It may be a new year, but the challenges of COVID-19 have continued on into 2021. We are all working together to prevent the spread by wearing masks, social distancing, and cleaning constantly. These measures will help keep us safe, but they may be putting our pets at risk. Many household cleaning products can be poisonous to our furry friends. Check out this guide, courtesy of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), to know which household items can be harmful your pets.

Bleach: Bleach can be toxic to your pets if not properly diluted before use. For more information regarding proper bleach/water dilution, please visit the CDC’s website. Be sure to give items a thorough rinse and time to air out before making them accessible to your animals.

Carpet Fresheners and Shampoo: Carpet deodorizing products should not cause significant harm to furry friends. Ingestion of such products may cause mild upset stomach or minor respiratory irritation such as sneezing, coughing, or runny nose. To prevent this, always allow the carpet to dry before allowing pets back into the area.

Fabric Softener Sheets: Fabric softeners contain cationic detergents, which can cause significant drooling, vomiting, oral and esophageal ulcers, and fever if ingested. Do not let your pets chew on new or unused dryer sheets. Contact your local vet if you suspect your furry friend has consumed any amount of these.

Toilet Cleaning Tablets: Minor stomach problems can occur in the event your furry friend drinks from a toilet bowl with cleaning tablets in it. Bacterial-related gastrointestinal problems could occur from drinking stagnant toilet water, so it is best to discourage this habit all together.

Essential Oils: Cats can experience gastrointestinal upset, central nervous system depression, and even liver damage if they ingest a large amount of essential oils. Due to the varying levels of toxicity among oils, the APCC does not recommend using essential oils in areas where your pets have unsupervised access.

For more information on the toxicity of common household products to pets, please visit the ASPCA Pro website or call the APCC at 888-426-4435.