Dogs’ ever-curious and adventurous natures can be a handful, but they sure are exciting. Likewise, welcoming a baby is a unique experience that is beautiful but engrossing. If you have an infant and a playful dog, it can sometimes be a circus, and it’s important to be even more attentive than usual. There are baby items that are toxic to dogs that you should be aware of. For example, diapers are a necessity when you have a baby. Dogs will eat diapers and do not seem to care if they are unused or used. Yuck, right? Not only is this unpleasant for you, but it can also make your dog sick. Learn more about the common baby products that are toxic to dogs by reading below.
Common Baby Products That are Toxic to Dogs
1. Diapers and baby wipes: As stated above, dogs will steal and eat a used or unused baby wipe or diaper. Even though you may not be happy to discover torn up baby wipes or a diaper, you can be happy that this may not be a concern for poisoning in your pup. As a result of eating these items your dog may experience GI upset and even an obstruction in the GI tract.
2. Diaper rash ointment: Dogs may see a tube on the table or ground and want to chew on it. Soon enough the rash ointment tube is pierced open, and your pup is licking the cream inside. Many rash ointments contain vitamins or zinc oxide. These creams can easily irritate the GI tract. If you attempt to induce vomiting or your dog vomits on their own the ointment can get into the lungs which results in serious to life-threatening aspiration pneumonia.
3. Teething Gels: Teething can be a painful experience for a baby and teething gels, such as Orajel, can be used to numb the pain and help fight infection. Your dog can get into these gels if you’re not paying attention. Many of these teething gels contain an oral anesthetic called benzocaine. Benzocaine can cause an array of issues in a dog such as vomiting, depression, heart arrythmias, difficult breathing, and methemoglobinemia. Benzocaine can numb the throat which leads to an increase in the risk of aspiration if your dog vomits. Some gels may also contain a sugar-free sweetener called xylitol. Xylitol is very toxic to dogs, causing an extreme drop in blood sugar and liver failure.
4. Sunscreen: On a warm, sunny day you may want to take both your baby and dog for a walk. To avoid sunburn, you will want to grab both adult and baby-safe sunscreen and apply it to yourself and your baby. Your dog may slurp up the leftover sunscreen. Sunscreen typically contains one or more ingredients that are related to aspirin. Depending on how much was consumed, your dog may experience symptoms from stomach upset to life-threatening clinical signs or even fatality. Aspirin can affect the GI tract, respiratory system, kidneys, and central nervous system. Some sunscreens can contain zinc oxide which can negatively affect the GI tract.
If you have any questions or concerns about baby items and dogs, call Pet Poison Helpline® at (855) 764-7661 and let the experts help you.