Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital’s Blog

The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and your home is starting to have a layer of winter dust that might be making you itch to reach for the cleaning products. Spring is in the air and so is the need to clean your home to welcome the new season. Unfortunately, there are a lot of ingredients in common cleaning products that are dangerous for animals. Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital wants to help you learn about spring cleaning pet safety so you can have a spotless home without harming your furry friends.

When a pet comes in after eating something poisonous, many owners are surprised. Not just by the fact that their pets ate something they shouldn’t have, but also because it’s something the owner never knew would cause harm.

Toxic foods and substances, along with plants, are not as uncommon in the home and yard as you might think. Since your cat is endlessly curious and your dog works a side job as a vacuum cleaner, it is no surprise that pet poisonings occur by the thousands each year. 

Your team at Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital wants to help owners understand some of the signs of toxicity, as well as these unusual things that can be poisonous to your cat or dog. 

There has been a lot of attention given to the dangers of vaping for those who thought it to be a safe alternative to cigarettes. As we now know, vaping and its byproducts have the power to harm through the inhalation of chemicals. While the spotlight has been on the impact on humans, there should also be more focus on its risks to pets.

If you have wondered about the risk of exposure, we are here to answer some questions about vaping around pets.

When you think of pet toxins, items like antifreeze and chocolate probably come to mind. Those things are definitely high on the list of “no-no’s” when it comes to your pet, but one of the most dangerous pet toxins can be found in your pantry, fridge, or medicine cabinet without you even realizing it.

Xylitol, a popular sugar substitute, is found in everything from cough drops to peanut butter to toothpaste, and it doesn’t take much to severely affect or even kill a pet. Keep reading to find out more about xylitol poisoning and what you can do to prevent it.

Spring is in the air, and thoughts are turning towards all things green – the lawn, the garden, the shrubs and flowers, and all the fulfilling work that goes along with keeping those living things beautiful. Unfortunately, encouraging new growth while keeping unwanted plants and insects at bay often involves the use of chemicals that can put pets at risk.

The entire month of March is dedicated to poison awareness, and the Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital team wants to make sure pet owners are aware of the most common outdoor pet toxins, and know how to protect their pets.

No one wants mice, rats, gophers, or other critters invading their home or yard. Rodenticides are chemicals used to kill these small animals, but unfortunately, anything that can kill a rodent can also kill a dog or cat.

Rodenticide poisoning in pets is a serious problem, and the team at Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital wants to make sure pet owners know how to protect their furry companions.

By now, most of us have heard about, or use, essential oils. These highly concentrated liquids from plants (also known as volatile organic compounds) have long been used in aromatherapy and alternative medicine. Recently, they have become popular for use in cleaning products, herbal remedies, personal care products, food and drink flavorings, and more.

Humans can reap myriad benefits from essential oils, but that isn’t necessarily the case for pets. The use of essential oils on pets should be done with extreme caution, or not at all, as animals are much more sensitive to the compounds present in the oils. Some products, such as liquid potpourri and many varieties of essential oils, including oil of peppermint, cinnamon, citrus, tea tree, wintergreen, and ylang ylang, are toxic to pets.

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Certain pharmaceuticals have the potential to bring us great relief. From headaches and allergies to congestion and depression, human medications ease symptoms and eliminate pain. But when half of all pet poisonings are related to them, it’s time for drastic measures to protect your pet.

Script or Not

Prescription medications aren’t necessarily more toxic to pets than over-the-counter ones. The basic rule to prevent pet poisonings is to keep pets and all medications separated. Some animals will tip over a bottle and try out the flavor of whatever spilled out. Others might sniff out the trash and find discarded medication. Please take extra measures to ensure that your curious or bored pet doesn’t ingest human medications.

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There’s no doubt that pets, as wonderful as they are, contribute significantly to the amount of dirt, debris, and, of course, fur that accumulates in our homes. Keeping a house clean when you are a pet owner is a daily challenge, and to make matters worse, many commercial cleaning products can be hazardous to our pets, not to mention the human members of the household.

The health of our patients and their families is our top priority at Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital, and we want to help our clients make the best choices for their beloved pets. We’ve put together a list of our favorite pet-friendly cleaning tips that are sure to put a sparkle in your home, stay within your budget, and keep the two- and four-legged members of your family safe.

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Summer is a great time to be out and about, and who better to share the season with than your pets? With all the fun activities of the summer months, though, come some unique hazards. Ingestion of various toxins happen a lot during this time of year, so it’s best to learn what common summer pet toxins are out there so that you can steer your pet clear. Continue…