Pine Oil Poisoning in Dogs

Dogs are curious and like to sample everything with their mouth. After all, they do not have hands to pick things up and examine them, so they use what they have. Sometimes, your dog gets bored and may get into things, such as household cleaners. Pine oil can cause serious illness and possibly be fatal if your dog ingests a large amount or spills it on his coat or feet. The oil is absorbed right away, traveling through your dog’s tissues to the bloodstream, where it will travel through the liver and kidneys. Puppies and dogs with liver problems are especially at risk if they are poisoned by pine oil. Pine oil poisoning can lead to failure of the nervous system, kidney and liver damage, respiratory failure, and death in a very short time.

Pine Oil is a common household cleaner and disinfectant that is toxic to dogs, even in small amounts. Pine oil also affects the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. These cleaners are absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and metabolized by the liver on its way to the kidneys, where the toxins are excreted through the urine. This oil is not only toxic if taken orally, but it can also be absorbed through your dog’s skin or breathed into the lungs. The kidneys and liver have to rid the body of toxins, with the liver metabolizing the pine oil before sending it to the kidneys to be excreted in the urine.

The signs of pine oil poisoning can vary depending on the method of exposure, but most signs are apparent in about two hours. However, with chronic exposure, it is possible for your dog to have been breathing pine oil fumes for several days or weeks before any symptoms appear. This type of pine oil poisoning is serious because the chemical is being completely absorbed in the lungs, liver, kidneys, and heart and by the time the signs occur, it is too late to treat successfully. With acute pine oil poisoning, the signs will be obvious right away, and you can get treatment soon enough to prevent serious damage. Some of the most commonly reported symptoms are:

Ears, Eyes, Nose

• Blinking or squinting eyes
• Difficulty swallowing
• Hyperactivity
• Irritation of the mucous membranes 
• Lethargy or weakness
• Muscle tremors
• Nausea
• Pawing at the mouth or face
• Throat burning

Lungs

• Breathing trouble
• Collapse
• Coma
• Confusion
• Depression
• Dilated pupils
• Dizziness 
• Death
• Drooling
• Frequent urination
• Hyperactivity
• Incoordination
• Nervousness
• Panting
• Severe respiratory distress
• Tremors

Oral

• Abdominal pain
• Breathing difficulty
• Coma
• Convulsions
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty walking or uncoordinated gait
• Dizziness
• Drooling
• Esophageal ulcers
• Frequent urination
• Hyperactivity
• Irritation of the mucous membranes 
• Lethargy or weakness
• Muscle tremors
• Nausea
• Panting
• Pawing at the mouth or face
• Pine oil scent on breath, skin, or hair 
• Rapid heart rate
• Redness or burns on the lips, gums, tongue, or skin
• Swallowing difficulty
• Unconsciousness
• Vomiting

 Types

• Oral
• Ears, eyes, nose
• Lungs

• Chewing on or eating items with high concentrations of pine oil
• Licking pine oil from feet or fur
• Drinking pine oil from a bucket or other receptacle
• Wood treated in creosote
• Certain flooring materials

A comprehensive physical examination of your dog will be done, which includes body temperature, breath sounds, heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen level, and abdominal palpation. The veterinarian will also check your dog’s ears, eyes, nose, and mouth as well as reflexes. After the physical examination, your veterinarian will need to perform some laboratory tests, such as a biochemistry profile, complete blood count (CBC), urinalysis, and stool sample. Images of the abdomen may also be taken with radiographs (x-rays), CT scan, MRI, and ultrasound.

Treatment for your dog depends on the method of contact. The first 24 hours are the most important because pine oil is absorbed and metabolized quickly. If your dog swallowed or drank pine oil, your veterinarian will give your dog IV fluids and activated charcoal, which absorbs the chemicals and lets them safely pass through the kidneys. A gastric lavage may also be done to flush the toxins out of your dog’s system more rapidly. If necessary, your veterinarian will do a blood transfusion to rid your dog’s body of the toxin in the blood.

If your dog inhaled the pine oil, the veterinarian will give oxygen therapy, which will include a nasal cannula or an oxygen cage. The cannula is a thin tube that runs into your dog’s nose to pump oxygen into his lungs which is held in place with plastic wrap and medical adhesive tape. An oxygen cage is a sealed acrylic box with oxygen pumped into it. This is the last resort because the veterinarian cannot perform any medical help or treatment while your dog is inside the cage. The veterinarian will keep your dog overnight for observation while they monitor the breathing rate, urine output, heart activity, and appetite.

Once you get your dog home, you still need to monitor vital signs, appetite, and urine output. Watch for any signs that your dog may be having symptoms again and call your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns. Most importantly, to keep this from happening again, keep all cleaners and other toxic materials out of the reach of your dog.