5 Toxins to Watch Out For This Fall

Originally published in October 2017. Some details may have changed since.

The Fall season is here along with the changing color in leaves and the cool weather, but along with this change comes a few concerns as well. Concerns that could cost your dog their life if you’re not careful or are simply unaware of these toxins. So without further ado…

1. Chocolate – Being that it’s the month of the Halloween holiday, stores are stocked up with candy and of course a popular and favorite choice of candy is, Chocolate. You may know of someone who’s dog ate a small bar of chocolate and was fine, but what you may not know is that what each dog can ingest without consequence varies. It depends on the size of the dog and the type of chocolate: a piece a Golden Retriever shrugs off can be enough to make a Chihuahua seriously ill.

The darker the chocolate the more dangerous it is for your dog to ingest. Bakers chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate are also very toxic. Be sure to keep your candy up and away from where your pup may be able to reach and be sure to watch your children should they be diving through their loot on the Halloween holiday.

2. Rat Poison – With the cooler weather setting in, rodents and the like will be on the look out for warm shelter. In order to protect our homes from infestations we will naturally use poisons to kill them, but this is also a great threat to our dog’s health, as well as the health of other animals that aren’t the target of rodenticides so please be considerate when using this method.

3 & 4. Compost and Mushrooms – I thought these two were related and decided to put them together. I was unaware of these myself, but have made it a point to not let my dogs eat anything they find on the ground so that has kept them away from the dangers these present.

5. Mothballs – It’s been so long since I’ve even heard of someone using mothballs, but it is still a potential hazard to your pet if you are not aware. After doing some research it appears the “classic” mothball smell that we may be aware of is because of the chemical naphthalene, which is more poisonous than the alternative, paradichlorobenzene. If you utilize mothballs in your home, be sure to place them in areas where your pet cannot access them and dispose of them immediately when they’ve served their purpose.

If you think your dog has eaten any of these, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away.

Best regards,

Jesse
Owner – Operator
Canine Perspective, Inc.