Bleach Poisoning in Dogs

When your dog ingests bleach, there are several symptoms that occur. The hair around the dog’s paws and mouths might also be bleached and smell of chlorine. If your pet inhaled the fumes, you could notice signs of coughing, pulmonary irritation, and gasping. Other symptoms include:

• Coughing
• Lethargy
• Stomach pain
• Vomiting
• Sore throat
• Low blood pressure
• Coma
• Drooling
• Shock
• Burn
• Paw discoloration
• Diarrhea
• Agitation
• Nausea
• Weakened limbs
• Tremors
• Ulcerations on the paws or in the mouth
• Seizures

Types

There are various kinds of household products that contain bleach, acids, hydrocarbons and alkalis. These include:

• Paint thinner
• Toilet cleaner
• Gasoline
• Bleach
• Laundry detergent
• Drain cleaner
• Dishwashing liquid
• Kerosene
• Furniture polish
• Oven cleaner
• Paint remover
• Floor polish
• Caustic soda
• Lye
• Shoe polish
• Chlorine

Your dog is no different from other dogs that love to chew on plastic toys and think that they can put whatever they want in their mouths. Unfortunately, though, this only makes your dog prone to ingesting toxic materials, most of which could result in terrible side effects and sometimes, fatal results, if not immediately treated. 

Poisoning due to inhalation of fumes or ingestion of bleach can cause effects such as aspiration pneumonia, blood serum changes, kidney damage, corrosivity of the gastrointestinal tract, and blood coagulation abnormalities.

When you take the dog to the clinic or emergency hospital, your veterinarian may induce vomiting, or the stomach may be pumped using a method known as gastric lavage. 

 Activated charcoal may be administered as a way to bind the toxins.

After this, there are several ways that your veterinarian will introduce treatment. The immediate treatment is to flush the area that is most exposed. Your veterinarian may also administer fluid therapy, ulcer medication for possible stomach burn and of course, supportive care for other symptoms. 

Your veterinarian will use water to wash out the excess bleach from the mouth and fur. Even though this might seem simple, the veterinarian may also administer milk to soothe the stomach and dilute the ingested bleach.