Materials available for National Poison Prevention Week

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Toto has eaten the last of the holiday chocolate and looks peaked. Dearest cat, Mittens, is vomiting after making a meal of Aunt Rose's tiger lily. At one point or another, many veterinarians have gotten frantic calls such as these.

To raise awareness of the importance of poison safety for pets, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is sponsoring the "Make your Pet's Home Poison Safe" campaign during National Poison Prevention Week, March 17-23.

The media campaign will educate pet owners about poison dangers around the house, how to avoid them, and how to react in an emergency.

Veterinarians can download a variety of educational materials to distribute to clients by visiting www.aspca.org/apcc. Among the sites' materials are pet safety tips, a media-ready press release, and a virtual tour of household hazards. In addition, veterinarians can receive batches of 25 flyers, free of charge, by calling the APCC at (888) 4-ANI-HELP or by e-mailing jaratnapcc [dot] aspca [dot] org (jar[at]napcc[dot]aspca[dot]org).


Tips for leading a  
"Make Your
Pet's Home
  Poison Safe"  
campaign in your
community


  • Attend "Managing Toxicoses," a free online course for veterinary staff offered through VSPN.org. Afterwards, hold a seminar with your staff to share the information.

  • Speak to local pet clubs or school groups about ways to make their pets' home poison safe. Teach pet owners how to be prepared for poison emergencies, such as how to make a pet safety kit.

  • Update your clinic's Web site with poison safety information.

  • Include poison safety tips in your client newsletter or as an informational message on receipts.

  • Make sure your clinic has or has access to drugs commonly used in toxicology.

  • Send out a public service announcement to your local media.

  • Make a list of dangerous items that you can discuss with reporters.

  • Add poison safety information to your on-hold message. These can be seasonal and changed as needed.

  • Announce National Poison Prevention Week, March 17-23.

Courtesy of ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center