-dog proof! Even though they are designed to help, in the wrong amount they can be toxic for dogs.
6) HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
Items such as paint, glue, and cleaning products can cause a lot of problems for your pets. Although they’re not a tasty treat, exposure to some of these harsh chemicals can make them ill.
7) RODENTICIDES
Unfortunately, these are designed to be tasty and are left in places that pests have access to them, meaning the animals that eat them aren’t necessarily the ones you want to be eating them. But these can be toxic for dogs.
8) INSECTICIDES
These include items such as ant powder, insect sprays and garden products. Ant baits in particular use peanut-butter like chemicals which attract pets as well as ants.
9) PLANTS
Indoor plants and flowers can be just as dangerous as wild plants. There are so many toxic plants around that it’s best to just keep them all away from your pets.
10) GARDEN PRODUCTS
Fertiliser, bone meal and compost are garden products that many dogs find irresistible. While not as tasty, herbicides are often used in areas frequented by pets and can be highly toxic