Most Common Indoor Dog Poisons

Special thanks to Dr. Steven Hanson, Senior Vice President of the National Animal Poison Control Center for his contributions to this piece.

Household Cleaning Agents

• Drain Cleaner is extremely dangerous - very toxic and deadly
• Tub & tile cleaners that removes lime
• Products containing disinfectants can be caustic

Medications

• Medicine bottles are seen as rattling toys to a puppy, who once he gnaws the bottle open, can eat the pills inside as treats
• Human medication and the possible combinations that can occur in a dog can be deadly

Mouse & Rat Baits

• Bait can cause bleeding or seizures, place bait in an unavailable area
• Plastic casings are seen as a challenge to get to the treat inside

Ant/Roach Poison

• These baits are not poisonous to dogs
• The true danger comes from the plastic casings, which, if eaten, can harm a dog's insides

Foods

• Caffeine - can be found in chocolate, coffee, coffee grounds, soda, etc. - can cause an irregular heartbeat and affects the nervous system
• Onions & Garlic affect the blood
• Rising dough - fermentation creates alcohol and the rising of the dough can cause bloat.
• Macadamia Nuts cause weakness
• Moldy foods, especially dairy can cause tremors
• Bones - they may look like fun, but some, like chicken bones, can splinter easily

Potpourri

• Contains irritating substances
• Can cause mouth sores

Mothballs

• Can affect the nervous system and/or the lungs

Pennies

• Most newer pennies (after 1983) have a zinc core that is dangerous to pets
• When swallowed, the outer core dissolves leaving the zinc core to poison the pet damaging blood cells and leading to kidney failure