Agatha Christie often dispatched her victims with arsenic or strychnine. But you don’t need rats in the attic to have poisons around. Many household items can be toxic, especially to pets with a habit of indiscriminately gobbling up anything that appears to be an interesting tidbit.

Chemicals used for lawn care or home improvement should be kept secured. But other dangers are not so obvious. The top of the prescription bottle may be childproof, but curious canines can easily crunch right through the plastic container to reach the medications inside.

A variety of common plants also pose a hazard, including sago palms, azaleas, daffodils, poinsettias and yew. Even foods as seemingly innocuous as chocolate and grapes can hurt our furry friends if they eat enough.

So keep potential hazards out of reach, and keep poison control and emergency numbers handy.