Is Blistex Bad For Dogs

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Imagine you come home to find a chewed ChapStick lid, but no tube of lip balm to be found. Or an empty chewed Vaseline pot. Or perhaps you catch your canine friend swallowing your lip balm. So, what do you do?Divider 8

Symptoms of Intestinal Obstruction in Dogs

Your dog could develop some of the following symptoms after eating the lip balm container:

  • Vomiting
  • Weakness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Dehydration
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain and bloating
  • Excessive drooling

    • If you know for sure or suspect your dog has eaten the lip balm container and is showing any of these symptoms, then you’ll need to call the vet immediately. This is a life-threatening medical emergency.

    What is Blistex?

    Blistex is a type of lip balm that includes emollients to prevent and treat dry skin on the lips. This brand of lip balm may contain:

  • Beeswax
  • Camphor
  • Cetyl alcohol
  • Cetyl palmitate
  • Euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax
  • Flavors
  • Isopropyl myristate
  • Isopropyl palmitate
  • Isopropyl stearate
  • Lanolin
  • Lanolin oil
  • Menthol

    • The good news is that amount of each ingredient isn’t enough to be toxic for your dog. That’s the case even if your dog eats all the lip balm. Your fur baby may develop diarrhea and vomiting, but these should not last long. If they do, or other concerning symptoms appear, then it’s best to call the vet.

    Having said that, the container the lip balm was in is another matter. If your canine companion ate the container, too, then it’s possible he could develop an intestinal obstruction. This is a very serious medical emergency.

    My Dog Ate Chapstick: What Next?

    First of all, don’t panic. In most cases, your dog will be fine. However, it is important to get advice from your vet about the next steps, so seek advice without delay. It is important to check how much of the lip balm has been eaten. This way you can identify if any of the packaging has been chewed or swallowed.

    The vet will need to know what kind of lip balm has been eaten so they can check if there are any ingredients which may cause harm. Your vet will also want to know if there is any of the plastic tube or cap missing. This, along with the size and weight of your canine companion, is usually enough for them to give you the correct advice.

    Just like if your dog ate a bird or something else they shouldn’t have, your next step will likely be to just monitor your pup’s behavior. You should let your vet make that decision with all the information available to them.

    FAQ

    Is lip balm harmful to dogs?

    Phenol. One of Blistex’s several active ingredients, phenol is considered toxic to the central nervous system and to the heart. Saccharin.

    Is medicated Chapstick toxic to dogs?

    Unfortunately, lip balms might contain ingredients that are fine for humans, but that can make your dog sick. For example, one active ingredient could be xylitol, a sugar alcohol that can poison your dog, which could lead to liver failure or even death.

    What should I do if my dog ate Chapstick?

    Commonly found in medicated lip balms, phenol is also toxic to dogs, while camphor can also cause serious symptoms if consumed in large amounts.