These novelty items are readily available and often chewed/ingested by animals around Halloween and Guy Fawkes’ night. They consist of polyethylene tubing filled with a liquid mixture that gives off a light of various colours. There are normally two components to the mixture, a luminescer (mostly dibutyl phthalate), and an [...]
In a recent case report, authors describe the management of a kitten who developed severe neurological signs, bradycardia, hypothermia and dyspnoea after ingestion of an insecticide containing chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin. The kitten was treated with intramuscular atropine, pralidoxime and rectal diazepam. Recovery was complicated by suspected aspiration, but there were [...]
Throughout Autumn and Winter, animals (mostly dogs) are partial to the ingestion of red berries, whilst on a walk or in the garden. It is often difficult to identify the species of plant, and therefore recognise whether ingestion is a toxicological risk. Here, we will discuss the two red berries [...]
The number of rodenticide enquiries we receive increases as the weather starts to get colder, as rodents attempt to move indoors. The most common type of rodenticides available are anticoagulants, which work by blocking the action of vitamin K, preventing the blood from clotting. Another common active ingredient in rodenticides [...]
Bonfire night is not the only day to be cautious of fireworks, with the whole month seeing an increased prevalence of these mini explosives. Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices that contain many different ingredients; in most cases, the exact composition of ingested fireworks is unknown. Most [...]
The weeks surrounding Halloween are usually one of the busiest periods of the year for our team at the VPIS and APL. The season presents many potential hazards to pets, including the consumption of Halloween chocolates and sweets. The primary toxins in chocolate are theobromine and caffeine. Although the concentration [...]
As a popular addition to the doorstep at Halloween, pumpkins, which belong to the Cucurbitaceae (gourd) family may be eaten by pets. Fruits of these plants can contain extremely bitter-tasting compounds, but they have been bred out of crop varieties. Generally, if the pumpkin is shop-bought it is not bitter tasting. [...]
Xylitol is one of the most common agents we receive calls about, but did you know xylitol is sometimes referred to as Birch Sugar? Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in many fruits, vegetables, and plants — noticeably birch trees. This is why xylitol is sometimes disguised under the [...]
A quick reminder about our APL: In hours (8am-8pm Mon to Fri) - £35 Out of hours (8pm-8am Mon to Fri and all weekend/bank holidays) - £45 Please remember that this is not the same as the VPIS service and we DO NOT give owners detailed treatment advice. We do not think [...]
With the warm wet weather this summer, we have kept our colleague at the Fungus Conservation Trust (FCT) very busy with identification of images and samples. If you have sent images and/or samples of mushrooms which have been identified we would be grateful for follow up of the case. This [...]
