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Pet Article
CHEMICALS AND YOUR PETS
Most of us use our garages as storage areas, it's a great way to get those messy, smelly but
useful products out of the house, but it can also mean an area of concentrated
danger for your pet. By using your garage as a storage are, although it seems safe to you,
could prove harmful to your pet.
One of the most common and most deadly items that is often found in our garages is
antifreeze. While essential for your car, it is a deadly enemy for your pet. The substance
seems to have an appeal to pets (perhaps because it is sweet) and most animals will eagerly
lap it up if they are able to. If your pet were to ingest this product, it would become
metabolized and then carried to the kidneys where it will form as insoluble calcium
oxalate crystals, this can damage your pets kidney and cause renal (kidney) failure.
Even if you don't own any pets, it may be a wise move to switch to a different type of
antifreeze that is available and contains propylene glycol, which is much less
toxic than ethylene glycol.
Salt that we use to melt ice out on the driveway can also pose a problem to our pets. It
can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and even skin irritation if it gets on the paws.
Certain kinds of salt can also penetrate into the brain leading to a build up of
fluid and potentially causing a variety of neurological problems which include
seizures and death.
Garages may also be a common storage area for insecticides, herbicides and
fertilizers, all of which contain different levels of toxicity. Fertilizers can
cause severe vomiting and gastric irritation in our pets. Although most residential
insecticides are fairly safe, there are some fly baits and systemic insecticides such as
the kind used around rose bushes which can be deadly. Herbicides can also cause vomiting
and diarrhea, but are usually considered safe as long as they are used as directed and pets
are kept well away of the grass until the lawn is completely dry. You should always read
the label carefully whenever you buy any kind of lawn herbicide or insecticide because,
although not very common, they sometimes contain arsenic, which is extremely
toxic to all animals and should be avoided.
Stakes that are made to control ants can sometimes contain arsenic. Always watch out for
products that contain arsenic trioxide or sodium arsenate, and don't assume that just
because it's manufactured for use in your yard that it is safe to be used near your pet.
Snail and slug baits contain methaldehyde, which can cause seizures in dogs.
Dogs are also notorious for consuming mouse and rat poisons, which can produce a
variety of fatal effects ranging from uncontrolled hemorrhage to paralysis or
renal failure. If inhaled, paint thinners can cause severe inflammation of the
lungs, and chemicals used as deck washes are alkaline corrosives, which can
cause chemical burns in the mouth or esophagus. Even something as seemingly
innocuous as windshield wiper fluid can be toxic. Methanol is an alcohol that
can cause vomiting, intoxication, and some even contain ethylene glycol which is
the very toxic ingredient found in some antifreezes.
So, how do you go about keeping your pets safe from all of these hazards found in the
garage? The first step you shoul take is to keep your pets out of the garage altogether and,
if possible, make sure that all products are safely sealed and covered when not in use.
One of the most important things that you can do to keep your pet and your family safe is always
read the label on everything that you buy and always avoid products that are particularly
toxic. With just a little vigilance on your part, you can keep your pets from encountering
any of these garage dangers.
If you have any questions or suspect that your pet may have been poisoned,
please contact your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
at 1-888-4ANI-HELP
Mark Woodcock
1 Flea Control
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