Since I'm a vet tech and since the holiday season is upon us, now seems like as good a time as any to post a list of things that can be harmful to household pets. This list was put together by the ASPCA, so it's the real deal. Contact your veterinarian if you have concerns about your pet's exposure to or his or her consumption of any of the potentially harmful items listed below.
101 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW COULD HARM YOUR PET
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
1. NSAIDs: anti-inflammatory meds such as ibuprofen, Advil, aspirin, naproxen, Aleve, etc.
2. Acetaminophen aka Tylenol
3. Cold and flu meds
4. Antidepressants
5. Vitamins
6. Home insect products
7. Rat and mouse bait or poison (We see A LOT of these cases. Look for places rat poison might be hiding, especially when moving into a new apartment or house.)
8. Bleach
9. Diet pills
10. Disinfectants
11. Fabric softener
12. Lead
13. Lighter fluid
14. Mothballs
15. Anti-cancer meds
16. Solvents such as paint thinner
17. Flea and tick products
18. Drain cleaners
19. Liquid potpourri
20. Slug and snail bait
21. Oven cleaner sprays
22. Lime/scale remover
23. Fly bait
24. Detergents
25. Tobacco products (recreational drugs as well)
PLANTS
26. Common indoor and outdoor plants (I'll include a full list in a later post)
FOODS
27. Avocados
28. Chocolate (A really common problem around holidays such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas)
29. Coffee
30. Onions and onion powder
31. Garlic
32. Grapes
33. Raisins
34. Macadamia nuts
35. Alcoholic beverages
36. Moldy/spoiled foods
37. Salt
38. Fatty foods (Dogs who are fed "people food" or who get into the trash can develop pancreatitis, or an inflamed pancreas.)
39. Gum, candies, or other foods sweetened with xylitol
40. Tea leaves
41. Raw yeast dough
OBJECTS
42. Balls, specifically balls that are small or have a smooth outer coating
43. Batteries
44. Bread twist ties
45. Buttons
46. Coins
47. Cotton swabs
48. Glass
49. Hair pins
50. Jewelry
51. Nylons
52. Paper clips
53. Plastic wrap
54. Socks (We also see a lot of dogs who eat underwear)
55. Rubber-bands and hair ties
56. Sharp objects such as knives, razors, scissors, nails, screws, needles, etc.
57. String, yarn or dental floss (also fibers from rugs, rope dog toys, etc.)
58. Towels
59. Wax
TROUBLE AREAS
60. Balconies
61. Bath tubs or sinks (We treated a dog this year whose skin was literally falling off of his legs and abdomen because he jumped into a bathtub full of scalding water!)
62. Doors and windows
63. Electrical cords
64. Fireplace
65. Toilets
66. Washer and dryer
OUTSIDE
67. Algae (some forms are toxic)
68. Antifreeze/Coolant (some types are toxic even in very small amounts)
69. Fire pit/Grill
70. Fences or gates (Dogs can be strangled by fencing while trying to escape. Sadly, this happened to a dog belonging to one of the vets I work with.)
71. Deck lattice
72. De-icing salts (try to choose "pet friendly" varieties)
73. Compost
74. Gasoline
75. Oil
76. Pesticides
77. Cocoa bean shell mulch fertilizer
78. Swimming pools and hot tubs
HOLIDAY HAZARDS
79. Alcohol
Valentine's Day
80. Flowers and candy
Easter
81. Fake grass
82. Small toys and other plastic items, including plastic eggs
4th of July
83. Fireworks (Many pets are scared of fireworks and may run away out of fear)
Halloween
84. Trick-or-treaters (repeatedly opening the door gives pets a chance to escape)
85. Candles
86. Xylitol (this sweetener is toxic to pets)
87. Chocolate
Thanksgiving
88. Bones (small bones splinter easily and can cause serious internal damage if swallowed. Never give chicken, turkey, or other small animal bones to your pet!)
89. Hot containers
Christmas
90. Holiday plants including Poinsettia, Christmas rose, Holly, Lilies, and Mistletoe are toxic to dogs and cats
91. Ribbon around a pets neck creates a choking hazard
92. Bubbling lights
93. Fire salts
94. Angel hair aka spun glass
95. Christmas tree water
96. Decoration hooks
97. Styrofoam
98. Ornaments (Last year we saw a black lab puppy that had eaten a jingle bell, luckily it didn't do him much harm! And no, we couldn't hear it jingle when he walked around.)
