The public is being warned to keep their furry friends safe following two "significant" carbon monoxide exposures involving pets in B.C.
In one case, a family pet died in northern B.C. after carbon monoxide poisoning inside a home; in another, a piece of equipment resulted in carbon monoxide getting inside a BC SPCA facility in Maple Ridge.
Ryan Hazlett is the leader of incident investigations with Technical Safety BC, a self-funded organization, and responds to cases all over the province.
“Carbon monoxide positing is the top safety risk in B.C. with our regulated technologies,” he says. “We’ve had a couple of incidents and we really want to raise awareness.”
All employees and pets were able to get out of the BC SPCA building safely.
“They weren’t aware of the carbon monoxide originally, because there were no detectors in place,” says Hazlett.
He explains how when carbon monoxide does get into a building, it is odourless, colourless and disorienting. Without a carbon monoxide detector, he says it can't be identified.
For the family who lost their pet, they had a piece of equipment that hadn’t been serviced in a long time so it was not functioning correctly. When the family returned home, their pet was dead.
“That was a very sad incident. Obviously, our pets are like family,’ says Hazlett.
What can you do to protect pets against poisoning?
Pets and people can have carbon monoxide poisoning any time of the year; however, it's the colder months when windows are being closed and heating appliances are being turned on that carry a higher risk.
Each detector is different, and people should check the manufacturer's instructions.
Technical Safety BC suggests getting a licensed contractor once a year to check the equipment, at a minimum.
Some smoke alarms combine a carbon monoxide detector, and there are individual detectors or portable ones that can be purchased at local hardware stores.
People should never ignore a carbon monoxide alarm when it goes off and never leave a pet in an enclosed garage with the vehicle running.
Portable fuel-burning devices such as camp stoves, barbecues or generators should never be operated indoors or in closed spaces.
Signs your pet has been poisoned
Kyla Townsend, a BC SPCA veterinarian in Vancouver, says all animals are susceptible to poisoning.
Dogs, cats and rabbits are susceptible at the same concentration as humans, but because the pets spend more time in the home they can have a chronic exposure.
“Birds are more susceptible to it because they have a different respiratory system than a mammal does,” says Townsend.
Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms in pets can include weakness, depression, vomiting, seizures, difficulty breathing, respiratory and cardiac disturbances, permanent deafness, blindness or even a coma.
Townsend explains how it is not easy to detect when an animal comes in.
"There is, in some specialized centres... there's a blood test … but the number one thing we do is try to get them oxygen as quickly as possible,” she says.
She asks pet owners if something seems off, to bring the animal in to see a vet.
“Any warning signs are worth exploring,” says Townsend.
A 2021 survey found 49 per cent of people did not have a carbon monoxide alarm despite more than 72 per cent of respondents having one or more gas appliances in their home.
"Carbon monoxide is a risk out there and really, it should never be in your house," Hazlett says.
