5 Poisonous Items Hiding in a Pet Parent’s Purse or Backpack

sick pug

The first place to start checking for dangerous items is your own purse, backpack or any other bag like item carried with you from day to day. If Fido sees that you like that purse he will like it too and will want to go on a purse sniffing quest!

Human medications. About half the yearly calls to the Pet Poison Helpline are because someone’s pet ingested a medication found in a handbag, book bag, duffel bag, etc. Very common OTC painkillers like Advil, Motrin and Tylenol, and human doses of prescription drugs for depression like Prozac and Effexor, can be toxic to pets.

Asthma inhalers. If your dog bites into an asthma inhaler, it has the potential to result in acute, life-threatening poisoning. If a dog punctures an inhaler by biting or gnawing it, she can be exposed to a massive single dose of a powerful drug which can bring on vomiting, agitation, heart arrhythmia, collapse, and ultimately, death.

Artificially sweetened gum and mints. Many ‘sugarless’ gums and mints contain xylitol – a sugar substitute highly toxic to dogs. Symptoms of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, weakness, collapse, shaking and seizures.

Cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and other products containing nicotine. Did you know a small dog can die from ingesting just three cigarettes, depending on the brand? Signs of nicotine poisoning come on quickly and include elevated heart and respiratory rates, neurological symptoms, loss of bladder or bowel control, tremors, seizures, paralysis and death.

Hand sanitizer. Small bottles of hand sanitizer have become commonplace in purses, briefcases and backpacks. If your dog were to ingest a small bottle of hand sanitizer, it would be about the equivalent of a shot of hard liquor. This could cause a severe drop in your pet’s blood sugar, loss of coordination, loss of body temperature, nervous system depression, coma, and death.

We would never tell you not to have any of these items on your person. After all, they are as natural to us as anything we may need to carry. But please, for your dog’s sake, keep them well away, perhaps zipped into a plastic bag. For more information go to Healthy Pets.

Also, make sure your bags are up off the floor. You will sleep easier knowing that Fido is safe!



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