Snow, Salt and Safe Paw!

Although winter 2007 started out relatively warm and "snowless," Jack Frost seems to have made his appearance. The snow is falling and the temperature is dropping, a combination that is not only dangerous for those of us on the road, but for our pets too!
We shovel our walks and we brush off our cars, but to get rid of the ice, most people use ice salts. Keep in mind that even though you may not use salt at your house, your village or town most likely does use ice salt on their roads and walks. While these products make the walk safer for us, they can be hazardous to our pets. We wear shoes out, but most cats and dogs do not, so their feet come into direct contact with these melting agents. Their pads may seem thick and tough, but the salt can actually be quite irritating. Aside from the coarse texture, ice salts are formulated to heat up (this is how they melt your ice) but if imbedded in a paw, this heating can cause burning. The irritation alone can be problematic, but many pets tend to react to irritation with licking. When they lick their feet, they ingest the toxic salts. Depending on how much they consumed, symptoms may range from drooling and diarrhea, to lethargy, vomiting, seizures or death.

Melting agents like salt can also pose a threat to pets enjoying the snowy yard. Many melting agents sit on top of ice and snow (which is how they become imbedded in your pets feet) and may be ingested directly by pets scooping up mouthfuls of snow or curiously tasting the ice.

If your pet has ingested any melting agents (salts or other chemicals) be sure to contact your veterinarian immediately.

Lucky for pet owners, the wonderful world of inventors out there have come up with a variety of de-icers that are safe for use around pets. One of the most popular is called Safe Paw. Safe Paw is a 100% salt free ice melting product. It is safe to use on all surfaces and better yet, safe for children and pets! Safe Paw also claims to be safe for the environment.

So as the snow falls this winter and ice makes it's way under your boots, be sure to use a pet-safe de-icer and wipe your pets feet after every walk to help keep him/her safe through the winter.

Holiday Pet Pictures

Rocky
"Haaaaapy Hooolidays!"

Moe
"Oooooo … for me?!?!?"

Barnabus
"Tsk, tsk. That eggnog is for Santa!"

Case of the Month - Killer Gum: Xylitol and Pet Toxicities
By: Dr. Jenny Sing

"Mel," a 4 year old neutered boxer presented to our hospital with lethargy and vomiting. The owner said he had been perfectly fine earlier in the afternoon but quickly deteriorated. When questioning the owner, she revealed that 'Mel' had gotten into her purse several hours ago and eaten a pack of gum.

Bloodwork revealed Mel's glucose was only 42. He was admitted to the hospital and treated with IV fluids with dextrose, frequent glucose checks and constant supervision. He stayed in hospital for 2 days and was released when he was able to maintain his glucose levels on his own.

Most pet owners are aware of the dangers of common household items such as chemicals, cleaners, pesticides, rodenticides, plants and human medications, but many food substances are also potentially harmful to pets. One of the newer hazards is xylitol.

Xylitol is a synthetic sweetener commonly found in many sugar-free gums such as Orbit. It is also found in mints, chewable vitamins and baked dietary goods such as muffins, cookies, etc. In dogs the chemical is very rapidly absorbed and causes massive insulin release by the pancreas which in turn causes the body's blood sugar to drop (hypoglycemia) dangerously. Initial symptoms may include vomiting, weakness, lethargy, ataxia, collapse, or seizures. Symptoms are usually seen within 30 minutes to 12 hours after ingestion. Xylitol may also cause acute liver failure. This can occur with or without hypoglycemia and is generally seen 12-24 hours after xylitol ingestion. In dogs with acute liver failure we typically observe a worsening of their condition with lethargy, and vomiting. They can then develop clotting problems and bleeding disorders.

The prognosis for uncomplicated hypoglycemia is good with prompt veterinary treatment. Mild increases in liver enzyme activities usually resolve within a few days with supportive care. However, if there is severe elevation of liver enzyme activities, the prognosis is guarded to poor. Most dogs that develop acute liver failure do not survive.

If your pet is known to have eaten any of these products it is important to seek veterinary help immediately. If the ingestion was recent, vomiting will be induced to get whatever may be left in the stomach. Treatment usually includes hospitalization, IV fluids, blood glucose monitoring for a minimum of 12 hours, as well as baseline liver tests.

Other toxicities that are commonly seen are raisins and grapes, chocolate, onions and onion powder, garlic, yeast dough, macadamia nuts, cocoa mulch, ice-melting products, and mothballs.

If you think your pet ate anything that may be harmful, especially human prescription and over the counter drugs, please call the Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435.