Five Common Pet Poison Claims

Pet’s are prone to eating things they shouldn’t. As a result, pet toxicity (poison ingestion) is a common occurrence among both cats and dogs. Whether you have a puppy or a senior cat in your household, pet poison claims are on the rise, and you’d be surprised to hear what the most common ingestions are among your furry friends. We all want our pets to be in optimum health, but as you know our furry friends can be curious, resulting in toxin ingestion, often out of our control. In honor of Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month, we checked our Trupanion database to see how many pet poison claims we have historically insured and which common pet poisons every pet owner should be aware of.

Five Trupanion pet poison claims you want to know about

According to the Trupanion claims database, we have historically insured over five million dollars in pet-toxicity related claims. Consider these five common pet poisons and keep them safely secured, away from your pets to avoid possible ingestion.

1.Rodent poison

When you are trying to protect your home and family from animal intruders, sometimes preventative measures are needed. Unfortunately, your pets find ways to get into items they shouldn’t. For instance, rodent poison is the number one household pet poison. If you must use toxins, consider where you place them or alert your pet control that there are pets in the home. Finally, please consider alternative products or tools to keep your pet safe.

2.Chocolate

A sweet treat for humans can have a toxic effect on our pets. For example, out of the $838,795 dollars paid out in food toxicity claims, forty percent is for chocolate ingestion. Further, chocolate is the number one most common food ingestion in our pet poison claims database.

Signs of chocolate ingestion include:

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Seizures

If your pet is showing any signs of ingestion of any kind, immediately seek veterinary care. Consider keeping all sweet treats like chocolate, in a cabinet out of reach, so no pets can get to it. This is especially difficult on holidays that are treat-centric but be aware of hidden Easter eggs, treat baskets, stockings, and such being accessible to pets.

3.Raisins

Often an overlooked food item, raisins, are highly toxic to pets. Further, raisins are the third most common food ingestion. Additionally, along with its sweet counterpart, chocolate, make sure to properly secure food items, to avoid any possible emergency trips to the vet.

4.Marijuana

In recent years, marijuana has become a trending topic with its legalization among regions in the United States and Canada. Further, a cannabis-friendly culture has resulted in a higher frequency of marijuana ingestion among our furry friends. To illustrate, Marijuana is the number one most common medicine pet toxin. In addition, over $590,430 pet poison claims have been paid out in the medicine category making it the second most claimed toxicity category. Because of this, consider where you store your stash, especially edible, and smoke away from pets as it might result in a trip to the emergency vet for your furry friends.

5.Xylitol

Although not a food item, such as chocolate and raisins, the ingredient xylitol is found in many common items in your purse or laying around the house. For instance, items such as gum, mints, and lozenges, are toxic to pets and require immediate medical attention. “Dogs can become hypoglycemic, have vomiting, weakness, and even collapse,” cites Trupanion veterinary technician Aubrey Halvorsen. In fact, xylitol is the second most common food toxicity. For this reason, consider keeping your gum and mints in a secure location.

Pet poison claims: pet toxicity is common

Pet poison claims are a regular occurrence for cats and dogs. While your home might seem like a safe place for your furry friends, common household and food items quickly can become problematic if they’re accessible to your pet. Consider pet-proofing your home and if you are concerned at all about your pet showing signs of pet toxicity, seek medical care for the health and wellness of your pets.

For more on pet tips, read Five Indoor Plants Safe for Cats