Larger ingestions of laundry detergent by pets can lead to the manifestation of important symptoms. It doesn’t really matter if your pet has ingested the liquid form or concentrated form of the detergent. The most common clinical symptom seen in detergent consumption is vomiting.

Since detergent is foamy, there is a higher risk of the foam being inhaled into the lungs as the dog or cat vomits. In a worst case scenario, the detergent can coat the air passages and interfere in the exchange of oxygen in the lungs, causing suffocation in affected animals. Ingestion can also cause coughing, respiratory problems, and inflammation of the tissues of the lungs. The back of the throat may also get irritated, leading to gagging and retching. If your dog or cat does ingest laundry detergent in any form, contact your Westlake Village, CA veterinary clinic immediately. Repetitive bouts of vomiting or breathing difficulties should be brought to your veterinarian’s attention immediately. For more information, visit this link.