My dog ate a dishwasher pod or tablet. What should I do next?

The concern with these concentrated detergent products (i.e. pods) is not only the possibility of vomiting (which you've already seen) but also the foam that they can potentially create and the risk of aspiration, leading to pneumonia. If you can get Gypsy in to an emergency vet tonight I would recommend it, as an injection of anti-nausea medication (Cerenia) in addition to some GI protectants (famodtidine/Pepcid) may help to really decrease the amount of resulting GI distress you see from this. Also, she could very well experience oral ulcerations from the soap, so monitor for these as well.

Oh that was naughty of Lolla to eat! It's good that you pulled it out before she had a chance to eat the whole thing, but the detergent in it can cause some stomach and esophagus irritation. I would flush out her mouth with water, and keep an eye on her for now. You may see some self-limiting GI signs, such as drooling, vomiting, or diarrhea. I would try a home remedy in case you see these GI signs. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. Should Lolla be unable to even keep down water, however, then I would take her into the vet as that shows severe stomach irritation and she will need a gut protectant. Hopefully because she ate only a little bit, she should be fine.

I would recommend taking Bailey to your local veterinary ER. These types of products can be quite irritating to the gastrointestinal tract and also have the potential to be toxic in other ways. The vet will do a thorough physical exam and look for any obvious symptoms. They may also recommend you contact the pet poison hotline to gather more information regarding treatment depending on the severity of the symptoms. At the least you can expect to be prescribed some medications to help protect Bailey’s stomach and intestines from the irritants in this product. She may need IV fluids and intensive hospital management if she develops significant gastrointestinal symptoms. Good luck, I hope Bailey comes through this ok.

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your concern about Mina! You did absolutely the right thing by rinsing out her mouth, and I would continue to rinse her mouth out. I'm wondering how much of the detergent got into her mouth, as when the pod is punctured, the detergents are forcefully expelled and may be easily aspirated or swallowed, sometimes in large amounts. If she starts vomiting, or you notice any problems with her breathing, you will need to take her into a vet immediately. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

It is very unlikely that he would eat this. The taste is terrible. Do you see anything blue around his mouth or his tongue? If not, then he probably did not eat it. If he did ingest it then you need to take him to your vet so they can decide how to proceed. This is not a product or ingredients we have in the U.S. so I am not sure of it's toxicity properties. Your local vet will know more.

These types of products may cause GI upset. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. Stomach ulceration is possible if a large quantity was ingested. Inducing vomiting at home is not recommended due to the alkalinity which may irritate the esophagus. Ideally, your dog should be seen by your vet or at the nearest veterinary ER. If this is not possible, withhold food for 12-24 hours. Allow plenty of water to dilute the Scent Boosters as much as possible. If your dog begins vomiting or showing other symptoms, he/she really needs to be seen by a vet.

Generally, the biggest issue that we may see with ingestion of borax is stomach upset and vomiting - so it's very possible that you may see this. In large amounts, borax can cause kidney failure in dogs, but this is uncommon and usually the result of long-term exposures rather than a single ingestion. If you're concerned, you can always opt to take Rocky to your nearest emergency vet for supportive care to help prevent any problems.