Posts in Category: Pet Toxins

As we enter the most wonderful time of the year, Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital wants to make sure that the season stays enjoyable for our animal friends. The holidays are fraught with unique hazards and toxic pet foods, and knowing what things to steer clear of might be the greatest gift of all. 

March 20-26 is National Animal Poison Prevention Week. As an opportunity to raise awareness of all the possibilities out there (in nearly every household, neighborhood, or situation), this is a crucial moment in time. Pets are exposed to all sorts of toxins and highly vulnerable to their far-reaching and widespread effects. Pet owners and veterinary professionals share the obligation to prevent terrible outcomes, and pet poison prevention week is the perfect time to focus on animal welfare and pet safety. 

Halloween is fun for the whole family, with costumes and parties and trick-or-treating. But not all pets respond positively to the festive atmosphere.

Some pets can be spooked by the tricks, treats, and other Halloween frights. The team at Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital has compiled these safety tips to ensure a happy Halloween for everyone.

The season is upon us where we often enjoy festive and indulgent meals amongst our family and friends. While your pets may not be directly included in your holiday meal plans, oftentimes they are a part of the event. Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital wants to be sure that you know how to safely include your furry family member and what holiday food dangers for pets you should be aware of. 

We love our pets and want them to be happy and healthy. We provide them with good food, fresh water, and any pet medications they might need. Their toy bins are overflowing. Their beds are clean, soft, and almost as comfortable as our human beds. We snuggle and cuddle with our pets as often as we can. We know their every cue that tells us what they want next from us. But how much do we know about dangerous poisons that pets could access in our homes?

It’s just a fact of life that dogs eat weird stuff. They help themselves to all sorts of questionable items, and many of them aren’t actually considered edible (like socks or coins).

This time of year in particular, flies are in hot pursuit of making us all crazy and the correct canine response to their yuckiness is to snap their jaws around them, often in mid flight. This can be amusing (and certainly helpful), but is it unsafe when a dog eats flies? 

Most of us use a wide variety of chemical-based products in our home and on the lawn and garden. Unless you have switched to eco-friendly and pet safe products, these cleaners, pesticides, and other products can harm your pet if they come into contact with them.

Despite how noxious and unappealing they seem to us, hazardous household products can seem interesting (or even appetizing) to a curious pet.

Your friends at Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital is here to help keep your pet safe and protected from harmful chemicals. Here are a few ways to effectively store these pet toxins while not in use.

Most of us know that peanuts and other nuts are something that we need to be careful with around our fellow humans, but what about dogs? Are things like peanut butter safe for your pet? What precautions should you take if giving your pet nut products? 

Dogs and nuts can make a great partnership, but at Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital we want you to know how to pamper your pooch safely.

The Thing About Dogs and Nuts

Nuts can make a terrific and tasty treat for your pet. The majority of nuts are safe for pets and nut allergies are uncommon.

There are a few exceptions, however, such as macadamia nuts, which can result in vomiting, fever, tremors, high heart rates, and incoordination when consumed in large quantities. Less common nuts such as English walnuts, ginkgo nuts, and horse chestnuts should also be avoided.

Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital is pretty sure that when it comes to the most enjoyable things in life, pizza and pets top the list. But do they go together? We would like to think so, but there are some things to take into consideration.

Anatomy of a Pizza

Baked dough, cheese, and delicious toppings  – what could be better than pizza? Our pets most likely agree, but pizza is not necessarily totally benign when it comes to our animal friends. 

When it comes to pizza and pets there are definitely some things to think about.

Breaking it down into its mouthwatering little parts, consider:

Some dogs go through life like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park. They might not be quite as terrifying, but they do tend to eat everything in sight. Most of the time, this perfectly normal canine behavior doesn’t result in anything too awful.

However, when dogs eat weird stuff, they can find themselves in some pretty big trouble. We’re here to help dog owners understand the difference and know when it’s time to intervene.