KNOW YOUR RISKS Too many pet owners stress about the wrong things

KNOW YOUR RISKSToo many pet owners stress about the wrong thingsBy Dr. Marty Becker and Gina SpadaforiUniversal Uclick
When it comes to food, household cleaners and plants, veterinary experts say that pet lovers spend too much time worrying about products that aren’t much of a problem and generally don’t know about the things that truly are. How can you know what’s safe and what’s not? “Check multiple sources for confirmation,” says veterinarian Dr. Steven Hansen, head of the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center, noting that the APCC’s website (ASPCA.org/APCC) is a great resource, as is the urban myth website Snopes.com. “Question it all, and if you have any question at all, ask your own veterinarian.”  Here are Dr. Hansen’s biggest concerns — and most overblown worries — based on the 150,000 calls a year into the APCC:
CHOCOLATE: RELATIVELY SAFE. Many dogs love chocolate, and although you shouldn’t be offering it as a treat, you don’t need to panic if your Labrador eats a bar of milk chocolate — the worst she’ll likely get is a bellyache. But do be careful with darker chocolates and smaller dogs: A tiny Maltese eating a a few ounces of dark chocolate will need a trip to the emergency clinic.
XYLITOL SUGAR SUBSTITUTE: UNSAFE. Read the label of your favorite sugar-free gum, candy or even cough drop, and you’ll likely find this newly common ingredient on the label. But unlike chocolate, Xylitol means an immediate trip to the veterinarians’, day or night, if a pet eats any.
COMMERCIAL CHEWS: RELATIVELY SAFE. Commercial chews made to be ingested and most pet toys are usually fine. Hansen says to buy appropriate sizes and use as recommended: Watch for wear and replace as necessary.
SOCKS, UNDERWEAR AND NYLONS: UNSAFE. Keep laundry picked up and in hampers, and always watch what your dog has in her mouth — especially during the chew-everything stages of growing up. And don’t give soft dog toys to puppies who eat everything.
MEDICATION: UNSAFE. Medication, both human and pet, prescription and over-the-counter, can also seem like a toy to many pets. “It seems counterintuitive to anyone who has tried to give pills to a dog that they’d eat medication,” says Hansen. “But once pills are rattling around in the bottle, it’s a toy, and it’s fair game.”
SOAP-BASED CLEANERS: RELATIVELY SAFE. Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, soap-based cleaners such as those found in some Swiffer products present no risk to pets. Nor is that “blue water” toilet cleaner a problem, although Hansen recommends keeping the lid down anyway.
DISINFECTANTS: UNSAFE. Hansen warns that stronger cleaning products are dangerous. Don’t store any household cleaning products under the sink, even with child/pet-proof latches on cabinet doors. Put these products behind closed doors in high cabinets.
RELATIVELY SAFE ‘PEOPLE FOOD’: Some “people food” in moderate amounts, such as carrots, apple slices and even pizza crusts, is generally OK, although not really recommended because it can contribute to behavior problems (begging, counter-cruising) and the health risks caused by obesity.
UNSAFE ‘PEOPLE FOOD’: Other “people food” that’s fine for us should be off-limits to pets. This includes raisins and grapes, macadamia nuts and bread dough. If the latter seems strange, consider that the inside of a dog is perfect for getting yeast to increase, and that means a little dough soon becomes a big medical problem that may need to be addressed surgically.
SILICA GEL AND ROACH MOTELS: RELATIVELY SAFE. The APCC gets a lot of calls on both, says Hansen. The little gel packets put in boxes to keep products dry are harmless, says Hansen. And as for that roach motel, “Not enough insecticide to be of concern,” he says.
CAT LITTER: UNSAFE. Many dogs like to consume the contents of the cat’s litter box, which may form a blockage that will need surgical intervention. As for cats, playing with yarn or string, or plucking from the garbage pail the cord that held together a roast can mean a trip to the veterinarian and possibly surgery if these items are eaten.