Antifreeze is a serious threat to our pets because it is found in almost every home or garage, and can easily be found spilled on streets and/or parking lots. Antifreeze is ingestion when our pets lick it off the ground or off their paws after walking through it. But why is it so appealing to pets? The main ingredient in most antifreeze brands is Ethylene glycol, which has a very sweet flavor.
The enticing sweetness of ethylene glycol is something that has long been of concern so in 2012, manufacturers voluntarily agreed to add a bittering agent to antifreeze. This did help to neutralize the appealing flavor of antifreeze, but it did nothing to reduce how lethal it is. It has been estimated that anywhere between 10,000 and 90,000 animals in the US are poisoned each year, and of those animals that have come on contact with the deadly toxin, most of them, nearly 88%, do not survive. A toxic dose can be as little as 1 teaspoon in cats or as little as 1 tablespoon in dogs.
So what can you do?
1. Keep antifreeze sealed and away from animals; clean up spills immediately and thoroughly. Fix any leaks right away.
3. Be careful when walking your pet through parking lots, garages and driveways or across the street. Clean your pets feet thoroughly when arriving home before letting them off leash.
4. Antifreeze isn’t the only product that contains ethylene glycol—So Be careful. Certain paints, cosmetics and even novelty snow globes can contain smaller amounts of the toxin.
5. Monitor your pet for strange behavior like poor to no coordination, depression, or if they are non-responsive. The longer between ingestion and treatment the greater risk their is for long term kidney damage or death.
6. Contact your veterinarian immediately. Antifreeze is fast acting so time is important. If treated within 4 hours for cats and 8 hours for dog prognosis is fair to good. If untreated death occurs within 24-48 hours after exposure.
For more information visit: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.