March is Pet Poison Prevention Month: Things You Should Know

If you’ve got a dog, cat, rabbit, snake, or any type of pet, you should know that March is Pet Poison Prevention Month. It’s simply a time to raise awareness about all of the hazards around us that can threaten your pets' health. Many of them you may not think of.

Every day, pet owners race to veterinary offices because of accidental poisoning. It’s an extremely common emergency at vet clinics, and most of the time, it can be prevented by getting a little education and taking some simple precautionary measures.

With all the careful steps we take for our human babies, we shouldn’t forget to take similar precautions with our fur babies.

Many products that can be harmful or toxic to our kitty or puppy include human medications, foods such as chocolate and grapes, cleaning products, plants, and many other household items.

A good friend of mine had a very scary potential pet poison experience with her cute little Pomeranian, Chevy, and a bowl of grapes. She had just cleaned a bunch of grapes and placed them on their kitchen table. She left the room and returned about an hour later to find that Chevy had knocked the bowl over and eaten most of them.

She knew grapes could be deadly for dogs and immediately called her Veterinarian in a panic. After a quick visit, it was determined that Chevy could have had kidney failure but was fine. However, many stories just like hers don’t end as happily.

If you take on the responsibility of another living creature, you should take the time to learn how to recognize the symptoms of poisoning and make sure you take the preventive steps necessary to help protect your pet.

If you stay informed, learn to recognize behavior symptoms, and act quickly in an emergency, you may save your pet’s life and avoid a deadly situation.

Aspca.org shares the list of foods and items that can harm your pet. In addition to the previously mentioned foods, they also include avocados, coffee, onions, nuts, salt, and citrus fruits.

If you ever have a pet poison emergency, you can call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.

We all know those people who have accounts for their babies or pets. Did you know even Hollywood A-listers take part in that, too? It doesn't matter if you're famous or not -- if someone feels as though they've got some cuteness overload to share, there will be a page dedicated to that.

We must admit, it is kind of charming for grown adults to run pages of cute content from the perspective of their furry friends. Some celebrities' pets have verified Instagram accounts because they have enough followers, while others are still steadily climbing in popularity to gain enough followers to get that coveted blue check-mark.

For example, Paris Hilton has an entire Instagram dedicated to all of her “fur kids,” called Hilton Pets (@hiltonpets). The heiress has more than just dogs, which most people don't know. On her official website, the Simple Life alum has a page dedicated to all the pets she currently has and once had. This includes miniature pigs, ponies, ferrets, monkeys, cats, and bunnies -- oh my! Paris even has a verified TikTok account with the funniest and cutest videos featuring her adorable pets.

Studies have shown that the bond between people and their pets is linked to several health benefits, according to the CDC. Pets can increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship. When cats purr, they emit a range of 20-140 Hz, which is known to be medically therapeutic for illnesses and lower stress. Most households in the United States have at least one pet.

Keep scrolling to see which celebrities have verified Instagram accounts for their adorable pets.

Paris said goodbye to her furry companion, Harajuku Bitch after 23 years in May 2023. In 2015, the heiress said goodbye to her chihuahua Tinkerbell at 14 years old. She was widely recognized accompanying her on the Simple Life. In July of 2023, the socialite added a teacup chihuahua named Prince Tokyo Gizmo Hilton.

The "Mutt Ball 2019 Champion" was featured in two of Katy's music videos for "Swish Swish" and "Small Talk," becoming her "mascot." Katy added the micro teacup poodle to her furry family in 2016, naming her Nugget, or on Instagram, Miss Nugget Perry. The "TGIF" singer already has a dog named Butters, whom she added to her pet family in 2014. The artist previously owned two cats, one named Kitty Purry, who made a cameo in the "I Kissed a Girl." She passed away in 2020 after 15 years. Perry also owned a cat named Monkey in 2010.

The Vampire Diaries alum adopted a rescue Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix named Mrs.Maverick in 2017. According to her Instagram bio, Nina adds that her name is "Maverick Do(g)brev." With 419,000 followers, Nina hilariously captions the posts as if her dog is writing them. In this July 17 post, Maverick writes: "has she heard of personal space? @nina"

The Star Wars actor has a page dedicated to his 10-year-old rescue, Millie. According to the dog's Instagram bio, she loves food, her humans, naps, and treats. With over 27,000 followers, Mark's other rescues Mabel and Trixie often make cameos on Millie's page. Like the other "pet-run" Instagrams, Millie's captions are from her point of view.

Leave it to the celebrity chef to name his pet after a food. However, Bobby's orange Maine Coon, Nacho Flay, is a perfect name for the fluffy cat. With over 270,000 Instagram followers, Nacho even has chef-crafted cat food called Made by Nacho. Bobby has another Maine Coon named Stella. According to Flay, he became a cat person because he was an only child. He considered his family's cats his "siblings" and said on TikTok that he couldn't imagine life without his cats.

Though the Star Wars alum passed away in 2016, the Instagram page of her famous and beloved French bulldog, Gary Fisher, lives on. Most posts are dedicated to his dog mom, Carrie, with heartfelt messages from the 11-year-old dog. Carrie adopted the dog from her daughter, Billie Lourd, to help manage her bipolar disorder. Since Carrie's passing, her former assistant Corby McCoin took him in.

The television talk show host adopted this adorable beagle-foxhound mix from a kill shelter in West Virginia. However, in May 2020, Cohen announced that he would be sending his rescue dog of nearly seven years to another home due to "random signs of aggression" that he had tried to address. Wacha was re-homed permanently with his "second family" that would watch him when Cohen was out of town.

Justin and his wife Hailey adopted a Maltese Yorkie named Oscar in 2018, a few months after they got married. On Instagram, they gave him a too-adorable Instagram nickname: "Oskie the Poskie." In November 2022, the couple announced they adopted a dog named Piggy Lou as Oscar's baby sister. The "Baby" singer owned several exotic pets, too. He had two Savannah cats named Sushi and Tuna and a capuchin monkey named OG Mally.

Wahlberg has four dogs: a Pomsky (Pomeranian-Husky mix) named Jojo, a "stinky" Boston Terrier named Lola, newest-addition Pomsky puppy named Penny, and a Pomeranian named Champ. Champ is the only verified pooch, with over 85,000 Instagram followers. Wahlberg surprised his wife and kids with Champ in 2019, recalling that his wife was mad he didn't consult her with choosing the dog. She even said "I hate those little furry dogs," when she found out his breed, but quickly had a change of heart once she met Champ.