Play Dough (Homemade)

Play Dough (Homemade)

foods

Alternate names

salt poisoning, salt toxicity, salt dough, salt dough ornaments, hypernatremia

Toxicity to pets

Homemade play dough often contains flour, food coloring, oil, and a large amount of salt. Pets may find this dough enticing, eat it, and then develop salt toxicity. Similarly, homemade salt dough is used to make salt dough ornaments during the holiday season. Ingestion of these ornaments can also cause severe salt toxicity and has resulted in fatalities.

Other sources of salt poisoning in dogs and cats include rock salt (for de-icers), paint balls, table salt, sea water, and enemas (containing sodium phosphate).

Salt poisoning in dogs and cats results in signs of vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, lethargy, incoordination, excessive thirst or urination. In severe cases, tremors, seizures, coma, and even death are possible.

If you think your dog or cat ingested homemade play dough or salt dough, call your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline® immediately for life-saving treatment advice.

Common signs to watch for:

  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Decreased appetite
  • Lethargy
  • Incoordination
  • Excessive thirst or urination
  • Tremors
  • Seizures
  • Coma
salt dough

Speak to an expert now:

(855) 764-7661

85 incident fee applies

Call now:

(855) 764-7661

Disclaimer

The content of this page is not veterinary advice. A number of factors (amount of substance ingested, size of the animal, allergies, etc.) determine what is toxic to a particular pet. If you think your pet has eaten something potentially toxic, call Pet Poison Helpline or seek immediate veterinary treatment.