Fuzzy green caterpillars. You read that right. Those cute, little caterpillars are not as innocent as they seem. Their adorable fuzziness actually hides some poison-secreting spines that can cause pain, itchiness and swelling, which can be especially dramatic when the spines end up in a curious pet’s mouth.
Toads (cane toads and Colorado River toads). You definitely don’t want to kiss these toads! Even a slight mouthing of these toads causes a poison to discharge from the glands behind their eyes, which can lead to severe drooling, followed by irregular heart rate, tremors, seizures and even death.
Pennies minted after 1982. Lucky penny? Not so much. Since 1982, pennies are minted with a zinc core, which readily dissolves and gets absorbed in the stomach. All that zinc in the bloodstream then goes on to destroy red blood cells and damage the liver, kidneys and heart.
Buckeye. Ohio State Buckeyes fans may be dismayed to find out that the leaves, seeds and growing sprouts of the buckeye (also known as the horse chestnut) tree are toxic. Low doses cause severe vomiting and diarrhea, but high doses can lead to incoordination, muscle twitching and seizures. But don’t worry, the yummy, roasted chestnuts you eat around the holidays come from a totally different tree.
Lawn mushrooms. Although the vast majority of mushrooms growing in your backyard or local park are safe, a small percentage are highly toxic, and it takes a mycologist (mushroom expert) to tell the difference. So a good rule of thumb is to treat all mushroom ingestions as if they were deadly.
How did we do? Did we manage to surprise you?
Since the most unexpected things can be toxic, check in with your veterinarian any time your pet ingests something unusual. Get answers with unlimited 24/7 Live Chat through the myVCA app, where our licensed veterinary professionals are standing by to answer all questions related to your pet’s health and wellness.
