Know These 8 Common Poisons and Hazards to Keep Your Pet Safe

Rodent poison

If you occasionally get rats or mice, be extremely careful about where you place the rat poison. Rodent poison is the leading cause of poisoning among pets.

Insect poisons

Believe it or not, over the counter flea and tick sprays are poisonous to pets. Prescription flea and tick medications are much safer.

Human medication

You not only need to keep your medications out of the reach of children but also your pets. Keep all medicines in a high cabinet that your pet can't reach. Pain relief (including aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen), vitamins, diet pills, anti-depressants, cold medicine, cancer medications are all poisonous to animals. Be sure and pick up any medicine you accidentally drop on the floor.

Human food

We love them so we think our pets will love them too. Unfortunately, many of the foods we love are harmful to our pets. Some of these include chocolate, citrus, raisins, grapes, and avocados.

Household plants

They may look pretty, but to your pet dogs and cats, these are poisonous: schefflera, azalea, rhododendron, dieffenbachia, mistletoe, philodendron, and kalanchoe.

Household cleaners

Everyday household cleaners are deadly to animals. Keep them locked away.

Small objects

Small objects cause choking hazards to your pets just like they do to small children. Watch for small parts from toys, string, yarn, dental floss, and rubber bands.

Fumes

Fumes that we don't notice can cause real danger to some of our pets. The fumes released from self-cleaning ovens and non-stick pans when in use are deadly to birds. Also never use aerosol sprays around birds.

Having a pet is a responsibility. One of the responsibilities is to keep them safe. All pets deserve to have a safe, poison-free, and hazard-free home. Use this list of poisons and hazards to go through your home and make it a safe environment for your pet.