this poison control center
is for dogs (and cats)

Did your cat eat one of your house plants? Did the family dog lap up a puddle of antifreeze? Or maybe your pet doesn’t seem to be the same after you applied that flea-control powder.

Whatever the scenario, owners can get help from The Pet Poison Control Center at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The center gives free advice to owners whose animals have been exposed to poisonous substances. The hotline is staffed by veterinarians around the clock.

About 35 phone calls pour into the center each week. Most cases reported involve pets injesting household chemicals (such as cleaners); or owners using too much of a chemical on their pets (such as insecticides).

When treating pets who have ingested a poison, Veterinarian Fred Oehme says it becomes a race against the clock.  “If there is anything we can advise people, it’s not to hesitate calling for information because it is important to realize that it’s the amount of chemical exposure and the length of time it’s been in the body that is crucial,” said Oehme, who formed the poison control center in 1969 and is a professor of toxicology and pathobiology at Kansas State University.  “If you wait three hours before seeking help there will be a lot more chemical absorbed than if you just wait one hour.”  Before phoning the poison control center owners need to determine what product their animal has gotten into and how much of it was ingested. If possible, owners should also have the container handy because the label can provide a vast amount of important information. After contacting the center an estimate of the situation will be given.

In the end, it’s up to you to keep your pets safe by making sure household cleaning products, prescription drugs, and other chemicals are stored securely. The pet poison control center can be reached at: 785-532-5679.

The ASPCA also runs an animal poison control center and gives advice to owners 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Specific recommendations are given by veterinary toxicologists.

To contact the center call:  (800)548-2423 or (888) 426-4435.   There is a $30 charge per case.

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This newsletter is intended to offer general information only and
recognizes that individual issues may differ from these broad
guidelines. Your pets specific issues should be addressed with a
veterinary professional familiar with the details of the problems.
Copyright 2002 © CreativeMinds Publications and Lakeside
Veterinary Clinic.