Here is some information to help keep your pets safe from hazardous plants and substances.

The National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) is a non-profit, cost-recovery program at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois. The NAPCC hosts a wide range of information about all types of poisons that pets could be exposed to, from plants, to pesticides, to drugs and medications, to metals and cleaning products. It is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by veterinary toxicologists.

Because the NAPCC does not receive state or federal funding, they rely on charges to their clients to pay for the center’s services, which differs between the two phone numbers depending on the complexity of the case.

Before you call the NAPCC, be prepared with:

• Your name, address and phone number
• The substance(s) the pet has been exposed to (if known)
• Information concerning the exposure (amount of substance ingested or exposed to, amount of time since exposure, if medication dosage ingested, etc.)
• Pet’s information including species, breed, age, sex, weight and number of pets involved
• The problem(s) your pets are experiencing

Telephone numbers:

1-800-548-2423 ($50 per case, credit card required over phone, free follow-up calls until the problem is resolved)

1-900-680-0000 ($20 for 5 minutes, $2.95 per minute thereafter, billed to phone)

With the help of the NAPCC, you can be prepared for any poison emergency!

Here is a list of poisonous plants. Be sure to keep these plants away you’re your home and pets! Proper identification is essential to treating your pet; check pictures of the plant and ask your local floral shop and plant nursery personnel for help! Beware: insecticides and fertilizers can mask or alter the effects that hazardous plants have on your pet.

Here is a list of non-poisonous plants. Be careful, however, because plants are often sprayed with insecticides and treated with fertilizers, which can be harmful to pets. Non-poisonous plants may also cause physical irritation to the stomach and intestines and mild stomach upset. To throw their owners for another loop, sometimes small animals ingest plant material when they are already developing an illness. The signs of illness might not be caused by the plant ingestion, but by a prior illness.

You can follow these simple steps to make sure that your home is poison-proofed. It doesn’t take long but can help keep your pets safe for years to come!

Sometimes even after all of that preparing, our animals still get sick from being exposed to hazardous plants and materials! What do you do now?

When using cleaners and insecticides, be sure to read the label for instructions and warnings about pet exposure.

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