Now that we are in the midst of Bonfire and Halloween parties children are running all over the place with luminous bracelets and necklaces. These are the novelty glow stick type plastic devices that you snap and shake to make a glowing fluorescent light form in the liquid within a plastic tube. Fun for running about with in the dark if you are a pre-teen and fun for jumping around with to thumping music if you are a teenager or older; but what if one gets dropped and chewed by a dog?
Luckily the contents of these glow sticks (mostly a substance called dibutyl phthalate) is of low toxicity, however it is irritant and does not taste very nice so pets that chew luminous necklaces and the like can show signs of salivation, distress, frothing at the mouth and sometimes vomiting.
These signs are usually short-lived and self-limiting. If we see these sorts of poisonings we will tend to give oral fluids, try and wash out the mouth or give the patient a tasty treat to try and clear the mouth. All of these things you could do yourself at home. The liquid is also irritating to the skin and eyes so if your pet is covered in it they will need washing and possible irrigation of their eyes.
So if your dog or cat does get hold of a glow stick it should not be a cause of huge panic but it is best that they are kept well out of reach if possible.
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