Chapsticks are for lips and not for our dogs. Still, with everything we do with this item, our pets may think of it as food, just like all other things around. Since it’s something we put into our lips, our pets may see it as the food we put in our mouths. Or, perhaps it may be quite fragrant in a canine’s nose.
So, you may ask: my dog ate chapstick: what should I do now? If your dog ate chapstick, the first thing you should do is to observe your pet for signs or symptoms of poisoning. If your pet seems alright, keep on checking for a few days. To ensure your pet’s safety, consult a vet immediately, and have your pet checked.
The first thing to remember is that chapstick and dogs don’t go hand in hand. While it shouldn’t contain anything lethal, it’s not food your pet can swallow.
In this article, we’ll tackle everything you need to know about chapstick and dogs. This way, you’ll know what to do if your pet eats one.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Contents
What should I do if my dog ate chapstick?
As I said earlier, Chapstick is a product designed like skincare for our lips. For this reason, we can say that it is harmless to our pets. Still, it remains a skincare product not meant for our dogs to eat.
While a Chapstick is harmless, it contains ingredients that can be toxic in large amounts.
For instance, it contains chemicals designed only for external application. If ingested, it can cause complications in the body.
Of course, as pet owners, we want to ensure our pet’s safety, and that we need to ensure that nothing is wrong with them. Here are four simple tips you can do if your dog ate such an item.
Observe your dog.
You need to observe your dog and look for any signs of pain or reaction after eating this product.
Some symptoms would mean danger, and if such happens, you may need to call or take your pet to the nearest vet.
If your pet seems alright and doesn’t show any signs of severe symptoms, you may proceed with the next one.
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Clean the area and remove the remnants.
The last thing you’ll want is for your pet to eat more of this skincare product. Thus, you should remove any remnants from the area.
Dogs usually find such things in your bathrooms and bedrooms. More likely, they may find it lying around near a mirror or someplace where you apply it.
Wherever the product came from, ensure the area is secure and no more remnants.
Understand what happened.
Chapstick is harmless in small amounts. However, it can turn into quite a danger if ingested in large quantities.
For this reason, understanding the situation will give you an idea of how you should deal with it. It would be best to note every detail you can gather regarding the incident.
Here are a few questions that you need to answer and understand from the scene.
- How much of the Chapstick did your pet eat? (Did it swallow the product whole?)
- How long has it been since it happened? (the sooner you knew, the better)
- Did your dog consume other items aside from the product? (perhaps other products are near the Chapstick)
Getting such information would make you understand how worse the incident is. Moreover, it will help you report what happened if you visit the vet and ask about what happened.
Take your pet to your vet.
Chapstick as a lip product may not pose that much of a threat. However, nothing beats the assurance coming from your vet.
An immediate call to your vet upon learning about the situation would give you an expert’s advice on what to do.
As long as you give every piece of information you can gather, it will help diagnose your pet’s condition.
Moreover, your vet will give you some directions on what to do and what to observe with your dog.
Even if your dog shows no adverse reaction upon taking the product, a visit to the vet will help you ensure it is alright.
What will happen if a dog eats chapstick?
A dog that eats chapstick isn’t likely to suffer, but that’s only as long as it takes only a little. If it eats a handful of such, that would be completely different.
Moreover, it may cause more issues if it contains other toxic ingredients such as xylitol. If your dog eats Chapstick, it will likely pass through the gut without causing any harm.
However, overeating of such can lead to some complications. It can be worse depending on the amount it takes and the size of its body.
The key to deal with this issue is to understand how much your pet takes and how long it has been since it happened.
Moreover, you need to observe your pet for signs that show problems brought about by the product.
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Can chapstick make a dog sick?
Your dog may get sick from eating Chapstick. Still, it’s not likely that your pet will die just because of ingesting such, although it can happen.
Chapstick is a lip product designed like skincare for lips. Thus, it’s components aren’t that toxic if consumed. Still, it can be a completely different thing if taken in large amounts.
Chapstick can make a dog sick if it eats even a small amount. It’s also possible that the product becomes a factor in worsening your pet’s condition. It can happen if your pet already has another issue.
As always, keep such things away from your dog’s reach to avoid unwanted incidents.
Is chapstick edible for dogs?
Chapstick isn’t a product meant to be food for dogs. For this reason, you can’t consider this product as an edible thing for dogs.
Still, it doesn’t mean it’s lethal either. It won’t contain any toxic ingredients to our body as a lip product. Thus, the same principle may apply to our pets.
As a general rule of thumb, Chapsticks and other similar products should always be in a secured place. Always keep it out of your pet’s reach to avoid its consumption.
Why do dogs eat chapstick?
If you wonder why dogs would eat chapstick, you should first understand that they are curious animals. While chapstick doesn’t seem like food for us, it’s a debatable issue for them.
The first reason why they would eat chapstick is they may have seen us applying such on our lips. For our dogs, it may seem like we’re eating it.
Also, chapstick has a fragrant smell that can be tempting for our pets. Although chapstick is not edible, it may seem like food for our dogs since it smells good.
How to recognize that your dog ate chapstick?
Our pet dogs can be quite the sneaky type. Thus, chances are you won’t catch your pet in action.
To recognize if your dog ate chapstick, you need to check them for signs of illness. In particular, you can look for symptoms of intestinal blockage.
Here are the following symptoms this complication may include:
- Vomiting
- Drowsiness
- Weakness
- Collapse
- Seizures
When it comes to such incidents, a vet visit is always necessary. This way, you can be confident your pet receives proper diagnosis and treatment.
It would be more necessary to call a vet if your chapstick contains toxic ingredients for dogs, such as xylitol or essential oils.
How to prevent dogs from eating chapstick?
A dog eating chapstick incident isn’t new. However, it should be a lesson to prevent it from happening again.
Here are some of the things you can do to prevent your pet from eating a chapstick again.
Place the chapstick somewhere unreachable.
The first thing you need is to secure the place where you store your chapstick. It would be ideal for putting it somewhere your dog can’t see and reach.
This way, you can be sure your pet won’t get its hands on such a product again. If your dog has access to your room, put your chapstick and other similar products in place it can’t reach.
Use chapstick that doesn’t contain toxic ingredients.
As I said, some chapstick products contain toxic components such as xylitol and essential oils. While it may not be harmful to you, it can put your pet at risk if it eats such again.
If you can’t pick such, the best way is to keep the product out of your pet’s reach.
Divert your dog’s attention.
Another thing you can do is to divert your dog’s attention away from the product. You can do this by giving your pet an interactive toy.
Moreover, allow your pet to play in areas without chapstick and other similar items. This way, you’ll avoid having your pet running around and eating this lip product again.
Introduce such toys with your guidance, and leave them with your pet only as long as you think it’s alright. It may take a few days or weeks, depending on your dog’s output.
What should you do if your dog ate vaseline or tea bag? Check it out!
Summary
Chapstick is a lip product for us, and it’s not something our dogs can play with, or worse, even eat. Still, since they are curious animals, it’s no surprise that they would eat it if given the opportunity.
Circumstances vary all the time. Thus, if your dog ate chapstick, it may or may not show any symptoms at all. For this reason, constant observation is necessary to keep your pet safe.
In the end, the best way to avoid such incidents is by keeping all these kinds of products out of your pet’s reach. This way, you’ll worry less about your pet eating anything it can get.
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Image credits – Canva