PUT A LID ON IT, PET OWNERS--YOUR BATHROOM COULD BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR ANIMAL COMPANION'S HEALTH
When a dog's thirsty, he'll drink from whatever source he can find--including that large porcelain bowl in your bathroom. According to veterinarians at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), "eau de toilette" can irritate a pet's gastrointestinal tract--particularly if you use drop-in cleaning tablets in the tank, which contain corrosive agents that can cause mild vomiting and nausea.

The APCC's Dr. Jill A. Richardson handled the case of a thirsty golden retriever who returned from a long walk with his owner and, after emptying his regular bowl, went on to the next available water source--the toilet. The owner had placed a cleaning tablet in the tank earlier in the week, and her husband had forgotten to close the lid. When she heard her dog lapping up some of the blue water, she immediately contacted the APCC. "Once we received the dog's health history and product information, we were able to assess the case," says Richardson. "If the tablet itself had been chewed on, it could have caused chemical burns, but fortunately, when these products are put into the tank and diluted, they become more of an irritant. In this case, the dog was completely normal, so we recommended a very small amount of milk and water to dilute the effects still further."

The easiest way to prevent this from happening to your dog or cat (yes, there have been cases involving felines) is to simply keep the lid down on all the toilets in the house. As a common-sense caution, adds Richardson, "We always tell pet owners to never allow their pets access to areas in which cleaning agents are being used or stored." If you suspect that your animal companion has drunk from a toilet in which a tank drop-in has been placed--or gotten into any other potentially toxic substance--call your veterinarian or the APCC's emergency hotline at 1-888-4-ANI-HELP for round-the-clock telephone assistance. For more information on poison prevention, visit APCC online.

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