Canine Killer Toxic substance
Each year when winter comes around, we are filled with Christmas spirit as we know that the big day is not too far away. What we do not know is that there is a Christmas ornament that contains a silent canine killer that I would like to bring to your attention.
Pet owners may not be aware that along with the winter season, comes a silent deadly toxic substance that is present in large amounts in a Christmas ornament and can do considerable damage to a pet if ingested. "Snow Globes" are very popular this time of year due to them being decorative and festive, however they are housing a very lethal substance that if ingested by children or pets, will result in death.
Antifreeze is a common automobile solution that has the purpose of ensuring that the inner workings of machines do not freeze under considerably cold conditions. This solution has a pungent sweet smell and taste, thus making it inviting for dogs and cats to drink. Due to it being composed of 95% ethylene glycol, which is a very toxic chemical, the resulting outcome is death. Statistics gathered in 2004, show how toxic this solution actually can be, with 10000 family pets ingesting and dying from the result.
Due to its tempting sweet taste and smell, keeping this solution away from our pets is mandatory! Being incredibly toxic, only a couple of licks, equal to 2 ounces is necessary for the dog to become ill.
How do our pets gain access?
Gaining access to antifreeze is easier than it sounds. Pets left in the garage may find a spot of antifreeze on the garage floor to lick. Other pets with the freedom to roam the neighbourhood may smell and find some leaked antifreeze in the driveway of some one's house. This time of year, a cracked or broken "snow globe" can result in possible disaster if found by a child or pet. As mentioned earlier, due to the inviting smell and taste of the substance, pets will attempt to lick up the spill, thus resulting in toxic poisoning leading to death.
Preventing Access
To prevent your pet or child from gaining access to antifreeze, take away all possible outlets for them to have access to it. This can be done by:
- Keeping your drive way or garage free of leaked antifreeze.
- Ensuring that your pet always has fresh drinking water.
- Ensuring that anything mechanical containing antifreeze is out of reach or off limits to pet or children.
- Never ever leave a bucket of antifreeze unattended!