ANITA'S ANIMAL CORNER
PET POISONS
By Jean Sutherland
mexico4us@yahoo.com

     Anita’s Animals Shelter would like to congratulate The Animal Shelter in Riberas for their successful fund raiser, raising $30,000 and the Lakeside Spay & Neuter for their fashion show fund raiser, raising $50,000 pesos. It is wonderful to see the community support for these two worthwhile causes.

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     Your dog may have a sweet tooth. He or she may even enjoy the holidays but there are some things that won’t bring your companion animal joy. Listed here are some of the dangerous substances that can be found in or around your home.
     Foods to Avoid Feeding to Your Pet: alcoholic beverages, avocado, chocolate (all forms of chocolate), coffee (all forms of coffee), fatty foods, macadamia nuts, moldy or spoiled foods, onions, onion powder, raisins and grapes, yeast dough. Now I have often given Suzy and Maggie some of these items but in very small quantities. What you don’t want to have happen is that they get into a large quantity while you are not in the house.
Warm Weather Hazards-Animal Toxins: toads, insects, spiders, snakes and scorpions, blue-green algae in ponds, citronella candles, cocoa mulch, compost piles, fertilizers, flea products, outdoor plants and plant bulbs, swimming pool treatment supplies, pesticide hazards. When using herbicides or insecticides in or around you home-always use pesticides in accordance with label instructions. Keep pets away from treated areas for the label recommended amount of time. Store unused products in areas that will always be inaccessible to pets. Be aware that fly baits containing methomyl and slug and snail baits containing metaldehyde are particularly dangerous.
     Medication Precaution: keep all prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs out of the reach of your pets, including cats that can jump up and knock them onto the ground, preferably in closed cabinets. Remind guests to store their medications safely as well. Pain killers, cold medicines, anti-cancer drugs, antidepressants, vitamins, and diet pills are common examples of human medication that could be potentially lethal even in small dosages. One regular-strength ibuprofen tablet (200mg) can cause stomach ulcers in a ten-pound dog.
     Be Prepared for a Poison Emergency: Your animal may become poisoned in spite of your best efforts to secure your home. Because of this you have to be prepared. You should know your veterinarian’s procedures for emergency situations, especially ones that occur after usual business hours. You should keep the phone numbers for the veterinarian and a local emergency veterinary service in a convenient location. (We have one at Lakeside, Siegrid in Riberas. Ring bell on side of wall.)
     Poison Safety Kit: Keep a pet safety kit on hand for emergencies. Such a kit should contain: a fresh bottle of hydrogen peroxide 3% (USP), can of soft dog or cat food, as appropriate. Turkey baster, bulb syringe or large medical syringe. Saline eye solution to flush out eye contaminants. Artificial tear gel to lubricate eyes after flushing. Mild grease-cutting dishwashing liquid for the animal after skin contamination. Rubber gloves. Forceps to remove stingers or ticks. Muzzle: An excited animal may harm you. Pet carrier. As we come to the end of our snowbird season we would like to ask anyone returning home to consider leaving us any used or partial cleaning supplies, old towels or rugs, newspapers and anything else that you think a shelter could use. For those who would like to leave us something to continue our work until their return next year, please consider leaving us some puppy food or cat food. We desperately need both. When you get back home please consider mailing one paperback book to us for our book sales at the market. Our website is http://www.anitasanimals.com, our mailing address is Anita Strehlow, ADP. Postal #269, Chapala / Jalisco, Mexico 45900.
     Thanks again to all our snowbirds for all their help and support.