The packet can cause intestinal blockage, especially in smaller dogs. Some potentially toxic medication may have been absorbed by a package from inside a medicine bottle. Check your dog for signs of intestinal obstruction if he consumes silica bead packets. These include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and loss of appetite.
What Happens If My Dog Has Eaten Silica Gel?
It might be necessary for your dog to see a veterinarian for additional evaluation and treatment, depending on their size and how much silica gel they have consumed. This might entail making the patient vomit, getting x-rays, or being hospitalized for observation and care.
Alternately, your veterinarian might advise that monitoring at home is sufficient. If your veterinarian requests that you keep an eye on your dog, you should be on the lookout for any indications that he or she is not feeling like himself. This might include symptoms of an upset stomach like nausea, drooling, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Lethargy and diarrhea may also be seen. Additionally, you might notice silica gel packets passing through your dog’s feces. If your pet’s condition or symptoms worsen, especially if you notice lethargy or that your dog is having trouble swallowing food or water, you should update your vet. It is advised to make an urgent appointment with your veterinarian if your dog is not passing feces or is having difficulty urinating.
Learn More About Silica Gel, A Common Pet Toxin
Our poison control specialists answer calls from pet owners whose four-legged family members have consumed every kind of prohibited substance imaginable at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC). One such substance is silica gel.
The packaging for many products, including shoes, bags, coats, electronics, medications, vitamins, food, and cat litter, typically contains small white packets of silica gel, which are about the size of sugar packets. According to APCC experts, pets may be more likely to eat these packets when they are packaged with food because they retain the scent of the food. To prevent moisture damage, silica gel packets are used as a desiccant (drying agent). These packets are frequently marked with the phrase “Silica Gel Do Not Eat.” Depending on how much is consumed, silica gel can cause gastrointestinal distress, including vomiting and diarrhea. Some silica gel packets might be quite large, and if consumed, they might result in intestinal obstruction. Fortunately, this is not a common problem.
Please get in touch with your veterinarian or the APCC if your pet has consumed silica gel for more information.
For any animal poisoning-related emergency, the APCC is your best resource—24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away if you suspect that your pet may have ingested something poisonous.
What happens if you eat the packet in pepperoni?
What happens if you eat one of those silica gel packets that come in your Jimmy Choos, new leather coat, or the pepperoni you ordered online, despite the dire warnings? Even if you consumed a shoebox’s worth of packets, all you would experience is “an upset tummy.
FAQ
Are freshness packets poisonous?
Despite typically being non-toxic, silica gel is a choking hazard, especially for young children. Due to the possibility of choking, silica gel packets are frequently marked with the phrase “Do not eat.”
Are silica packets toxic to dogs?
Packets of silica gel If your dog consumes them, mild GI symptoms, such as an upset stomach, are possible. Despite the fact that silica gel is chemically and biologically inert, the main risk is that, especially in small dogs, swallowing the entire packet can result in an obstruction in the intestines.
What happens if you eat the freshness packet in beef jerky?
Silica gel is chemically inert. This means that it won’t degrade and poison you when you consume it. However, the gel or packet and gel can result in choking because it won’t dissolve. Because of this, producers frequently mark them with the words “Do not eat” or “Throw away after using.” ”.
What should I do if my dog eats a silica packet?
If eaten by a small dog (<5kg), contact your veterinarian. Although your veterinarian may give you the go-ahead to do so, never do so without first getting permission.