Top 5 Exposures on Super Bowl Sunday

Every February, countless sports fans plant themselves in front of televisions, intent on the year’s biggest football game.

During the time when attention is focused on touchdowns, cheers and snacks, pets can get into all kinds of things they shouldn’t. Based on calls received, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center reports the five most prevalent exposures on Super Bowl Sunday—and how to treat them. Can you guess what they are?

1) Alcohol

For many people, adult beverages are an important part of the celebration. Glasses may be left unattended while people hurry to the kitchen for another slice of pizza, and dogs can simply lap them up. “We see a large number of drunk dogs,” an APCC consulting veterinarian reports. In many cases the biggest concerns are for depression and aspiration if they vomit. More about ethanol intoxication can be found here.

2) Garlic & Onion

Whether raw, cooked or powdered, these two foods can spice up a menu, but they play havoc on a pet who ingests them. Garlic and onion can cause Heinz body anemia and secondary renal injury if enough is ingested. Cats are highly sensitive to allium toxicosis, though it is seen in dogs as well.

3) Cannabis

It’s common for pets to get into marijuana and marijuana brownies on game day. It’s also not uncommon for exposures to happen the following Monday, since partygoers may leave something behind that the pet finds overnight or while his owner is at work. THC exposure cases tend to rise both those days.

4) Rich Food

Buffalo chicken wings, creamy dip, pizza, chocolate desserts, oily chips. The spread for the big game is often a who’s who of potential pancreatitis-inducing characters.

5) Human Medications

With all the people attending Super Bowl parties, it’s not surprising that some would bring medications along. Many callers to the APCC report that a pet grabbed medications out of a guest’s pocket or purse, or something was dropped on the floor. “We get a disproportionately high number of calls about acetaminophen, NASAIDs, and dextromethorphan on Super Bowl Sunday,” the APCC veterinarian reported.

Bookmark this link for lots of helpful information on a wide variety of medications that pets commonly get into.

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