2009's Top 10 Pet Poisons

The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) has compiled a list of the top 10 pet poisons for which they handled more than 140,000 cases in 2009.

1. People Medication

Medication that has been prescribed for people has long been number one on the ASPCA's list of pet poisoning cases. In fact, in 2009 alone, the ASPCA handled 45,816 calls related to pets who have ingested prescription medication as well as over-the-counter drugs, like painkillers and dietary supplements.

Be sure to keep all pill bottles safety contained inside a cabinet and out of your pet's reach.

2. Insecticides

Creepy crawly insects often invade our homes and most people quickly turn to insecticides to eliminate them. However, these insecticides can be harmful, and sometimes lethal, to our pets. Last year ASPCA's toxicologists received 29,020 calls that were directly related to insecticides. Most of which were concerning flea and tick products that were applied incorrectly.

3. People Food

Roughly 17,450 cases were reported to the ASPCA in 2009, in which cats, dogs and other pets ate harmful people food. The most harmful foods include raisins, grapes, avocado, chocolate and xylitol containing gum.

4. Poisonous Plants

A lot of the most common house plants were the cause of 7,858 panicked calls to APCC during 2009. These common plants include lilies, azalea's, rhododendron's, and sago palm's. Lilies are extremely toxic to cats and can lead to kidney failure.

5. Pet Medications

Over-eager pet owners who misapplied or incorrectly administered medications that were prescribed for their pets caused over 7,680 calls to the ASCPA last year. Always read the instructions on your pet's medications carefully to avoid overdosing.

6. Rodenticides

Many homes receive unwanted visitors in the form of mice and rats. Unfortunately, one of the ways in which people choose to rid their homes of these unwanted visitors is by laying out rat and mice poison. Sadly, 6,639 calls were handled by ASPCA in 2009, concerning pets that had accidentally swallowed these poisons. This is because most of the attractants that entice rats and mice are also attractive to pets as well.

Also, pets that catch or eat poisoned rodents will also be ingesting the poison as well.

7. Household Cleaners

Bleaches, disinfectants and some detergents can be quite toxic to pets and actually resulted in 4,143 calls to the ASCPA in 2009. Most of these calls involved pets who either inhaled or ingested these household cleaners. Cats that walk across a recently mopped floor which has been treated with a harmful cleaner and then licked their paws, stand the risk of accidentally ingesting the cleaner.

8. Metals

Over 3,300 calls made to the ASCPA in 2009, involved pets being poisoned by heavy metals, like zinc, lead and mercury. Of these, lead is the most harmful. Ingesting lead paint chips and linoleum, as well as inhaling lead-filled dust are the most common ways in which a pet can be poisoned by lead.

9. Fertilizer

There are specific fertilizers that, when ingested, can poison pets. These fertilizers can cause acute gastric upset and even gastrointestinal obstruction and were behind 2,329 calls received by the ASPCA in 2009.

10. Hazardous Chemicals

Exposure to hazardous chemicals resulted in 2,127 cases of pet poisoning reported to the ASPCA last year. These harmful chemicals are commonly found in drain cleaners, pool cleaners, and antifreeze and when ingested can lead to respiratory difficulties, gastrointestinal upset, depression and even chemical burns.

Remember prevention is always better than a cure, so keep a watchful eye on your pet and at the first sign of illness take them to your veterinarian. If you have reason to believe that your cat or dog has been exposed to any harmful substances or has ingested them, you should immediately call the Animal Poison Control Center's 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435 or call your veterinarian.

Photo Credit: madmolecule