18 Days till Christmas

Anyone else freaking out about how fast Christmas is coming?
This countdown thing is starting to get to me.

This can happen at any time of year..but with holiday gatherings and consumption of beverages of the fun kind..
There tends to be a lot more smoking.
Ashtrays
Cigarettes
Cigars
Cigarillos
Chews
Nicotine Gums
Nicotine Patches 

Dogs are more likely to eat the product - Puppies are very curious creatures - much like toddlers, they explore with their mouths.
Oh look whats that? Tastes funny
Oh that's shiny! doesn't taste shiny
Where did that come from? Tastes like cat food.. oh wait.. it is cat food.

There is not a huge debate that goes on in a Puppies head that takes into account the possible dangers of what they are about to chomp down on .

These silly little adorable creatures are at risk of getting into everything on that list.
More than once.
They could make a habit out if stealing these things.. if they are lucky enough to not get sick.

Cats are a bit more on the picky side when it comes to their thieving ways. Butts are perfect for pawing around the floor. They may carry them in there mouths and chew on them.

Cigarillos and some Chews are flavoured - this makes them even greater targets.


The toxic dose for nicotine in pets is 1/2 -1mg per pound of pet body weight. - On the safe side go with the lowest amount as being toxic.

For instance my Dog is around 14 pounds - so between 7 and 14mg can be toxic to her.

The lethal dose is 4mg per pound of pet body weight.
Using my Dog as an example again that would be 14 x 4 = 56mg could kill her.

 A cigarette contains 9-30 mg of nicotine- while a cigarette butt contains about 25% of the nicotine of the original cigarette
For my Dog that would mean as little as 2 cigarettes could kill her.

Cigars can contain up to 40 mg. 
Would take just a bit more than 1 for my Dog to have ingested a possibly fatal dose.
Chewing tobacco carries 6-8 mg per gram
Nicotine Gum is 2-4 mg per piece 
Both are looking rather low  - but consider the amounts available - a package of gum and a tin of chew.

Patches 8.3-114 mg. 
These seem to be the worst of the worst.
I do not know how much nicotine is left in a used patch - but regardless - make sure you discard it in a manner that will not make it attainable by your pet.
If this is a high does patch - your pet could be in serious danger.
Don't screw around with what you think the possibilities might be.
Better be on the safe side and consider it toxic and get to a vet.

Smoking a cigarette yields only 0.5-2 mg of nicotine but eating one is obviously different.

Something that may actually save your pets life - if you happen to not be aware of their ingestion - Nicotine ingested into the body stimulates the part of the brain that induces vomiting.
This is not a solution to the problem.
Call your vet.

SYMPTOMS OF NICOTINE POISONING

Signs begin as quickly as one hour post-ingestion. Symptoms include:

• Tremors
   
• Constricted pupils
   
• Drooling
   
• Auditory and Visual Hallucinations
   
• Excitement
   
• Vomiting and Diarrhea
   
• Twitching possibly progressing to Seizures
   
• Racing heart rate but slow heart rate with small doses
   
• High blood pressure but at higher doses there is a circulatory collapse

This is not just a pet list - this is also what could happen to humans.

This is serious - so keep anything nicotine related away from your pets - and small children. Do I have to mention the children thing? 
I am hoping you already know that....