BOZEMAN -- Pets are more likely to be accidentally poisoned during July and August than any other months, because those are prime times for placing flea and tick products on pets, poisoning rodents and spraying chemicals, says a pesticide education specialist at Montana State University.
"People are using flea and tick products now," said MSU Extension specialist Cecil Tharp. "People are applying herbicides in gardens and on lawns, acreages and farms right now. Winter wheat will be planted in August-September. Often times, foliar insecticides are being used to control invading grasshopper populations."
Urging Montanans to read product labels, Tharp said the top three causes of accidental pet poisonings in the United States are, in this order, flea and tick products, rodent poisons and herbicides, according to historical surveys from the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
Pets can become sick and even die if the owner uses a flea and tick product that's made for another species, Tharp said. Some products work on both cats and dogs. Some specify one or the other.
"Read the product label," Tharp said. "If it says it's for dogs, it's for dogs. If it says it's for dogs and cats, you can use it for dogs and cats."
Permethrin is an active ingredient in many flea and tick products, but dogs have a much higher tolerance for it than cats do, Tharp added. In those cases, putting a dog product on a cat could be deadly.
Pets can also be endangered by poisons placed around farms, ranches, acreages or city lots to kill mice, gophers, prairie dogs, and other rodents, Tharp said. Two such poisons are strychnine and zinc phosphides.
Dr. Shannon King, a Bozeman veterinarian who sees an increase in strychnine-based poisoning this time of year, said strychnine causes muscle convulsions which lead to overheating. She has seen pets develop temperatures as high as 107 degrees.
"They basically cook," she said.
Pets generally respond well if they're treated quickly, she said. Typical treatment for strychnine poisoning-- best administered by a veterinarian -- involves activated charcoal and an ice bath.
King added that, "People need to be aware that their pets are just like children. If they're not supposed to get into it, they will. Everything is a potential toxin."
When it comes to pesticides, Tharp said pet owners and producers should pay attention to "Restricted Entry Level" and grazing-interval information on the product label. REI is the amount of time a person or animal must stay out of a field or yard after a chemical is applied. Grazing intervals are the amount of time that must pass before an animal can graze a pasture that has been sprayed.
"You can re-enter if you wear personal protective equipment," Tharp said. "That's on the product label, too. But your dogs and horses can't wear the personal protective equipment."
People need to think about the loyal dog that follows them as they drive back and forth across a field while spraying pesticides, Tharp said. Producers need to protect their livestock, as well.
Dogs and cats, along with their toys and dishes, should be moved inside during spraying, Tharp said. Horses, cattle and other grazing animals should be moved to a barn, holding pen or another pasture. They should re-enter the area only after the re-entry interval has passed.
Signs that a pet has been poisoned may range from mild to severe, depending on the product, Tharp said. If a pet doesn't move or eat much for a few days, it may have a mild case of poisoning. If it's drooling more than normal, it may have a more severe case of poisoning. In the most serious cases, it may have muscle tremors, lose coordination, develop a coma and die.
Tharp suggested that pet owners who suspect poisoning call the national Animal Poison Control Center at 1-800-548-2423 or the Rocky Mountain Poison Control Center at 1-800-525-5042. They should be prepared to give the animal's breed, age and symptoms. If possible, they should find out when the poisoning occurred, the name of the product and its active ingredient.
For more information about pets and pesticides, read the Montguide on "Chemicals and Animal Safety" at http://www.pesticides.montana.edu/Reference/index.html and visit www.pesticides.montana.edu
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This is a dangerous time of year for Leo the St. Bernard and other pets that might be exposed to poisons and pesticides. (Photo by Cecil Tharp).
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