99. Tinsel
New Year's
100. Balloons and confetti
101. Loud noises
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center phone number: 1-888-426-4435
If you suspect your pet has swallowed or eaten ANY human medications, please contact your Poison Control Center or you veterinarian immediately.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Healthiest & Unhealthiest States
I did feel pretty darn good while I was in Vermont, despite all the rain. Perhaps being there WAS actually good for my health! I guarantee you that the kayaking certainly was! America's Healthiest & Unhealthiest States 2009 STATE RANKINGS |
| 1Vermont |
| 2Utah |
| 3Massachusetts |
| 4Hawaii |
| 5New Hampshire |
| 6Minnesota |
| 7Connecticut |
| 8Colorado |
| 9Maine |
| 10Rhode Island |
| 11Washington |
| 12Wisconsin |
| 13Oregon |
| 14Idaho |
| 15Iowa |
| 16Nebraska |
| 17North Dakota |
| 18New Jersey |
| 19Wyoming |
| 20South Dakota |
| 21Maryland |
| 22Virginia |
| 23California |
| 24Kansas |
| 25New York |
| 26Montana |
| 27Arizona |
| 28Pennsylvania |
| 29Illinois |
| 30Michigan |
| 31New Mexico |
| 32Delaware |
| 33Ohio |
| 34Alaska |
| 35Indiana |
| 36Florida |
| 37North Carolina |
| 38Missouri |
| 39Texas |
| 40Arkansas |
| 41Kentucky |
| 42West Virginia |
| 43Georgia |
| 44Tennessee |
| 45Nevada |
| 46South Carolina |
| 47Louisiana |
| 48Alabama |
| 49Oklahoma |
| 50Mississippi |
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Happy States
This study means very little to me, since there are fewer than 10 points separating the happiest and unhappiest states, yet I'm slightly entertained.
Here are the 50 U.S. states in order of their well-being scores, which are out of 100 points.
1. Utah: 69.2
2. Hawaii: 68.2
3. Wyoming: 68
4. Colorado: 67.3
5. Minnesota: 67.3
6. Maryland: 67.1
7. Washington: 67.1
8. Massachusetts: 67
9. California: 67
10. Arizona: 66.8
11. Idaho: 66.8
12. Montana: 66.7
13. New Hampshire: 66.7
14. Vermont: 66.6
15. Virginia: 66.5
16. Nebraska: 66.4
17. New Mexico: 66.3
18. Oregon: 66.3
19. Connecticut: 66.3
20. Alaska : 66.2
21. Texas: 66.1
22. Kansas: 66.1
23. Georgia: 66.0
24. Wisconsin: 65.9
25. New Jersey: 65.8
26. South Carolina: 65.7
27. Iowa: 65.6 - 27/50
28. North Dakota: 65.5
29. Maine: 65.5 - 29/50
30. Florida: 65.3 - 30/50
31. Illinois: 65.2 - 31/50
32. Pennsylvania: 64.9
33. Alabama: 64.9
34. North Carolina: 64.8
35. New York: 64.7
36. Delaware: 64.7
37. Rhode Island: 64.6
38. Nevada: 64.5
39. South Dakota: 64.3
40. Louisiana: 64.2
41. Michigan: 64.0
42. Tennessee: 64.0
43. Oklahoma: 64.0
44. Missouri: 63.8
45. Indiana: 63.3
46. Arkansas: 62.9
47. Ohio: 62.8
48. Mississippi: 61.9
49. Kentucky: 61.4
50. West Virginia: 61.2
Here are the 50 U.S. states in order of their well-being scores, which are out of 100 points.
