Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Toxicology Tuesday, October 16

With Halloween upon us, you may be considering glow-in-the-dark jewelery for your little goblins. But wait - what if the pets get a hold of them? Are they


Toxic or Not?

Answer:
Non-toxic.

If glow jewelry was poisonous, would I let our favorite Boston Terrier wear it?

"Mether! Look what KatDoc brought!
All for me!"
"Where did they go?
Did I frighten them away?"

Glow sticks and jewelry contains an oily substance called dibutly phthalate. While its bitter taste may cause some hypersalivation, particularly in cats, it is generally considered safe for pets and children. Unusual behaviors, such as hyperactivity or agitation, may result if the pet is upset by the taste. Rinse the pet's mouth out with water, and offer some soft food. Remember to remove any of the oily substance from its fur, so that it isn't re-ingested as the pet grooms itself.


Warning:
Glow in the dark jewelry has been known to bring out the Gremlin in even well-mannered pets, so please supervise them when they are wearing the latest in dog fashion.

11 comments:

Lisa said...

I'm going to stick my neck out and say "not toxic." You figure that kids will be wearing and playing with these and putting them in their mouths and probably chewing on them... so, "Not."

dguzman said...

I'm guessing "toxic" if only because dogs could chew up and swallow those bits, and I would think larger pieces might lodge in their digestive tracts.

donaldthebirder said...

I will say non-toxic. My brother's dog ate one a few years ago and is still alive.

KGMom said...

Hmmm--without research, I would say non-toxic.

Kathy said...

Not toxic?

Anonymous said...

Very low toxicity. May cause excessive drooling or hyperactivity but this is probably related more to taste than toxicity. Treat with milk or soft pet food to dilute the yucky taste. Don't forget to check paws, etc., and wash off any residue so the dog won't lick more.

Anonymous said...

Non toxic, although there might be some danger from the chewed up bits of plastic. Ethan ate part of one when he was little (bit through the plastic, got the glowy stuff in mouth, up nose, in eyes...freaky to see your toddler's eyeballs with glowing specks in them).

He's fine, although if we hold him up to the light and then shut it off....

Kathi said...

Oh, I can't fool you guys.

Dguzman, "toxic" and "foreign body obstruction" are two different issues. Pretty much any non-food item has the potential to cause a GI blockage, so you are right about that. But in terms of being "poisonous," glow jewelry is OK.

Holly, I would love to see Ethan with glowing eyes and nose!

Anon: Methinks you visited the ASPCA's Poison Control website, as your answer is pretty much verbatim from that site. ;) That's OK - as long as I get you thinking and investigating, I've done my job!

Till next week,

Dr. Kat

Susan Gets Native said...

Damn it all. That's it?
You visited the coolest, doggiest place in Ohio and we get a few measly pictures?

More. Now.

Anonymous said...

We still laugh about it. We were on our way home from the July 4th fireworks and he started crying. I looked in the rearview mirror and could see green glowing bits in eyes, up nose, in and around mouth and spattered all over his face. I did a Ubie and headed straight for the ER - I was thinking it couldn't be toxic but then again, a chemical that glows shouldn't be ingested, in the eyes, etc. Doc gave him some water and rinsed his eyes out (and checked them out with that blacklight thingy-probably REALLY looked cool, lol) and pronounced him cured.

One of several ER visits for Ethan about that age....

Kathi said...

Susan:

patience, patience. The post you are looking for is coming soon. Friday, I think.

~kathi