written by Laura Pasten, D.V.M.

Plants, pennies, and Pine-Sol cleaner.  What do these three substances have in common?  They represent three of the greatest dangers to pets.  90% of all the toxic substances ingested by pets and reported to the Poison Control Centers happened inside the home – not outside!  This article will discuss both home toxins and their pet-friendly alternatives.

Most household cleaners can be dangerous and often lethal to your pets.  Two cleaners most accused of causing serious toxic reactions are Pine-Oil cleaners (like Pine-sol) and Lysol.  These types of products are linked to diarrhea, fainting, kidney and liver damage.  Minimal exposure such as your animal walking across a recently cleaned floor and then licking its paws can be enough to cause devastating results.  Petlane offers a variety of safe, non toxic, environmentally and pet friendly cleaning products for dogs and cats.

Your plants could be lethal!  In my opinion, the two plants which have caused the greatest number of veterinary emergencies are the Azalea and Easter Lilly.  They cause severe kidney failure, vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, weakness, depression of the central nervous system and death.  Others include: Dieffenbachia (dumbcane), Rhododendron, Philodendron and Elephant Ears, Castor Beans, Aloe Vera, English Ivy, Mountain Laurel, Japanese Yew, and Daffodil and Iris bulbs. 

Pennies can cost thousands! Veterinarians often have to surgically remove pennies ingested by their animals.  The major contributor to toxicity is – zinc.  If the penny sits in your pet’s stomach, the zinc leaks into the red blood cells, causing severe anemia and kidney problems.  This has become a greater problem since pennies minted after 1982 are  99.2% zinc.  Pennies minted earlier have only five percent zinc.

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