Button Battery, Penny, and Magnet Dangers in Dogs

Button batteries, magnets, and pennies are common items in most houses, and sometimes in places that we don’t expect. Button batteries can be found in items as diverse as greeting cards, flashing shoes, hearing aids, and small remote controls. Pennies can be stolen from low counters, found on the ground, or even in the wallet your best friend just chewed up. Magnets can be found on refrigerators, in jewelry, and in kids toys or executive desk toys. Each of these enticingly shiny items can prove to be deadly if your pet swallows them.

Many of the small items around the house can be dangerous for our pets. Some of the most lethal include button batteries, magnets, and pennies.

Button batteries 

• Abdominal pain
• Black, tarry feces
• Difficulty swallowing 
• Excessive Drooling
• Fever/hyperthermia
• Increase in white blood cells
• Lack of appetite
• Lethargy
• Mouth pain
• Ulcers in the mouth
• Ulcers on tongue
• Vomiting

Pennies 

• Abdominal pain
• Altered mental state
• Anemia
• Bleeding mouth or nose
• Blood in urine
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Jaundice
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Pale mucous membranes
• Vomiting

Magnets

• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite

Types 

• Button battery - These are usually small batteries used in smaller electronics like cameras, hearing aids and watches; although they contain several poisons such as mercury, zinc, and lithium, the small electrical current that they generate tends to cause more acute symptoms 
• Penny - Pennies that are made of copper (pre-1982) can occasionally cause copper poisoning symptoms when ingested, however, pennies made primarily of zinc are much more dangerous 
• Magnet - Magnets are trouble for your pet in an entirely different way; the substances that they are made from are generally non-toxic, and a single magnet may not cause a great deal of injury

Some button batteries contain cadmium and mercury, both of which can prove toxic to your pet, and the size of these batteries can cause choking. The button batteries present a risk more perilous than the poisoning as they can allow an electrical current to pass to nearby tissues, causing current-induced necrosis. One 3-volt lithium button battery can cause severe and permanent necrosis to the esophagus or gastrointestinal system in less than half an hour. 

Prior to 1982 most pennies were made of copper, which is only mildly toxic to your pet in the amount found in a penny. In 1982, the composition of a penny was changed as the cost of the amount of copper required to make a penny rose above the value of the coin itself, so a core of zinc was added. When pennies are swallowed, the copper sheath dissolves and releases the zinc into your dog's digestive system and bloodstream. 

Magnets are not usually toxic on their own, but they do pose a serious hazard if they are swallowed. If a single magnet may pass through the system without damage, but if two or more magnets are swallowed the magnetic attraction is often sufficient to tightly bond the magnets together even from different sections of the digestive tract. This can crush the walls of the intestine together, eventually causing loss of blood flow. The loss of blood flow and continued pressure where the magnets are connected will eventually lead to perforations in the tissues, and the intestinal contents are spilled into the abdominal cavity.

If you suspect your pet has swallowed any of these items, it is imperative to transport your dog to a veterinarian or veterinary emergency clinic as soon as possible even if no symptoms are occurring yet. These articles only rarely pass through the system undamaged and are more likely to cause permanent damage or death if not addressed in a timely manner. Your veterinarian is likely to start with a physical examination as well as customary tests like a urinalysis, (CBC)complete blood count, and biochemistry profile.

The mouth and esophagus will also be thoroughly checked for ulceration. In the case of penny ingestion, there may be elevated kidney levels and anemia may also be present. If a magnet was swallowed and a perforation of the intestines has occurred the blood poisoning will also show up in bloodwork. A radiograph (x-ray) is generally used to locate the foreign object in any of these cases. Quite often the veterinarian will be able to determine or confirm which item was swallowed by using this method, and treatment will usually start right away.

Inducing vomiting is not recommended for any of these items as it is unlikely to flush the item out and it can cause additional problems like choking or further burning to the throat area. The spasms of the gastrointestinal system can create or worsen perforations caused by magnets. Your veterinarian will most likely admit your animal into the office immediately to either remove the item by endoscopy or to surgically remove the item. Once the item has been withdrawn, then the treatment can vary depending on what your pet swallowed and how long it has been.

Batteries have a high incidence of ulceration so antacids and stomach protectants may be recommended, and any burns to the mouth and esophagus will be addressed as well. Dogs who have perforated their intestine due to magnets may need to have part of the intestine removed in order to clear up the situation properly. The goal for treatment of zinc poisoning by penny ingestion is to decrease the absorption of the zinc, to correct anemia, and to minimize the chances that the kidneys or liver will fail. Blood transfusions are often required, and IV fluids will be given to flush the zinc from the system.

Unless the foreign body was removed before it caused any real damage, your pet is likely to spend anywhere from several days to several weeks at the veterinary clinic for monitoring. Once your pet has returned home from the hospital a calm and quiet environment to recuperate in will help ensure a speedy recovery. Patients recovering from surgery anesthesia may have difficulty with coordination and muscle control when they first get home, and they are often disoriented. Isolation from other pets and from children is often wise until the anesthesia has fully cleared your companion’s system. Any medications that were prescribed by your veterinarian should be given as directed. It is vital that fresh water be available for your dog at all times as even minor dehydration has a high probability of making the situation worse, particularly if there is kidney involvement.