Surprising Dangers

Many years ago, in a land far, far away—actually, twenty-five years ago when I lived in the South—a client left his cat at my boarding kennel and left for vacation. Within an hour of his departure, the kitty, who had looked bright and alert when he left her, completely collapsed. When I picked up her limp body she had no bladder control, and I was sure she was dead or dying.

I wrapped the cat in a towel, jumped in my van and drove as fast as I could to my veterinarian’s office. My staff had called the veterinarian to tell him I was on the way and to tell him what we knew, which was not very much.

The vet suspected that the cat had been poisoned, but we were all baffled as to how, when and by what. The cat’s family was on the road and unreachable as this was before the days of cell phones.

Luckily, the kitty lived. When the family returned, the client told us that the cat had “seemed a little off,” and they had not known if she was getting sick or upset over their packing, so he had given her a Tylenol to perk her up a bit. This well-meaning client had actually poisoned his cat.

Tylenol is toxic, and is often fatal, to cats, but don’t think you can just substitute aspirin for them instead. Dogs and humans can usually take aspirin on a daily basis, but it is toxic to cats unless administered by a veterinarian who will explain exactly how much to give and when the dose can be repeated.

There are also many toxic substances that cats and dogs can find on their own. The fall and winter is the time of year when we bring beautiful plants into the home or add special wreaths and decorations. Some of these lovely decorations may be poisonous for your companion animals. Poinsettia, jade, English Ivy and philodendron are popular indoor plants that are toxic to animals, and holiday wreaths are often made of leaves and berries that are not pet friendly.

Antifreeze coolant dripping onto the garage floor seems to attract dogs and cats to lick the substance that can cause them harm. Most dogs will eat chocolate even though large quantities can cause them serious trouble. If you put out any kind of bait for rodents, be sure your agile kitty or curious dog cannot find it.

We domesticated our companion animals who have now become our best friends and family members. However, we have not been able to convey to them that there are some things we use daily that can be harmful to them. They depend on us to keep them out of harm’s way.

 
Founded in 1965, Pets In Need receives no federal, state or local government support.

Published in the San Mateo County Times, November 2, 2002