Pet Emergencies | Antifreeze Poisoning
Antifreeze poisoning is a very common in both cats and dogs. Anti-freeze has a sweet taste that's attractive to dogs and cats. If they find anti-freeze, they will drink it; if it has been spilled on the ground, they will lick it off the ground. The main ingredient in antifreeze, Ethylene Glycol, is a chemical that causes severe kidney failure in cats and dogs very quickly after ingestion. Death can happen as soon as 12 hours or as long as 3 days after ingestion, but without treatment, animals that ingest anti-freeze will die. It only takes a very small amount of antifreeze to be fatal.
- 1 teaspoon or less can be fatal in a cat (your cat can walk through a puddle of antifreeze, lick its paws, and ingest enough antifreeze to cause death).
- 3-4 tablespoons of liquid can cause death in a medium-sized dog.
The earlier treatment is started, the greater the chance of survival for your pet. Once the kidneys are damaged by the ethylene glycol, most pets will die. The longer you wait for treatment, the more likely your pet will not survive. If you see or suspect your pet has ingested antifreeze contact a veterinarian immediately, or rush your pet to an emergency veterinary clinic. Your animal will need treatment immediately for kidney damage.
Symptoms
Unfortunately, not only is antifreeze a tasty substance, it is also a common source of poisoning used by people that mean to do harm to your pet. If you notice any of the following symptoms, but do not think your pet could have been exposed to antifreeze, bring your animal to a veterinarian immediately, as it may have been maliciously poisoned.
The symptoms of antifreeze poisoning depend upon the time after ingestion. Symptoms can begin as soon as 30 minutes after the antifreeze has been ingested and may last about 72 hours. The symptoms include: hyper-excitability; acting as if the animal cannot walk (stumbling, falling over, walking in circles or swaying when walking); seizures; depressed behavior, such as laying still or not wanting to get up; vomiting; acting very thirsty and drinking a lot of water; urinating more than normal or not urinating at all for several days despite drinking a lot of water; having trouble breathing, or collapsing and falling into a coma. Your pet may show these signs very soon after ingestion, but because of the way the chemical works in the body, they may appear to feel better once the initial signs have passed, but in a day or two they will get much worse as their kidneys begin to fail. Once they have shown any of these signs, their kidneys are starting to fail and they may die at any moment.
Treatment
Animals that have ingested antifreeze need immediate veterinary care and treatment to help remove the chemical from their body and to treat the damaged kidneys. Without treatment, your pet will not survive.
Tips on prevention
- Always clean up any spills from your car immediately.
- Check your car regularly for leaks.
- Keep all antifreeze products in a sealed and clearly marked container, out of reach of pets.
- Wipe any spills or leakage from the sides of any antifreeze container.
- Antifreeze should never be drained onto the ground where it can leave a puddle.
Ethylene glycol can also be found in the following products:
- The liquid inside snow globes.
- Industrial solvents
- Rust removers
- Film processing solutions
- Taxidermist preservative solutions
- De-icing solutions for cars, planes, boats
- Hydraulic brake fluids
- Inks used in ballpoint pens and stamp pads
- Fluids in solar collectors
- Air-conditioning coolants