In 2012, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, Illinois, handled more than 180,000 cases about pets possibly exposed to poisonous substances—and some breeds seemed to make up a lot more of those calls than others.

Nearly 14,000 of APCC’s 2012 calls were from worried pet parents of Labradors. Domestic shorthair cats were involved in approximately 10,000 cases (the second-most popular breed involved in APCC calls). Mixed-breed dogs (8,000 cases), Chihuahuas (4,833 cases), Golden Retrievers (4,819 cases) and Yorkshire Terriers (3,800 cases) rounded out the top six.

No matter what kind of pets they had, thousands of pet parents called us about the same products last year. Here were the top five poisons that caused pet parents to call APCC for help in 2012:

1. Prescription Human Medications

APCC handled 25,000 cases regarding human prescription medications in 2012. The top three types of medications that animals were exposed to were: heart medications (blood pressure pills), antidepressants and pain medications (opioids and prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

2. Insecticides

While just 11% of all calls to the APCC are about insecticides, more than 50% of the calls to APCC involving cats pertain to felines exposed to insecticides.

3. Over-the-Counter Human Medications

This group contains acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen as well as herbal and nutraceutical products (fish oil, joint supplements).

4. Veterinary Products and Medications

Veterinary products made up nearly 6% of APCC’s case volume for 2012. Both OTC and prescription veterinary products are included in this group. Watch out for flavored tablets!

5. Household Products

APCC fielded more than 10,000 calls about household products in 2012. Household toxins can range from fire logs to cleaning products.

For numbers six through 10, check out the full list of the top poisons of 2012.

Think you know your poisons? Take the ASPCA’s I Can’t Believe It’s Poisonous Quiz on Facebook!

And remember: If you have any reason to suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please contact your veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.

As we approach the six-year anniversary of Michael Vick’s arrest, we’re reminded of just how much work we still have to do to stamp out dog fighting forever. For the dogs still trapped in fighting rings, our work to end blood sports has never been so urgent.

Here are just some of the realities of life as a dog-fighting victim:

• Tethered to short, heavy chains or locked away in tiny cages, the dogs often receive inadequate care and little socialization.
• They can go for days without food or clean water.
• When dog-fighting dogs are old enough to fight, many die of blood loss, shock and exhaustion.
• Losing dogs are sometimes killed right on the spot for their failure to secure a win for their owners.
• Even when they’re lucky enough to be rescued, dog-fighting victims face a difficult path to physical and emotional recovery. Despite the best efforts of expert rehabilitators, not all dogs rescued from fighting will heal.

From the very beginning, these dogs are fighting for their lives, and an untold number are suffering in silence right now.

Rest assured: The entire ASPCA is deeply committed to eradicating this brutal form of animal abuse.

The Blood Sports Unit of our Field Investigations and Response Team helps carry out criminal investigations, providing expertise during large-scale rescues and raids.

Our experts provide critical training to animal control officers, police officers and veterinarians across the country to empower them to take action against dog fighters.

Behind the scenes, our Legal team works to ensure dog fighters face tough consequences, and our Government Relations staff is pushing hard for tougher anti-fighting laws.

We are committed to ending animal cruelty in all its forms, but we need your help.

If you’re able, please help us stop this barbaric form of cruelty and all others. Together we can save animals from lives of abuse.