Does your dog like to lick lotion off your skin after you put it on? Does your fur baby have a penchant for getting at your lotion bottles? Then you’ve come to the right place. This is a common problem that many pet parents have with their dogs.
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Is it safe for your dog to lick lotion off your skin? The answer is that it depends on the type of lotion he’s licking off.
Lotions & Dogs
Many dogs seem to enjoy the taste or smell of lotions. It could be some smell like food, so your dog likes to lick the lotion off in hopes of getting something yummy. Now, we don’t mean the lotion smells like steak or a roast turkey! Instead, your canine companion may be enticed by the fruity, flowery smells of some lotions, and may believe these must taste good if they smell so good!
But the problem is that some lotions, even those that smell good, can contain ingredients and substances that could be harmful to your dog.
Keep in mind that if your fur baby is licking off something like hand lotion, generally these won’t hurt him unless he happens to ingest a lot of the lotion. In that case, he may develop an upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea. These will be short-lived, and your canine companion should be just fine in a day or so.
On other hand, lotions that are medicated can cause a problem. This applies to both OTC (over the counter) and prescribed medicated lotions. These types of lotions include:
- Antifungal creams: used for jock itch, nail fungus, athlete’s foot, yeast infections, and more.
- Steroid creams: which contain hydrocortisone, are often used to treat skin irritations, skin allergies, etc.
- Diaper rash ointments & creams: these often contain zinc oxide, which can cause damage to a dog’s intestinal tract.
- Triple antibiotic ointments: can cause upset stomach, so be sure to allow the ointment to absorb so your fur baby won’t ingest the medication.
- Muscle rubs: may contain salicylates or other substances, which can cause blooding vomit or stomach ulcers
- Sunscreens
- Antihistamine creams
- Calamine lotion: is often used to treat poison ivy and it may contain zinc oxide. Zinc oxide, as noted above, is poisonous to dogs.
- Muscle rubs: many of these products contain salicylates to reduce painful inflammation. However, if your fur baby eats these products, he could develop vomiting, bloody vomiting, and stomach ulcers. However, some muscle rubs do not contain these ingredients, though they may contain menthol and capsaicin, which can make a dog sick.
- Moisturizing lotions: if your fur baby eats a large amount of these products, he could become sick. The lotions contain chemicals and substances that are moisturizing. These ingredients can cause GI upset in dogs.
- Rogaine (Minoxidil): is a common product used to help people regrow their hair. If your dog eats this, he could develop fluid buildup in his lungs and develop heart failure. Never allow your fur baby to lick your head after applying these products.
Prescription Lotions Can Be Deadly
Not many pet parents realize that prescription lotions can be deadly if ingested by a dog. For instance, prescription steroid-based creams can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, increased thirst, and urination. It can take anywhere from a few hours to weeks for these symptoms to appear.
So, make sure to keep your dog from licking you after you’ve applied prescription lotions.
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Ask a Vet Live NowSymptoms of Lotion Poisoning in Dogs
The ingredients in these lotions and creams can cause nausea, vomiting, excessive drooling, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues.
Lotion Poisoning Prevention in Dogs
It’s best to keep all lotions out of your dog’s reach, such as in a cabinet that’s too high for him to reach. You could also put the lotion in a locked cabinet your fur baby can’t open.
In addition, keep your dog from licking you after applying lotion or medicated lotions on your skin.
For these reasons, it’s important to curb your dog’s lotion-licking habits. If your fur baby does happen to eat a lot of lotion (from the bottle) or licks a lot of lotion off your skin, then you may want to call the vet and get their advice on what you need to do.
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Kyoko
Kyoko is from a family of 3 and moved to New York with her parents and siblings when she was 13. Kyoko is fond of spending a great amount of time with pets, specifically her beagle Luna and cat Missy. Her boyfriend often complains that she spends too much time giving attention to their animals. Kyoko has written dozens of articles concerning pets and is aiming at owning a pet shop one day!
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