My Dog Ate Hand Cream Will He Get Sick?

Do you have hand cream around the house? If you answered yes, then you’re not alone! Most of us keep at least one type of hand cream or lotion around. In fact, many of us use hand cream every day!

What is in Hand Cream?

Hand cream, also called hand lotion, is used to keep the skin on our hands protected and from drying out too much. These products usually include ingredients that work to keep the skin moisturized. In fact, it’s often used after washing our hands.

Depending on the ingredients, hand cream can also help repair damaged skin. Ingredients in this type of lotion might include cocoa butter, honey, aloe vera, coconut oil, and more.

In most cases, non-medicated hand cream, which is available over the counter, doesn’t contain chemicals that are toxic to dogs. But what should you do if your dog eats some hand cream?

Is Hand Cream Toxic to Dogs?

In most cases, hand cream is not toxic to dogs. Some of the most common ingredients in hand lotion may irritate a dog’s stomach, however. These include:

• Dimethicone
• Mineral oil
• Paraffins
• Petrolatum

While these ingredients are not toxic, then can make your dog vomit, have an upset stomach, and diarrhea. This usually passes quickly. So, if your dog has eaten simple hand cream, then he should be OK. However, we still recommend calling the vet just to be on the safe side. You want to make sure your fur baby will be OK.

If OTC hand creams contain other ingredients, such as essential oils, these may be toxic to your dog. Call the vet immediately if your dog has eaten hand lotion with these types of ingredients. Even though they’re natural, they can still make your dog very sick.

What if my Dog Ate the Hand Lotion Bottle or Tube?

This could be a more serious problem, depending on how much of the packaging your dog’s eaten. The problem is due to the plastic bottles and tubes used to store lotion. Even a small piece, with sharp edges, can do internal damage to your dog.

And if your dog’s eaten a large portion of the plastic hand cream container, there’s also the possibility the plastic could become lodged in your fur baby’s intestines. The danger is that the plastic will become stuck and cause an intestinal blockage. This is a life-threatening medical issue.

So, if your dog has eaten even a portion of the hand cream container, then we recommend calling the vet as soon as possible.

And if your dog likes to lick the lotion on your hands, it’s best to train him to stop this behavior. You want to avoid him developing a taste for hand cream or its packaging!