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Sadly, thousands of families per year do face this widespread problem. Even when people take what they think are the utmost precautions to protect their pets, accidents can happen. For instance, with household cleaners, paint thinners, pool chemicals, and even automotive chemicals, we may think the area in question is clean when we are finished, but many of these substances can, in fact, leave odorless, invisible residue behind.
Even food can cause problems for our pets. Chocolate, in particular, is dangerous to pets, but did you know that even foods as innocuous to us as avocado, onions, salt, and milk can harm your pets, too? A lot of people like to give their animals table scraps, but this is actually not recommended, unless you limit it to foods you know are safe for your pets. Even pet foods can become dangerous when key nutrients are missing or when batches are tainted.
Watch what your pet chews on, licks, or plays with at all times. When I see my cats playing with something I don't recognize, I take great pains to find out what it is and take it away from them. (I have one cat who likes to tear the cheap coating off of my vinyl flooring and play with and chew on that! She's a crazy one!)
Signs that your pet may have been poisoned are vomiting, drooling, abnormal or agitated behavior, tremors or seizures, lesions or discoloration inside the mouth, or strong odors coming from the animal. If you suspect your pet has been poisoned, you can call an animal poison control center. (There are several to choose from.)
For further information:
http://www.p-e-t-s.info/blog/things-to-know-about-pet-poisoning/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_pet_food_recalls
http://www.ehow.com/how_2295125_recognize-pet-poisoning-symptoms.html
http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/AboutUs/FAQ/
