Spray cleaning countertop
Many household cleaners are safe to use around your pets, especially if the product is allowed to dry or your pet is only exposed to small amounts. But some can be hazardous to a dog's or cat’s health, and it can be confusing to know the difference. Read on to find out which common cleaning and disinfecting products can be problematic for your furry friends.
Remember to Read the Labels and Use Your Thinking Cap
As a rule, common cleaning and disinfecting products made for the surfaces in your home are not meant to be used on yourself. For example, don’t use surface disinfection wipes on your skin. If something isn’t safe for your skin, don’t put it on your pet either. Never spray or wipe down your pet with cleaning products. Avoid getting cleaners into the eyes, mouth, or nose, just as you would with yourself. Read product labels and make sure the product is safe for pets.
Call your veterinarian if you are unsure if something is safe or if you think your pet has had access to something toxic. You can also check online or call (for a fee) the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control.
Acidic Products
Acidic products can be found in cleaning agents, such as toilet bowl cleaners. They can cause severe damage to any tissue they contact, especially if eaten or put in the eyes. Signs of contact start to occur immediately and can include pain, crying/whimpering, trouble swallowing, vomiting, mouth and esophageal sores/ulcers, skin redness and sores, or eye redness and squinting. After calling your veterinarian, offer water or milk if the product was eaten, or rinse the area (ideally 10-15 minutes) with room temperature water.
Alkaline Products
Alkaline cleaning products, generally found in drain openers, dishwasher detergents, and toilet bowl cleaners, include sodium hydroxide (lye), potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide (household ammonia), and potassium permanganate. These products can penetrate deeply into the tissues on contact and cause significant damage. Unlike acidic products, pain is not immediate, so signs of an issue may not be obvious initially. Clinical signs of alkaline product ingestion include drooling, refusal to eat, fever, oral redness and ulcers, trouble swallowing, vomiting, belly pain, and dark, tarry stools. Eye or skin contact can lead to redness. Call your veterinarian and flush the mouth or affected skin areas for 10-15 minutes with room temperature water.
Bleach
Liquid bleach is made of sodium hypochlorite. If it comes in contact with the skin or eyes, it can irritate and cause pain or redness. If inhaled, it will irritate the respiratory tract, causing sneezing and trouble breathing. If ingested, bleach products can irritate your pet's gastrointestinal (GI) tract, causing vomiting, loose stool, and poor appetite.
Highly concentrated bleach (6% sodium hypochlorite or higher, may also be called “ultra bleach”) can cause severe damage if eaten, such as ulcers in the mouth and GI tract. In addition to calling your veterinarian, offer milk if your pet has eaten bleach. If bleach has come in contact with skin, bathe your pet in liquid dishwashing soap until the bleach smell is gone.
Bleach combined with an acidic cleaner is dangerous, as it can create hypochlorous acid and chlorine gas, which is toxic if inhaled. This gas can cause inflammation/irritation of the mouth, throat, and GI tract, and is also toxic to humans.
Cationic Detergents (also known as Quaternary Ammonia Compounds)
All-purpose cleaners and sanitizing products are common cationic detergents. Sanitizers include surface disinfecting wipes, pool algaecides, some fabric softeners, some dryer sheets, some laundry detergents (especially liquid ones), and some toilet tank drop-in products (these are only concerns if the tablet or capsule itself is ingested, but they're safe after being diluted in toilet water). Household products in the U.S. that have cationic detergents must be listed under the ingredient list on the front label. Cleaners with no list on the front label would not have cationics or bleach in them. Even at low concentrations (2%), they can cause signs similar to those of alkaline products. If ingested, signs may include weakness, twitching, seizures, collapse, and trouble breathing. Call your veterinarian, then feed milk if the product was ingested or use dishwashing liquid to remove the product from the skin.
Detergents (Non-Ionic/Anionic) and Soaps
Non-ionic and anionic detergents can be found in many types of soaps, such as hand soap and shampoo, and in cleaning products such as hand dishwashing detergent. For the most part, the toxicity level in soaps is mild. These can cause irritation if they get into the eyes, after which you may see eye redness or squinting. If eye irritation has occurred, rinse your pet’s eyes with room temperature water or saline solution. If these products are eaten, they can cause stomach upset, vomiting, and loose stools. If these signs are seen, call your veterinarian immediately.
Hand Sanitizers and Alcohol
Isopropanol, also known as rubbing alcohol, is absorbed quickly by mouth and is readily absorbed through the skin, which can cause alcohol toxicity if enough is absorbed. Breathing fumes can also be problematic in small, confined areas. Ethanol and ethyl alcohol are similar types of alcohol, all of which can be found in hand sanitizer. Usually, hand sanitizers have other ingredients such as propylene glycol to give it the jelly consistency,. Propylene glycol and ethanol or ethyl alcohol are NOT the same thing as what is found in antifreeze, which is ethylene glycol. Hand sanitizers do not cause antifreeze poisoning. Most hand sanitizers are rarely an issue if eaten in very small amounts (e.g., a pet licking your hands after you put some on yourself). Signs of alcohol toxicity, although very rare, can include vomiting, wobbliness, twitching, trouble breathing, or coma. If these signs are noted, see your veterinarian as soon as possible, and keep your pet warm in the meantime.
Phenols
The levels of phenols in household cleaners are generally not toxic enough to be of concern anymore; if exposed, you may see similar signs of exposure to anionic/nonionic detergents. Phenols can be found in antiseptics, germicides, household cleaners with pine oil products, and disinfectants, such as cleaning sprays. Phenols can cause problems in the GI tract if eaten. Direct irritation can be an issue if your pet walks on a surface that isn’t yet dry. Cats seem to be especially sensitive to these products. Pain, redness, and ulcers may be noted on the skin or paws with contact. If your pet eats the product, rapid breathing, tremors, twitching, and incoordination can be seen. Call your veterinarian and bathe your pet with liquid dish soap if the product contacts the skin.
If You Are Unsure
The ASPCA Poison Control Center says that most cleaning agents can be used safely in homes if label recommendations are followed. In this scenario, it's better safe than sorry. If you have doubts about using a product that your dog or cat can encounter, check with an animal poison control center or call your veterinarian.
The ASPCA National Animal Poison Control is available 24 hours daily at 888-426-4435. Expect an initial consultation fee, and additional follow-up is at no charge. You will be assigned a case number that your veterinarian can use to communicate with a toxicology specialist before beginning treatment.
If your pet has a HomeAgain microchip, a free poison control consultation is included in the full-service registration. Call 1-888-466-3242.