What Is Nicotine Poisoning?
Nicotine poisoning refers to toxicity associated with the ingestion of products that contain this chemical. Dogs and cats, like people, have numerous nicotine receptors throughout their nervous systems that can easily be overstimulated by exposure to nicotine. Pets, however, are less tolerant of nicotine than people, so they are more likely to suffer negative side effects.
Nicotine can be toxic even when administered in small amounts to cats and dogs. The degree to which pets are affected by nicotine depends on how much is ingested and the weight of the animal. Symptoms have been reported at doses as low as 1 mg/kg (milligram per kilogram of body weight), and the median lethal dose in dogs is 9.2 mg/kg. The average cigarette contains 9 to 30 mg of nicotine, and the nicotine becomes concentrated in the cigarette butt, so an already smoked cigarette can still be very dangerous.
Diagnosing Nicotine Poisoning in Pets
A veterinarian will diagnose nicotine poisoning based on a pets symptoms and the owners knowledge of the pet ingesting a nicotine product. Since nicotine poisoning symptoms are similar to those of other toxic exposures—like chocolate, caffeine, or pesticides—it is important to know the likelihood of nicotine consumption. In addition, some nicotine-based products, like gum, contain the sweetener xylitol, which is also poisonous to pets and should be brought to your vets attention so that treatment can be tailored to the pets particular predicament.
Treatment for nicotine poisoning Treatment includes appropriate decontamination (i.e., inducing vomiting and giving a dose of activated charcoal to bind the poison from the intestines), intravenous fluids to help hydrate the pet, anti-vomiting medication, anti-seizure medication, blood pressure medication, heart medications to stop the arrhythmias, sedation (to relieve the severe anxiety), and blood pressure or heart monitoring with an electrocardiogram. Prevention of nicotine poisoning When in doubt, make sure to keep anything containing nicotine out of reach. The most important thing to remember is that the sooner you identify that your pet is poisoned, the sooner (and less expensive) it is to treat. When in doubt, contact your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center immediately for life-saving care.
First, as a non-smoker, I love electronic cigarettes as there’s no second-hand smoke exposure to innocent bystanders (e.g., family members, dogs, and cats). That said, they still pose potential health risks to the smoker and to any pet that accidentally ingested them. Here, you can find more information about electronic cigarettes from the FDA.
How often is nicotine fatal for dogs? Unfortunately, it only takes a small amount of nicotine ingestion to result in canine poisoning. Clinical signs of poisoning can be seen after ingestion of even one cigarette–-whether it’s electronic or a regular unfiltered cigarette. 9-12 mg/kg of nicotine will kill 50% of dogs; it often depends on the size of the dog and the amount ingested.
Recently, a puppy died after ingesting part of an electronic cigarette. While the story went viral on social media, the question that remains is just how poisonous are electronic cigarettes?
When it comes to poisoning, there are two potential concerns with electronic cigarettes: the amount of nicotine and the battery (which can cause corrosive injury depending on the type of battery). Symptoms of nicotine poisoning in dogs Depending on how much nicotine is ingested, severe poisoning can be seen in dogs. Clinical signs of nicotine poisoning can be seen within several minutes; they can last for 1-2 hours (in mild cases) or 18-24 hours (in severe cases). Clinical signs seen with nicotine poisoning include: