The 'Energizer Basset' and other battery eating dogs....

Q. My client's dog was changing channels with the remote the other day when the back of the remote popped off and the batteries slid down his throat like raw oysters. The dog was so distraught at that point, he then went and chewed up the remote. My question is, I recall hearing that batteries are toxic, but what are the different toxic principles of the different types of batteries.

I induced vomiting but the batteries remained. I then did a laparotomy and passed a stomach tube orally, flared end first, into the stomach. I pushed the batteries into the flared end and removed them without having to make a gastromy incision. It worked great but besides the risk of obstruction what toxicity if any did we avoid. The dog and radiographs made the front page of our local newspaper. 'The Energizer Basset'.


A. Great idea - to retrieve those guys without opening the stomach - I love it! I think you chose correctly by retrieving the batteries if emesis failed. Allowing any of the various types of batteries to pass risks heavy metal poisonings and severe mucosal burns. If you call any human poison control they can give you specific details on each battery type.

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Q.  Is there anything in alkaline batteries (type C) other than lead that would cause neurological signs? Over the weekend a kid smashed  the battery with hammer to see what was inside. A 10wk old puppy ingests it and seizures. We treated for lead toxicity. Response to treatment was positive except near vision is still off. Any other Tx or just give time to respond?

A. Batteries also have sulfuric acid in them. I'm surprised you don't have burns on mouth, lips, feet or wherever the acid touched on puppy. And yes lead, is the big neurologic component of batteries. Some also have zinc and that can cause seizures as well. I assume you are treating for lead toxicity. Let us know how things turn out.

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Esophageal electrochemical burns due to button type lithium batteries in dogs.
« Vet Hum Toxicol 1998 Aug40(4) -- 193-6
Tanaka J Yamashita M Yamashita M Kajigaya H
Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan.

- Incidences of swallowing lithium batteries have been increasing. More severe tissue damage may be produced by the flow of electric current through tissue due to a lithium battery than a button alkali battery, because the former has the higher voltage of 3V. In this study, model CR2032 lithium batteries were fixed in the esophagus of 5 adult mongrel dogs for 15 or 30 min or 1, 2 or 5 h. On microscopical examination of the esophagus 15 min after fixation of the battery, necrosis was demonstrated from the lamina propria mucosa to the inner muscular layer. Thirty min after fixation of the battery, the esophageal epithelium had completely disappeared to form a blackish-brown area and the outer muscular layer was partially necrosed. Histological findings after 1, 2 or 5 h were similar to those after 30 min, and the blackish-brown area became larger with time. The necrosis extended to the trachea after 1 h. The necrosis developed sooner in tissue in contact with the lithium battery. An ingested lithium battery appears to be more dangerous than a button alkali battery unless it is removed quickly.