Toxic Substances to Wild & Domestic Animals

Protect the welfare and well-being of all living things around you by educating yourself about the substances that are toxic to wild and domestic animals. People will often inadvertently poison their pets or local animal life by feeding them substances that they did not know were toxic.

  1. Antifreeze

    • Antifreeze, or engine coolant, is a commonly used chemical in automobiles to prevent extremely cold temperatures from damaging the engine. Antifreeze is essential for car engines, but it is extremely toxic to wild and domestic animals. Pets and wild animals are oftentimes attracted to antifreeze for its sweet taste, but ingestion -- even small amounts -- can be fatal to dogs, cats and small wild animals. Thoroughly clean up antifreeze spills and switch to a propylene glycol-based chemical, which is less toxic to animals.

    Food

    • Certain food that is completely harmless for humans can be toxic to animals. Chocolate, for example, contains methylxanthines which can stimulate an animal's central nervous system and cause increased heart rate and tremors, in dogs and cats especially. Avocado is shown to damage cardiac tissue in animals such as sheep, dogs, fish, birds and rabbits. For dogs, macadamia nuts cause muscle stiffness, tremors, weakness and depression. Only feed animals appropriate pet food to avoid causing any potential harm. Spoiled or rotten food, especially meat and dairy products, are also toxic to animals. Prevent attracting and poising wild animals with your garbage by using secure garbage cans with tightly fitted lids.

    Fertilizer/Lawn Chemicals

    • Fertilizers and other common lawn chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides are toxic to wild and domestic animals. When ingested, these chemicals can cause vomiting, diarrhea and disorientation. Depending on the quantity ingested, lawn chemicals can even be fatal to small animals. Keep pets away from these chemicals and limit their use as much as possible.

    Household Cleaners

    • Common household cleaners such as bleach, disinfectant and room deodorizers are toxic to humans and animals alike. Domestic and wild animals often enjoy tasting liquids in open containers or licking buckets and mops saturated with cleaning products. Even small amounts of household cleaners are toxic and potentially fatal to animals. Keep pets in a secure location when using household cleaners and properly dispose of containers in a secure garbage can to prevent poisoning animals.