Caution all dog owners — any pennies made after 1982 can be extremely harmful to your furry four-legged friends. Why?
Aside from being a choking hazard, pennies made in late 1982 and after contain a zinc core (there is a coating of pure copper around the zinc core, but that copper is easily worn or broken away). And zinc toxicity can be highly dangerous — even fatal — for dogs.
Zinc poisoning is a cause of anemia in dogs. Symptoms may include:
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Coma
How do you take a step in maintaining your dog’s safety?
Keep your coins — especially your post-1982 zinc pennies — locked away. Any loose change kept in jars or bins needs to be out of your dog’s reach.
Don’t forget, zinc is found in many other things, including:
- Nuts & bolts
- Galvanized metals
- Human medical pills containing zinc (such as certain supplements)
