My friend Steven was telling me the other day about an incident he had with his dog Barnes, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever (and no, he's no relation to my cat Barnes).
Steven was out one evening and had accidentally left a cigar on his back porch where Barnes liked to hang out. When Steven got back from dinner, the cigar was gone and Barnes was acting a little strangely.
Steven called the ASPCA Poison Control Center (1-888-426-4435 with a $55 charge for advice) and found out that even small amounts of nicotine can be dangerous to his dog. So he rushed poor old Barnes up to the emergency room for charcoal in the stomach and an overnight stay (total bill around $600).
The good news is that Barnes was fine after his ordeal but Steven and Barnes's adventure made me think that there are a number of things in the house that you would not necessarily think would be harmful to a pet.
For example, cats and dogs cannot take acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) and just one extra strength tablet can kill a cat as they are particularly susceptible (see Scooter's story).
Another odd fact that I'd never heard about before is toxic pennies. Pennies minted since 1982 are 99% zinc which is toxic to pets in large amounts - here's an article on the topic. So, keep that piggy bank hidden away from penny-munching pets.
You can find more interesting facts about many different poisons here.
Related stories: Keeping your home poison safe; Veterinary medicine library
