Your Dog Ate Soap: Should You Be Worried?
Some of the ingredients commonly used in soaps are harmful to humans if ingested. However, it can be difficult to know exactly how dangerous it is for dogs to ingest soap.
Soaps containing essential oils can be especially harmful to a dogs health. Pet Poison Helpline explains that pine oil, a common additive in disinfectants and cleaning products, can cause severe side effects in dogs who ingest it. Consuming soap that has pine oil in it can cause vomiting, skin irritation, drooling, weakness, loss of muscle control and can potentially harm their kidneys and liver.
Soaps may also cause chemical burns in your dogs mouth, esophagus and stomach. Additionally, ingesting a large chunk of soap may cause a blockage in your pet.
If you think your dog ate soap, immediately take the soap away from them, flush their mouth out with water and contact your veterinarian. They may suggest monitoring them for the next few hours, or they may recommend bringing them to the clinic right away if they exhibit any abnormal behavior.
According to Wag!, here are the signs to look out for:
Find food that fits your pet’s needs
Dogs eat dead things. Dogs eat slimy things. Dogs eat … well, almost anything! When considering the household items that could be problematic for your pet, you mightve overlooked one of the most common ones: soap. Because, we as humans, like to add pleasant smells to our soaps, your dog might think they are a tasty treat. If your dog ate soap, you might be worried. Will they get sick? Is soap poisonous?
If your dog ate a bar of soap or licked some liquid soap, youre justified in being a little concerned — but theres no need to panic. Read on to learn the facts, including what soap is actually made of, how eating soap can affect your dogs health and how to know when you should bring your pup to the veterinarian.
While every soap is slightly different, most liquid soaps contain water, oils (usually cocamide DEA, monoethanolamine and/or glycerin), fragrances and dyes, among other ingredients, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, triclosan and cocamidopropyl betaine.
Bar soap and soaps labeled “natural” have similar ingredients. Some soaps may also contain essential oils or dried herbs.
Can a Dog Get Sick From Eating a Bar of Soap?
If your dog managed to eat a large chunk of a soap bar, or indeed, swallow it whole, the bar could get stuck in your dog’s stomach or intestines and cause a blockage. The symptoms to watch for here include vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, and either diarrhea or a lack of stools.
What about soap for dogs?
As pet parents, we know that dogs like to eat all sorts of weird and wonderful things! One of the many things around the house that a dog may be tempted by, believe it or not, are bars of soap! We like our soap to smell good. Unfortunately, this sweet smell is exactly what will attract our canine friends. So, in case this happens to you, here’s what to expect and what to do.
If your dog ate a bar of soap, remove any leftover from your dog’s reach. If you can do so safely, take any pieces left out of your dog’s mouth. Then call your veterinarian, a local clinic, or a pet poison hotline and follow their advice. Keep reading to learn more about your dog and soap!
