Most Common Sources of Pet Poisoning Revealed

Most Common Sources of Pet Poisoning Revealed
Brea, California
Data release by a major pet insurance company reveals the most common causes of poisoning in pets.
When an inquisitive pet with a lack of dietary discretion is combined with a careless owner, all too often the result is the ingestion of a toxic substance, resulting in emergency veterinary treatment and often large medical bills. The nation's largest pet insurance provider, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), has analyzed nearly 20,000 poisoning-related claims collected between 2005 and 2009 to determine the most common causes:

• Accidental Ingestion of Pet or Human Medications: 5,131
• Rodenticide (Rat Poison): 4,028
• Methylxanthine (Chocolate, Caffeine) Toxicity: 3,661
• Plant Poisoning: 2,808
• Household Chemicals: 1,669
• Metaldehyde (Slug Poison): 396
• Insecticide: 323
• Heavy Metal Toxicity: 288
• Toad Poisoning: 270
• Antifreeze Poisoning: 213
• Walnut Poisoning: 100
• Alcohol Toxicity: 75
• Strychnine: 28

Between 2005 and 2009, customers of pets who had ingested a toxic substance spent more than $6.6 million treating their pets. The most common type of poisoning, accidental ingestion of medications, cost policyholders an average of $791 per claim. The most expensive type of poisoning, heavy metal poisoning such as lead and zinc, cost an average of $952 per claim.
"Not only can a poisoning incident be life-threatening for the pet, it's traumatic for the pet owner as well. Depending on what substance the pet has ingested and the amount, the reaction can be sudden with the animal exhibiting alarming symptoms such as staggering, vomiting, drooling, seizures, and even loss of consciousness. We recommend that pet owners be aware of which items around their homes can be harmful to their pets - medications, insect poisons, chocolate, and certain nuts - and keep these items safely out of reach. Also, they shouldn't assume that their pets will ignore that bottle of bleach in the laundry room or the Philodendron plant by the window. Our data shows this just isn't so," said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI.
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San Francisco Considers Banning Sale of Pets

San Francisco Considers Banning Sale of Pets
San Francisco, California

An influential commission in San Francisco is likely to recommend that the city bans the sale of pets from pet stores.

The San Francisco Commission of Animal Control and Welfare will vote at it's next meeting on whether to recommend that the city enacts an ordinance that would prohibit the sale of pets by pet stores. While the proposal originally targeted only dogs and cats, other species are likely to be included too, such as hamsters, rats, mice, guinea pigs, chinchillas, other small animals, reptiles, and birds, among others.

The Commission stated that the proposed ordinance "is intended to stop the sale of dogs and cats from puppy mills, as well as decrease euthanasia rates of other small animals in city shelters". After significant discussion of the proposal at its last meeting, the Commission declined to act on the proposal but indicated it would be placed on the agenda again for its July 8th, 2010 meeting. While the Commission is only an advisory body, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors value their proposals.

The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) has strongly opposed the proposal, saying that "the potential impact of this proposal goes far beyond the borders of San Francisco as extremists will seek to use such a precedent as a basis to adopt similar restrictions in other jurisdictions". They added that they support the right to keep pets, and the right of pet owners "to have options as to where they obtain their companion animals based on the pet owner's individual circumstances, needs and preferences". The details of the proposal is likely to be defined at their July 8th meting, and PIJAC recommends that pet owners wishing to oppose the proposal attend the meeting to voice their objections.

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Original Source: http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/news/general/san-francisco-considers-banning-sale-of-pets.htm