Animal family members are likely to get into a lot of things, both inside and outside of the home. A curious puppy or kitten may gobble up a dropped pill or even get into and ingest toxic under the sink cleaning supplies. From foods and plants that are dangerous for pets to eat to human medications and toxic chemicals, there are a number of poisonous things that can be ingested requiring you to take immediate emergency action.

One of your options includes calling a poison control hotline that is able to assist you over the phone with questions and concerns, but do take obviously poisoned pets directly to an emergency veterinarian. 180,000 calls were answered by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in 2013 about suspected pet poisonings. Nearly 25,000 of cases involved exposure to one of the top pet toxins — human prescription medications.

Read these two One Green Planet articles, How to Spot If Your Pet Has Been Poisoned and 5 Common Human Medications That are Dangerous to Pets to better understand some of the signs and symptoms of pet poisoning, and save these hotline numbers to call if you ever suspect farm-living animal or animal companion poisoning.

1. ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center 

About: Contact the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center for any animal poison-related emergency. If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call the ASPCA immediately. There is a $65.00 consultation fee, but no charge when the call involves a product covered by the Animal Product Safety Service.

• Animal Poison Control FAQ: www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/animal-poison-control-faq

• More Animal Poison Resources: www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control

Pets they can help with: All pets and animals

Phone: 1-888-426-4435 ($65.00 consultation fee) then call 1-888-299-2973 for no additional charge follow-up calls)

Hotline hours: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

2. Animal Poison Hotline

About: The Animal Poison Hotline is a joint service provided by North Shore Animal League America (NSAL) and PROSAR International Animal Poison Center (IAPC).

Pets they can help with: varies

Phone: 1-888-232-8870 ($35.00 per incident)

Hotline hours: 24-hours a day, 7 days a week

3. Pet Poison Helpline

About: The Pet Poison Helpline is a 24-hour animal poison control service available throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean for pet parents and veterinary professionals who require assistance with treating a potentially poisoned pet. Hotline staff are available to help with every poisoned pet, with all types of poisonings, 24-hours a day. The Pet Poison Helpline states, “Our knowledge and expertise of pet poisons will put your mind at ease when dealing with a potential emergency.”

Pets they can help with: All pets

Phone: 1-800-213-6680 ($39.00 per incident includes initial consultation and follow-up calls)

Hotline hours: 24-hours a day, 7 days a week

4. National Animal Poison Control Center at the University of Illinois

About: The National Animal Poison Control Center at the University of Illinois (NAPCC) is located at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a non-profit service provided by the university. As the first animal-oriented poison control center founded in the United States, the NAPCC provides advice to animal guardians since 1978 and seeks opinions from veterinarians about poisoning exposures.

Hotline phones are answered by licensed veterinarians and board-certified veterinary toxicologists. The NAPCC staff have a wide range of information specific to animal poisoning involving pesticides, drugs and medications, plants, food, metals, and others.

Pets they can help with: All animals

Phone: 1-800-548-2423 ($30.00 per case) or 1-900-680-0000 ($20.00 for the first 5 minutes, $2.95 per minute thereafter)

Hotline hours: n/a

Green Monsters: Do you know of an animal poison control hotline or run one? Share it with us by submitting it to our Animal Rescue Hotline directory!

Image source: AllieKF/Flickr