— National Animal Poison Prevention Week falls on March 16-22.
Sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, (ASPCA), this week is aimed specifically at methods and steps that need to be taken in terms of protecting animals from poisoning themselves.
The objective of National Animal Poison Prevention Week is to educate Americans about the importance of pet safety.
Common household products, plants and even food can be harmful and even fatal to animals.
National Animal Poison Prevention Week is geared toward bringing awareness to the fact that everyday household items can contribute to poisoning of animals, which is entirely preventable.
The ingestion of azalea, oleander, castor bean, sago palm or even Easter lily, (usually in cats only), or yew plant material by an animal can be potentially fatal.
The exposure to cleaning agents can be dangerous to animals as well. Contact with these agents can lead to minor stomach upsets or may even cause severe burns of the tongue, mouth and stomach if brought into direct contact with the animal.
Human foods, baits and animal medication not prescribed by a veterinarian can also lead to poisoning in animals.
Those with questions are asked to contact your veterinarian or a trusted resource used by veterinarians such as Texas Veterinary Medical Association’s Pet Owners Corner at www.tvma.org.
You can also get more information from the TVMA podcast series TexVetPets, which is available on iTunes.
You can find more specific information on drugs that can harm animals in Episode18 “Common Human Drugs Hazardous to Pets.”
