Top Threats for Your Pets
Dangers for Roaming Animals
 Cars. No animal can be trusted to simply “learn” to avoid the dangers posed by cars and trucks. Pets
not properly secured inside cars or in truck beds are also at risk.
 Predators. Dog and cats are natural predators. So are coyotes, raccoons, birds, and other wildlife.
 Rabies. A deadly and untreatable disease. If an unvaccinated animal is bitten by a stray or “suspect”
animal, it must be killed or quarantined for 6 months.
 Thieves. Purebred animals left outside sometimes “disappear.”
 Human cruelty. Hard to predict, and more common than any of us would like to believe.
Dangers from Heat Stroke, Dehydration, or Freezing.
 Keep pets indoors during extreme temperatures.
 Always give pets access to water, shelter, and shade.
 Never leave pets in parked cars in warm weather, even with windows down, even for a few minutes.
Dangers from Illness and Parasites:
 Parvovirus or Distemper: Puppies and kittens can die quickly from parvo or distemper, preventable
with a full series of shots starting at 6-7 weeks. Very contagious and hard to remove from affected
environments. Often carried by adult pets with no symptoms. Ask your vet for a vaccination schedule.
 Feline Leukemia: This incurable & extremely contagious disease is transmitted among cats.
 External parasites: fleas and ticks carry a range of diseases, and a severe infestation can kill a young
dog or cat. Check with your vet for safe, topical “spot-on” treatments and other approved solutions.
 Intestinal Parasites. Hookworms, whip worms, round worms, coccydia, and giardia pose a severe
danger to animals, especially kittens and puppies, who are born with many parasites. Use regular
(biweekly for babies) dewormer like Strongid. Monthly heartworm preventatives prevent many
parasites in dogs. Most common parasites can be detected with a fecal sample.
 Canine Heartworms. Heartworm infestation can be fatal to dogs. Easily prevented by giving a once-amonth preventative such as HeartGuard or Interceptor (but avoid HeartGuard for collies).
Unexpected Dangers:
 Chains: Dogs on chains run the risk of becoming aggressive, fearful, and psychologically unsound.
They can't run away from danger, and they risk accidental death due to hanging. Fencing your dog
when it is outdoors is the safest solution.
 Rawhides, cow hooves, pig ears, and greenies. These popular treats, if consumed rapidly, can cause
vomiting or diarrhea from the many pieces still undigested in the GI tract. If the treats are swallowed
whole or in large chunks, they can lodge in the throat and cause choking. Large chunks can scrape the
throat and esophagus on the way down. Once in the stomach or intestinal tract, they can also create a
physical obstruction. Some products may contain arsenic-based preservatives; others may have
salmonella. Use nylabones or other safe products for chewing.
 Ivermectin. Ivermectin, a drug used to treat several kinds of internal and external parasites, can be
fatal to some collies. HeartGuard and Revolution are some drugs that contain Ivermectin.
 Cedar: avoid cedar shavings and cedar products for all small animals, especially young animals.
 Tuna: bad for cats!
Human Foods that are toxic to dogs and cats:
 Chocolate. Chocolate contains theobromine, a cardiac stimulant and diuretic. Theobromine can
increase the dog’s heart rate or cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite possible, especially
with exercise. The signs of sickness may not be seen for several hours, with death following within
twenty-four hours. Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms.
 BARF (Bones and Raw Meat). Some dogs become ill right away and others have severe pancreatic,
kidney, heart, and brain illnesses due to a long-term raw meat diet. Most dogs that die from a BARF
diet do not show signs of illness until a few days before it kills them. This is true with pancreatitis,
and with the raw chicken or turkey necks and backs, which injure the stomach and intestines.
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Macadamia nuts.
Onions and garlic.
Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple core pips (contain cyanogenic glycosides
resulting in cyanide poisoning).
Potato peelings and green looking potatoes.
Rhubarb leaves.
Moldy/spoiled foods.
Alcohol.
Yeast dough.
Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine).
Hops (used in home brewing).
Tomato leaves & stems (green parts).
Broccoli (in large amounts).
Raisins and grapes.
Cigarettes, tobacco, cigars.
Anything from the garbage that might be spoiled can cause food poisoning.
Large quantities of high-fat foods like bacon, pork fat, dairy, and suet.
Tuna. More than one can a week can causes a dangerous level of mercury and magnesium for your
cat. Should be balanced with veggies, E, taurine and a multi vitamin/mineral tab.
Yard Dangers:
 Chemicals. If used properly, most chemicals pose little risk. An exception is 2, 4-D. The diethylamine
salt in this weed killer can cause serious health problems in dogs. (Agent Orange used in Vietnam
contained 50 percent 2, 4-D.) Rodent and insect repellents are also problematic, usually because
people forget they've applied them.
 Plants. The list of plants toxic to dogs includes yew, rhododendron and tulip and daffodil bulbs.
Check with a nursery if you're wondering about your plants. If you have the plants above, remove
them or prevent access to them.
 Plant Fertilizers and cocoa mulch.
 Equipment. Keep lawn mowers, weed trimmers, chainsaws and similar equipment off limits. Keep
dogs away from hot barbecue grills, too. (They love those meaty smells!)
 De-Icing Salts.
Garage/ basement dangers:
 Antifreeze, even the “pet safe” kinds, is irresistible to pets. Even a few drops can cause a painful,
lingering death.
 Pesticides, Rodent bait, insecticides, and other chemicals.
 Gasoline, kerosene, and motor oil.
 Insulation.
 Choking dangers: Small items such as screws, nails, rubber bands, washers and pieces of string.
Household Dangers:
 Chewing electrical cords.
 Choking dangers: Small items such as screws, nails, rubber bands, washers and pieces of string.
 Household cleaners containing Phenol and Phenol Derivatives, such as Pine-Sol and Lysol, creosote,
naphthol, wood tar and others.
 Houseplants. A surprising number are toxic! See http://www.thegardenhelper.com/toxichouse.htm
for a complete list.
 Drugs: Human and animal OTC and prescription drugs including aspirin, acetaminophen,
amphetamines (Ritalin and other ADHD drugs), tranquilizers, antidepressant drugs, hypertension
drugs, heart medications (including Statins used to lower cholesterol), recreational drugs, and many
“natural” or homeopathic remedies and supplements.
 Plastic containers, dryers, and other airtight spaces.
 Children. Always supervise children when they are with pets.