Pet Poison Helpline unveils state-specific top 20 toxins list

This month marks Pet Poison Prevention Month, so in light of the occasion, toxicology experts at Pet Poison Helpline analyzed 5 years of proprietary call data and released the next version of Toxin Trends. This online resource helps consumers and veterinary professionals research harmful and potentially deadly toxins in their area.

Photo courtesy of Pet Poison Helpline.

"Last year we released our first Toxin Trends dashboard, which analyzed the most-reported dangerous plants in each market," shared Renee Schmid, DVM, DABVT, a senior veterinary toxicologist at Pet Poison Helpline, in an organizational release.¹

"Our new Toxin Trends tool identifies the top 20 potentially dangerous toxins to pets based on our last 5 years of call data and identifies where in the United States and Canada pets are most at risk for that particular exposure. These toxins include medications, foods, plants, chemicals, and other potentially harmful items." What’s more, the tool outlines the clinical signs documented for each toxin.

The top reported toxin in each state and province for dogs—was predictable—was chocolate. Following chocolate, though, there were several regional differences. In some states such as Texas and North Dakota, the artificial sweetener Xylitol is the second-most common toxin call for dogs. For birds in California, the wood-preservative copper naphthenate was the most common call throughout the last 5 years, followed by avocados. In many states, including Texas, lily poisoning was the most common call for cats.¹

Schmid shared that other information they gleaned from the Toxin Trends call data was that Canadian households have more cats than dogs. “Nearly 20% of our calls from Quebec over the last 5 years, for example, involve cats. That is higher than any U.S. state."

"We wanted to share our proprietary data to help educate pet lovers and veterinary professionals about which poisons are most prevalent in their area," added Schmid. "Toxin Trends is free and easy to use, and we hope people find it valuable. Information is power, and we want to empower pet owners to be aware of what toxins are a potential threat to their pets in their area. It can also be useful if you plan to travel with your pets to a location that may expose them to toxins they are not normally exposed to at home."

Pet Poison Helpline plans to release further versions of the Toxin Trends dashboard as they gain new insights based on their calls. The aim of sharing this exclusive information is to save pets' lives and promote a safer world for animals.

Reference

Pet Toxicology experts release state-specific top 20 toxins list. News release. Pet Poison Helpline. March 1, 2023. Accessed March 1, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pet-toxicology-experts-release-state-specific-top-20-toxins-list-301759681.html