You have good reason to be concerned if your dog consumed a zinc oxide tube because it can be harmful to dogs if consumed. As a result, it’s important to notify your veterinarian of any significant ingestion as soon as possible. Nowadays, zinc oxide is present in many topical products, and there are increasing reports of sick dogs as a result. These substances are either directly ingested by dogs from chewing on a tube of zinc oxide that was unintentionally left within reach of Rover or applied to human skin and licked off. Fortunately, zinc oxide poisoning in dogs can be successfully treated when discovered early, but if your dog consumed a zinc oxide tube, time is of the essence.
Numerous topical products that can be purchased with or without a prescription contain zinc oxide.
A variety of creams, lotions, and ointments used topically on the skin to treat scars, burns, and other types of skin damage are currently available products that contain zinc oxide. These include diaper rash creams (Desitin, Balmex, and Boudreaux Butt Paste), sunblock, and diaper rash creams.
Additionally, calamine products, dental cements, hemorrhoid ointments, anti-dandruff shampoos, and other products can all contain zinc oxide.
A trace mineral called zincite, when combined with oxygen, yields zinc oxide, which is how zinc oxide is made. The obtained product is not water soluble, making it desirable for use in creams and skin care products.
Due to their curiosity, dogs are prone to licking products off their owners’ skin. If a tube or bottle of a product is left within reach, most dogs will enjoy chewing on it, which can result in the product being ingested. When large quantities are consumed, this results in numerous cases of zinc oxide poisoning in dogs. But how much is too much?.
How much zinc is poisonous to pets?
The quantity of zinc necessary to cause poisoning varies according to the size of the pet, the form of zinc consumed, and the amount consumed. Some forms of zinc are more readily absorbed than others.
Zinc oxide cream typically only upsets the stomach when consumed once. But with highly concentrated products, consuming these ointments repeatedly over days to weeks can result in poisoning.
Poisoning is more likely to occur if pennies or other metallic objects are consumed. This is particularly true for smaller animals, where it might be more challenging for the object to pass through the stomach. Zinc poisoning can occur after ingesting as little as 1-2 pennies.
Zinc poisoning in birds has been reported as a result of them simply chewing on galvanized wire cages or metal toys.
If consumption of any zinc-containing product is observed or suspected, a veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline, a 24-hour animal poison control center, at 1-800-213-6680 should be contacted to determine the risk of poisoning.
What are the signs of zinc poisoning?
Zinc causes irritation of the gastrointestinal tract. The most common symptoms of zinc poisoning in pets are nausea, diarrhoea, depression, and appetite loss.
Red blood cells damaged by zinc poisoning may break open, resulting in a low red blood cell count (anemia). Additionally, it may reduce the generation of new red blood cells. Anemia can cause your pet to become weak, have pale gums, a faster heartbeat, breathe harder, have their eyes or skin turn yellow (icterus), have orange stools, and have their urine turn red or dark yellow or orange.
The liver, kidneys, heart, or pancreas may be damaged in animals with more severe poisoning. These animals may also lose weight, urinate more frequently, drink more, have abdominal pain, or have enlarged organs. Neurologic symptoms like incoordination and seizures can occasionally appear.
The content of this page is not veterinary advice. Several elements (such as the amount of substance consumed, the size of the animal, allergies, etc.) ) determine what is toxic to a particular pet. Make a call to the Pet Poison Helpline or seek immediate veterinary care if you believe your pet has consumed something potentially harmful.
Content written by: Dr. Cat Angle, DVM, MPH, Pet Poison Helpline
An x-ray should be performed right away if you believe your dog, cat, or bird has swallowed a metal object or coin. Call your vet or the Pet Poison Helpline right away for life-saving treatment recommendations.
Dogs, cats, and birds may become zinc poisoned as a result of consuming metal objects (e g. , hardware, nuts, and other items made of galvanized metal), some topical ointments (e g. , diaper rash creams), or coins. A few days later, some coins can be safely swallowed and passed out in the stool, but some coins have high zinc content and can cause zinc poisoning. The stomach’s acidic environment causes the zinc in the zinc-containing coin to break down, resulting in upset stomach and zinc absorption into the blood stream. Red blood cell deterioration, liver damage, kidney failure, and heart failure can all result from zinc poisoning. Weakness, pale gums (anemia), vomiting, faster breathing, faster heartbeat, discolored urine, jaundiced gums, lack of appetite, and collapse are some of the clinical signs of zinc poisoning. It is crucial to remove the coin to prevent severe anemia from developing due to red blood cell damage. Without therapy, ingestion of a zinc penny can be fatal.
Toys, zinc oxide, Desitin, metallic nuts, coin, bolts, staples, galvanized metal, zippers, pennies, and diaper rash cream
FAQ
What happens if dog licks zinc oxide?
The likelihood of systemic zinc toxicity, or an overexposure to the toxin, is low unless your pet is routinely licking up small amounts of zinc oxide because it is poorly absorbed by our pets. However, this component highly irritates the digestive system and frequently results in vomiting.
Is zinc oxide harmful for dogs?
Zinc oxide cream typically only upsets the stomach when consumed once. But with highly concentrated products, consuming these ointments repeatedly over days to weeks can result in poisoning. Poisoning is more likely to occur if pennies or other metallic objects are consumed.
What happens if a dog eats diaper rash cream?
Many diaper rash creams contain zinc oxide, others contains vitamins. The major worry with these creams is that they can be extremely irritating to the GI tract. If dogs vomit the creams, they may aspirate (get in the lungs), which can result in serious or even fatal aspiration pneumonia.
Can you put zinc oxide on a dog wound?
Our veterinary consultant confirmed that when a dog has a raw, sore nose like Buddy had, sometimes vets will advise using this type of ointment. She advises, however, that a zinc-oxide product should only be used briefly and in small doses.