Is washing up liquid poisonous to dogs? A Comprehensive Guide

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What is Fairy Liquid?

Fairy Liquid is a brand of dish-washing soap more commonly known as Dawn in America.

It is made of petroleum-based detergents and a strong alkali making it very effective at cutting through grease and oils.

The reason Fairy Brand is so effective is due to its unique mixture of powerful surfactants, which are compounds that lower the surface tension between oil and water.

Basically, it separates and eliminates grease.

Because Fairy Brand has these grease-fighting capabilities, you may be wondering if you can use it to wash your dog in a pinch.

Though it will do a great job of washing away oils that accumulate on your dog’s skin, does that mean you should use it?

Types of soap dogs may ingest:

  • Soaps: These include laundry and bar soaps. True soaps are usually not toxic to dogs. Ingestion frequently causes vomiting and/or diarrhea; homemade soaps may cause burns to the mouth and/or esophagus.
  • Non-ionic detergents: This category includes dish-washing detergents, shampoos, and some laundry detergents. This group of detergents can be mildly irritating to sensitive oral and respiratory tissues but are less harmful than cationic and anionic detergents.
  • Anionic detergents: Typical examples include laundry detergents, dish soaps, shampoos, and electric dish-washing detergents. These formulas can be irritating and cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs. Some stronger versions also contain chemicals that can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus and result in a lack of appetite and abdominal pain. Chemical burns to the mouth and esophagus may also result.
  • Cationic detergents: Fabric softeners, sanitizers, disinfectants, and rust inhibitors in petroleum products fall into this category. These are the most hazardous group of cleaners to dog as they can cause the most damage to the mucous membranes (see more below). Cationic detergents can also cause vomiting, diarrhea, reluctance to eat, drooling, mouth pain, depression, collapse, and seizures. Many of the signs are secondary to ulceration and chemicals burns to the mouth, esophagus and/or stomach.

    • As mentioned above, some detergents cause a chemical burn. These physical reactions are the result of a pet ingesting or licking a caustic or corrosive chemical such as bleach or disinfectant. The burns are usually isolated to the tongue and upper esophagus; however, detergent pods can cause irritation to the stomach if they are swallowed whole and disintegrate in the stomach.

    Chemical oral burns may not show up immediately. It may be several hours before you notice any of the following symptoms:

  • lack of interest in eating
  • drooling
  • swollen tongue
  • excessive swallowing
  • pawing at mouth
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea

    • Overview of Toxicity of Detergents and Soap in Dogs

    Dogs can get into all kinds of potentially toxic household items including soaps and detergents. In the past soap and detergent toxicity (or poisoning) in dogs was relatively uncommon as the taste is generally unappealing. However, the risks and number of affected animals have soared with the development of washer-friendly “soap pod” packaging.

    Soap pods are single-use packages of laundry or dishwasher detergent designed for convenience and ease of use. They are typically rectangles or balls of pressed detergent (sometimes with a liquid component) surrounded by a water-soluble wrapper.

    This new packaging is convenient and cleaner than traditional liquids or powders. However, the toy like appearance of the pods can attract a pet’s attention more easily than other detergents. In the course of playing, your dog may ingest some or all of the soap as well as the wrapper.

    Generally speaking, the majority of soaps and detergents are nontoxic. As with any non-food item, you can expect that your dog may experience some vomiting and maybe even a little diarrhea after exposure. However, different types of soap may be more or less toxic than the next. The most common forms are soaps, anionic detergents, cationic detergents, and non-ionic detergents. The average home typically contains at least one of each type at any time.

    Detergent Poisoning in Dogs | Wag!

    Experts now advise against it. Dish soap could potentially irritate your dog’s skin because it’s made to eliminate grease and oils, which means your dog’s healthy skin oils could be washed away.