March 18-24, 2012 Is National Poison Prevention Week

HUMMELSTOWN, Pa., March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- March 18-24 is National Poison Prevention Week. Much about poison prevention is aimed at parents with small children, but don't for­get your pets. Household pets are naturally curious and often can't resist smelling or tasting items in the home or yard. Knowing which household and garden items are particularly dangerous to pets can go a long way to ensuring their safety. Here are a few tips:

• Tidy up your living room. Many things commonly associated with your main living space can poison pets like toxic house plants, potpourri or other frangrance products, chewing gum, or smoke cessation gums.
• Keep your kitchen garbage can shut with a tight fitting lid or hidden in the pantry. Many human foods like raisins, chocolate, or alcohol are poisonous to pets. Dogs may also try to dig discarded meat bones or raw meat packaging out of the garbage.
• In the bathroom, keep all medications out of reach. Also, never try to treat your pet with human pain killers as some common human pain killers like acetomenaphin are extremely toxic to pets. In addition, keep all bathroom cleaners locked away. If licked or swallowed, they can cause severe chemical burns.
• In your yard and garden, keep pets away from areas that have been sprayed with herbicides until dry. Also keep dogs away from fertilizers and other pest control agents. Some that contain blood meal or bone meal can be tasty to dogs.

For more information and tips on keeping your pets safe, visit www.petpoisonhelpline.com.

The Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) is the only statewide professional organization of over 2,200 veterinarians from across the Commonwealth. The association, which was established in 1883, strives to advance animal welfare and human health while ensuring the vitality of the veterinary profession. PVMA's website is available at www.pavma.org.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA)