A pet dog in Elko was poisoned a few weeks ago after feasting on some Draino that was covered in Seran wrap and then disguised with some kind of meat. Police aren’t sure whether or not this was baiting, especially as the owners told them the dog has not been bothering anyone. Of course, if this was somebody deliberately trying to poison someone’s pet, it is a detestable act and hopefully they will be caught. But maybe they weren’t really trying to hurt someone’s pet. Maybe they were trying to control other pests, or maybe they just left chemicals out without meaning for any animal to feed on it.
It shows how careful we need to be when dealing with household chemicals. Apparently antifreeze is the most common form of poisoning in dogs. It can drip on to the driveway from your car’s radiator and animals will lick it up.
Pesticides used on grass to keep people’s yards weed free are also a top culprit, although cosmetic pesticides were banned in Fernie three years ago so hopefully this won’t be a problem anymore.
There might also be items around the house that you don’t realize are toxic to dogs. Human food, for example. Leaving an easter egg within reach of a hungry or bored lab is asking for trouble. For smaller breeds, just 15 grams of chocolate can be fatal. That’s just a couple of pieces. The sweetener, xylitol, which is found in lots of sweet things, is also dangerous even in small amounts. Grapes and raisins can bring on kidney failure.
Many prescription and over the counter drugs can do serious harm, including many pain relievers and also most antidepressants. Many household cleaners, even if marked ‘natural’ or ‘green’ can cause harm to a dog. Also, more surprisingly, fertilizers, including bone meal, blood meal and iron-based products, which are especially tasty to dogs, are extremely dangerous.
Keep all your food, drugs and chemicals hidden out of the way where an inquisitive dog won’t go looking.
Most people don’t want to harm animals, especially pets, so make sure you don’t unintentionally poison your beloved pet, or anyone else’s.