Dog put a trichlor tab in his mouth :-(

[marcgr]

Upon earlier advice I removed the trichlor tabs from my feeder when I'm not traveling. I left them by the pump so that I could put them back in the feeder easily later, and so that I didn't end up with raw chlorine wherever else I might store them.

Today I found one in the middle of my lawn, which means that my dog picked it up in his mouth and carried it over there. I don't think he chewed/swallowed. Do I need to be worried?

It never crossed my mind that my dog would be the least bit interested in a trichlor tab!

Thanks,

Marc

 

[tim5055]

Well, advice you get off the internet is many times worth what you pay, so how about an expert - Animal Poison Control | ASPCA. I see they apparently charge a $65 fee, so a call to your vet may be in order.

Or, I have has very good care from VCA Specialty Vets (nationwide chain of emergency vets and veterinary specialists) In Austin they list:

Emergency Animal Hospital.

North 183 Location - (512) 331-6121
12034 Research Boulevard
OPEN 24 HOURS

South Austin Location - (512) 899-0955
4434 Frontier Trail
OPEN NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, HOLIDAYS

Lets just say with a German Shepherd Dog and now five cats I'm friends with the vets in any town we live.

 

[marcgr]

Thanks Tim!

They don't mention Trichlor specifically, but they do mention Toilet Cleaner tablets, and they're not very worried about those. I looked up the ingredients on toilet cleaner tabs and they contain Dichlor. Close enough to Trichlor to not be worried I think.

I'm guessing he put it in his mouth and as soon as his saliva started to dissolve it, he probably got a good whiff of chlorine and decided to drop it.

Thanks,

Marc

 

[marcgr]

I had a really close look at the tab and there's not so much as a tooth mark in it. So it was clearly a pickup-carry-drop and not a chew-and-swallow.

Based on the advice for toilet cleaner tabs, dichlor is not toxic to dogs in trace amounts (like xylitol is, for example). There's also no specific advice against hypochlorite in bleach.

His mouth is fine, he has no distress. I also don't know when this happened - it could have been yesterday for all I know.

I'll keep an eye on him and if he shows any sign of distress I'll take him over to the vet.

Thanks!

Marc

 

[duraleigh]

Dogs are just amazing, aren't they? Our 2-year old dog picks up ANYTHING he can get to take to his stash.

He chews virtually nothing but steals virtually everything.

Looking on the bright side, your pooch will likely not have doggie breath and may have the whitest smile in the neighborhood. (I know I shouldn't joke......I only do so because I think your canine buddy is in no danger)

 

[buzzard302]

I'm always worried about my dog eating/drinking something she shouldn't. She once stuck her head in a bag of Ortho bug killer for my lawn. I was scared to death!

This is probably bad internet advice, but if your dog is not showing signs of distress (salivating, vomiting, lethargic), then the dog is probably ok. They are like little kids, you have to prevent them from getting into things, otherwise they will take every advantage to get into trouble!

 

[marcgr]

Yep, 2 (or maybe 3) days after the incident, the dog is fine, no problems. Thanks for you concern!