It’s important to clean your house, but you also need to use cleaners that won’t hurt you or your dog. Despite the fact that some household cleaners and chemicals are safe, others are extremely toxic and can harm or even kill your pets.
The following household cleaners and products are extremely hazardous to the health of your dogs if you have them in your home.
Although you might not use a bottle of chlorine to clean your house, you do use other cleaning supplies that have chlorine as a primary ingredient. Chlorine is a primary component of laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, all-purpose cleaners, and toilet bowl cleaners. Your dog could sustain serious injury if you’re using a chlorine-containing product. Chlorine can irritate your dog’s skin and eyes. Your pets may become ill if they inhale chlorine-containing product vapors or lick residue that has been left on surfaces because these vapors can travel to the ground level where they live.
Some toilet bowl cleaners contain other dangerous chemicals in addition to chlorine that can irritate or sicken your pet. If your dog regularly consumes water from the toilet bowl, it may be ingesting chemicals like chlorine, which could cause diarrhea, make them throw up, or even cause seizures. To prevent your dog from licking the toilet water, use a safe, non-toxic toilet bowl cleaner, and close the lid at all times.
Although ammonia is frequently used to clean homes and may be efficient at removing messes and killing bacteria, it poses serious health risks to dogs. Even if you don’t use ammonia, it is present in the majority of oven and glass cleaners, and if your dog inhales it or eats any residue that is left behind, it could seriously harm their nose, throat, and stomach.
When using common products like Drano to unclog a drain, you want to make sure your dog is not nearby. Drain cleaners emit strong fumes that can be very dangerous to your pet and make them feel disoriented. Make sure to use a non-toxic solution in its place to clear out buildup and residue from clogged drains.
Some laundry detergents, as was previously mentioned, contain chlorine, which can be harmful to your dog. However, laundry detergents also contain additional chemicals that, if your dog ingests them while chewing on a bed or blanket cleaned with those chemicals, could irritate their skin or even give them an upset stomach. The ideal detergent to use when washing items that your dog will use is one that is devoid of any dyes or chemicals.
Although keeping your house tidy is important, having a healthy pet is even more crucial. Make sure to review the ingredients in all of your household products. To keep your home clean and your dog healthy, swap out any toxic or dangerous products with safer, non-toxic alternatives.
Danielle Nottingham is a blogger for www. DogTrainingCollars. com who frequently provides pet owners with safety and health advice
Other Ways to Help:
What Exactly is “Blue Toilet Water”?
Most dogs will be okay if they take a few laps of toiler water, but you shouldn’t just assume your dog will be okay. Blue toilet water can mean a lot of things. Many toilet cleaners are blue because blue is associated with cleanliness. Blue water can come from tablets that you put in your toilet tank, gels that you put inside of your toilet bowl, liquids that you pour directly in before cleaning, and so forth. Because there are so many different toilet cleaners, it’s not enough to assume that your dog will be fine.
Most toilet cleaners are relatively safe. They are extremely diluted, so your pet won’t ingest a lot of them. The best course of action is to read the toilet cleaner’s label and dial the 24-hour poison hotline. You should contact your veterinarian (or an emergency veterinarian) for guidance if your pet exhibits signs of distress, such as vomiting, panting, or other strange behaviors. However, if your dog seems unharmed and the toilet cleaner doesn’t seem poisonous, you should be fine.
Recognize that a toilet cleaner introduced into the water will have a higher concentration than passive cleaners (like toilet tank discs). Consequently, you should exercise greater caution while actively cleaning your toilet.
Toilet Bowl Water and Your Pets: The Dangers Aren’t Always Crystal Clear
It’s not unusual to see a dog (or a very daring cat) with its head in the toilet, sipping water from the unattended toilet bowl. While using different products to keep our toilets spotless may seem like a safe practice as long as the bowl is clean, many of us do it. The Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) wants you to be aware of a few things regarding toilet bowl water and our canine friends. Have you ever wondered what would happen if your pet took a lick of the blue water in the toilet?
Colorful Cleaning Agents
The most frequently encountered cleaners in bathrooms are typically easy-to-use discs or tablets that go into the toilet bowl or clip on the side of the toilet. Despite the fact that these cleaners frequently turn the water blue and may seem unsafe for pets, you can relax knowing that your pet won’t likely suffer any negative effects from drinking treated water on a regular basis. Like most things that can be toxic, it’s critical to watch how much your pet eats. Since the chemicals from the toilet bowl cleaner are diluted in water in this instance, mild stomach discomfort is possible but more severe symptoms aren’t anticipated.
You can give your pet a small amount of milk or fresh water to help further dilute the mixture if they consume some of the blue toilet water. If you experience anything other than a minor stomach ache, make sure to call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
The consequences could be much worse if your pet manages to consume a disc or tablet that is intended for toilet use. Many of these items can result in throat and mouth burns. Contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center right away if you notice your pet chewing on one of these tablets.
Check out the complete list of household items that could be dangerous as well.
Pesky Chemicals
Many people use antifreeze in their toilets during the winter to keep the water from freezing Antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Keep your toilet lids down and your chemicals out of reach of pets if you use this chemical during the winter. Additionally, use caution when visiting friends or family with your pet because you never know what chemicals they may be using.
How’s the Water Quality?
Even though the quality of the water in the toilet may appear to be the same as that from the tap, this may not always be the case. The toilet is a breeding ground for bacteria and germs that may cause your pet harm even in the cleanest homes. Gastrointestinal upset could result from stagnant, bacteria-filled toilet water.
A Slip of the Tongue—Or Paw!
When a toilet seat is left up, people other than women and children are also at risk of falling in. Depending on their size and the level of water in the bowl, smaller pets who might be tempted to climb up and investigate the water in the toilet bowl could easily fall in and run the risk of getting trapped, hurt, or even drowning.
Even though the majority of these dangers appear to be minor, it never hurts to keep an eye on your pets. To prevent them from rehydrating with toilet bowl water, try keeping the seat down at all times. Additionally, to ensure that your pet has access to clean, flowing water, think about substituting their standard drinking bowls with a pet water fountain.
Contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away if you think your pet has ingested something poisonous.
FAQ
Will toilet bowl cleaner hurt a dog?
Colorful Cleaning Agents The amount your pet consumes is important because, like most things that can be toxic, it depends. Since the chemicals from the toilet bowl cleaner are diluted in water in this instance, mild stomach discomfort is possible but more severe symptoms aren’t anticipated.
What should I do if my dog drinks toilet bowl cleaner?
The best course of action is to read the toilet cleaner’s label and dial the 24-hour poison hotline. You should contact your veterinarian (or an emergency veterinarian) for guidance if your pet exhibits signs of distress, such as vomiting, panting, or other strange behaviors.
What happens if my dog licks bathroom cleaner?
If licked up by your dog, splashes from caustics/corrosives like oven cleaners and drain cleaners could harm their eyes and the skin around their mouth. Salivation, stomach issues, ulceration, chemical burns, difficulty breathing or swallowing are just a few of these cleaners’ side effects.
What happens if dog drinks toilet water with bleach?
When pets consume a small amount of color-safe bleach, they typically vomit a few times before getting back to normal. Encourage your dog or cat to drink in order to wash any bleach that is still in contact with the lining of his digestive tract if he drank some bleach and is drooling but not vomiting.