Pet-safe pest control focuses on preventing infestations whenever possible. When pesticide use is necessary, target strategic treatment areas and keep pets away until it is safe for them to return.
Raleigh-area pet parents face the dual challenge of keeping their animals safe from pests and pesticides.
North Carolina’s warm, humid climate gives uninvited guests plenty of opportunities to invade homes and yards. Unfortunately, the products that eliminate those pests can sometimes create risks for dogs and cats. Understanding where those risks come from can help you control rodents and insects without unnecessarily exposing your pet to potentially harmful chemicals.
Whether you live in a rural single-family home or a high-rise apartment downtown, infestations can put your health and property at risk.
Raleigh-area families contend with a broad range of indoor and outdoor pests, including:
Not all pest problems require chemical treatment, but when they do, pets need your help to avoid tragic accidents. Pesticides and rodenticides are engineered to kill living organisms — safer use strategies can prevent your dog or cat from becoming one of the more than 100 pets that die from exposure to pest control products each year.
Pest Control Active Ingredients That Pet Parents Should KnowYou don’t need a chemistry degree to protect your pets from potentially harmful ingredients. When choosing a pest control method, review the label and watch for a few common chemicals that are particularly risky for dogs and cats.
These insecticides are often found in household pest-control products and some flea and tick treatments. Pyrethrins are derived from chrysanthemum plants, while pyrethroids are synthetic compounds designed to work similarly. Examples include permethrin, bifenthrin, cypermethrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin.
These products can be used safely in some circumstances, but cats are particularly sensitive to many pyrethroids and can experience muscle tremors, seizures, and other serious neurologic symptoms.
Ingredients in this insecticide family include malathion, dichlorvos, diazinon, and trichlorfon. Organophosphates can affect the nervous system, causing excessive drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in pupil size, muscle tremors, seizures, and respiratory problems.
Some older or specialized pest-control products may contain carbaryl or other carbamates. The toxicity of individual ingredients varies, so the presence of a carbamate does not automatically mean that a product will poison a pet. However, accidental ingestion or significant exposure can cause serious illness.
Rat and mouse poisons commonly contain active ingredients like bromethalin, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), zinc phosphide, as well as anticoagulants such as warfarin, chlorophacinone, and diphacinone. Different rodenticides cause different types of poisoning. Some can result in internal bleeding, while others can cause neurologic problems, kidney injury, or other potentially life-threatening effects.
These poisons are a particular concern because pets may be attracted to the bait, and symptoms of exposure can take time to appear.
Dogs and cats can encounter pest control products in several ways.
Pets who are allowed to walk through a recently treated area of your yard or home may ingest toxins if they chew on grass or lick their fur or paws.
Cats’ innate grooming behaviors make them especially vulnerable. Even pet-safe topical flea and tick treatments can pose a risk if your cat decides to lick the medication from another household pet’s coat.
Improperly stored poisons and baits pose a risk for curious pets and dogs who like to chew. The concern is even greater for rodenticides, which are often mixed with food ingredients to make them more attractive to mice and rats. They have an appealing smell that can encourage pets to sniff them out and consume them if they are reachable.
Finally, dogs and cats can experience secondary poisoning if they consume rodents or insects that have already ingested poison.
Using pest control products strategically and sparingly can help avoid accidental exposure
Sometimes a chemical intervention is absolutely necessary, but it doesn’t have to be your first line of defense.
Before you reach for the spray, look for ways to make your home less attractive to pests. Store food in sealed containers, clean up crumbs and spills promptly, keep trash covered, repair plumbing leaks, and eliminate standing water around your property. Make sure screens are intact and seal cracks and other potential entry points.
Pet food can also contribute to pest problems. Consider picking up food bowls rather than leaving food available around the clock, particularly overnight.
Treat problem areas, not the entire room or yard.
Pay attention to cracks and crevices and avoid using pesticides on surfaces your pet regularly walks across or lounges on. If you choose to use baits or traps, place them in areas of your home that pets can’t access.
If you apply a pesticide inside or outside your home, remove your pets from the treatment area first. Follow the product label for instructions about how long animals should remain away.
For many insecticide applications, the greatest exposure risk occurs while the product is still wet. Some products may require additional precautions, so don’t assume that “dry to the touch” always means “safe.”
Flea and tick prevention is an important part of keeping pets healthy, particularly in North Carolina. Always treat these products like medications and use them only as directed.
Never use a flea or tick product on an animal unless the label specifically says it is appropriate for that species and weight range. Dog flea-and-tick products should never be used on cats. Some ingredients that are well-tolerated by dogs can be highly toxic to cats.
If you have both dogs and cats, keep them separated after applying a topical product when the label calls for it. This prevents one animal from grooming the product off another before it has dried.
If you think your pet has come into significant contact with a pest-control product, ingested poison, or eaten a poisoned mouse or insect, don’t wait for symptoms to appear before seeking advice. Some toxic exposures can cause serious problems before pets start to seem ill.
Remove your pet from the source of exposure and contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for after-hours assistance. If possible, have the product container or label available. You will likely be asked to provide:
Don’t bathe your pet, induce vomiting, or give medication unless you’re directed to do so.
Acting quickly, even if you’re not positive that an exposure occurred, can give your pet a life-saving head start. A veterinary professional can help you determine whether you can safely triage the situation at home or if you should head to the emergency vet.
At Falls Village Veterinary Hospital, a Raleigh, NC veterinarian, dogs, cats & their families deserve the best. In fact, we specialize in delivering warm, compassionate care that reminds our clients and patients how unique and important they truly are. We provide complete veterinary care including dentistry, laser therapy, surgery, and more. Call us today!
