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Borax is a common household chemical that many of us have at home! It’s sometimes used alone but may also be combined with other chemicals in our cleaning products. While borax is safe when used correctly, what happens if a dog eats borax?
Has your dog eaten borax? Are you worried the borax will make your dog sick? If so, you’ve come to the right place. We understand it can be scary when your dog eats something like this.
We’ve put together some information about borax and whether it can make a dog sick. Let’s get started!
What is Borax?
Borax, also known as sodium borate, is a hydrated salt of boric acid. It’s usually sold in powder or granular form. The mineral is directly mined from the ground and then processed into household cleaners, pesticides, and more.
Borax is safe when used in the right way; however, what happens if a dog eats borax?
Borax & Dogs
Unfortunately, borax is extremely toxic to dogs.
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Ask a Vet Live NowSymptoms of Borax Ingestion in Dogs
You may notice these symptoms if your dog eats borax:
- Diarrhea (may contain blood)
- Vomit (may contain blood)
- Excessive drooling (may contain blood)
- Abdominal pain
- Gastric ulceration
- Excessive thirst
- Kidney damage
- Seizures, twitching, stumbling
- Skin & eye irritation
The signs of borax ingestion may not show up for 2-4 hours. That means if your dog is showing any of these symptoms, he ingested the chemical within the last couple of hours or so.
If you notice these symptoms in your dog, call the vet immediately. This is an emergency.
Be sure to let the vet know how much borax your dog has eaten. Tell them if the borax was in another product or not. And when you head to the vet, be sure to take the product packaging with you. The information it contains may be helpful to the vet.
At the vet’s, they will work to decontaminate your dog. The vet may induce vomiting and/or use activated charcoal for this purpose. Your dog will most likely require hospitalization until he’s stable, which could be a couple of days or more, depending on the severity of his symptoms. He may also require an IV for fluids and make it easier to administer medications.
A dog’s chances of survival depend on how much borax he’s eaten and how soon he receives medical treatment. So, getting your dog to the vet ASAP may just save his life.
Connect with a verified veterinarian in minutes. Licensed vets are available 24/7 to answer your questions. No need to worry about your furry family member.
Kim
Kim is a talented author, who loves animals especially dogs. She engaged in writing books and articles relating to animals a decade ago. Kim resides in Chicago with her husband and son. The family is the proud owner of a dog and a parrot (Jack and Lily). Kim wanted more than these two pets, but her husband put his foot down... She often visits elementary schools to talk to the kids about what she learned about pets and how they could learn from them.
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