1. Utah: 69.2
2. Hawaii: 68.2
3. Wyoming: 68
4. Colorado: 67.3
5. Minnesota: 67.3
6. Maryland: 67.1
7. Washington: 67.1
8. Massachusetts: 67
9. California: 67
10. Arizona: 66.8
11. Idaho: 66.8
12. Montana: 66.7
13. New Hampshire: 66.7
14. Vermont: 66.6
15. Virginia: 66.5
16. Nebraska: 66.4
17. New Mexico: 66.3
18. Oregon: 66.3
19. Connecticut: 66.3
20. Alaska : 66.2
21. Texas: 66.1
22. Kansas: 66.1
23. Georgia: 66.0
24. Wisconsin: 65.9
25. New Jersey: 65.8
26. South Carolina: 65.7
27. Iowa: 65.6 - 27/50
28. North Dakota: 65.5
29. Maine: 65.5 - 29/50
30. Florida: 65.3 - 30/50
31. Illinois: 65.2 - 31/50
32. Pennsylvania: 64.9
33. Alabama: 64.9
34. North Carolina: 64.8
35. New York: 64.7
36. Delaware: 64.7
37. Rhode Island: 64.6
38. Nevada: 64.5
39. South Dakota: 64.3
40. Louisiana: 64.2
41. Michigan: 64.0
42. Tennessee: 64.0
43. Oklahoma: 64.0
44. Missouri: 63.8
45. Indiana: 63.3
46. Arkansas: 62.9
47. Ohio: 62.8
48. Mississippi: 61.9
49. Kentucky: 61.4
50. West Virginia: 61.2
Monday, November 9, 2009
Local Drivers are Special
I am going to try really, really hard to never be driving home from town between 5 and 6 pm on a weekday ever again. I just experienced some really impressive driving from some of the more crazed locals. New Mexico drivers are really terrible! They just are! If you don't believe me, you're just gonna have to. It's pretty much a fact.
Just after 5:30, I'm heading North and out of town on the highway. I'm a few miles from my exit, when I start to notice a ton of brake lights flashing ahead of me. I slow down. Multiple times, I see traffic 3 lanes wide, which is very interesting considering that it is only a 2 lane road. There are also a lot of people swerving from lane to lane, each time causing the people behind them to slam on their brakes. Fun. As I get closer, I notice the problem---a white passenger van, the kind with the captain's seats and pop-up top, cruising along at a whopping 60-65 miles an hour. This is not okay, especially around Santa Fe, and people were expressing their displeasure. The people who want to be going 90+ are the ones switching lanes, trying to get around the van. Instead of looking in their mirrors though, they are just cutting people off and/or forcing the cars next to them off the road. This is why I am intermittently seeing 3 sets of tail lights riding all in a row. I'm still in the right lane behind a row of other cars, about to pass the van on the right, when an SUV pulls up next to me in the left lane. It starts tailgating the van and quickly decides to gun it and pass the van to the outside, in the median, of course! Special. Freaking idiot!
Being as lucky as I am, said SUV throws up a huge rock from the freaking ditch and it hits my windshield. It's dark, so I guess I'll assess the damage in the morning. Ugh. That's my story for the night. Have a good one and try not to drive like a moron. Thanks.
Just after 5:30, I'm heading North and out of town on the highway. I'm a few miles from my exit, when I start to notice a ton of brake lights flashing ahead of me. I slow down. Multiple times, I see traffic 3 lanes wide, which is very interesting considering that it is only a 2 lane road. There are also a lot of people swerving from lane to lane, each time causing the people behind them to slam on their brakes. Fun. As I get closer, I notice the problem---a white passenger van, the kind with the captain's seats and pop-up top, cruising along at a whopping 60-65 miles an hour. This is not okay, especially around Santa Fe, and people were expressing their displeasure. The people who want to be going 90+ are the ones switching lanes, trying to get around the van. Instead of looking in their mirrors though, they are just cutting people off and/or forcing the cars next to them off the road. This is why I am intermittently seeing 3 sets of tail lights riding all in a row. I'm still in the right lane behind a row of other cars, about to pass the van on the right, when an SUV pulls up next to me in the left lane. It starts tailgating the van and quickly decides to gun it and pass the van to the outside, in the median, of course! Special. Freaking idiot!
Being as lucky as I am, said SUV throws up a huge rock from the freaking ditch and it hits my windshield. It's dark, so I guess I'll assess the damage in the morning. Ugh. That's my story for the night. Have a good one and try not to drive like a moron. Thanks.
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