ink poisoning in dogs

People keep coming to this blog via the search string “ink poisoning in dogs”. I went in search of a link with definitive info to post here once and for all but could find little to nothing “official” about ink and dogs.

From what I can piece together, the real danger isn’t in the minuscule amount of ink they may ingest but the shards of plastic from the pens. If your dog has chewed up a pen and you are noticing symptoms, the symptoms could be from the plastic shards. Get your dog checked out! If you’re like me, you’re only monetarily sorry when you take them in and nothing is wrong. I know, money doesn’t grow on trees, but neither do good dogs!

As far as ink poisoning is concerned, “Writing ink is generally considered non-toxic,” says healthcentral.com.

Medline Plus says the same thing and that you would have to ingest more than an ounce before you’d need to get help. This site also says that the symptoms may include eye irritation or staining of the skin and mucus membranes. This only applies to people, though, ymmv.

I want to emphasize how very important it is to keep the area that the dog spends time in cleaned up. Dogs who chew things other than their own toys are at a higher risk of poisoning and intestinal damage and/or blockage. It’s only logical. We have to be extremely careful with Noah because he will eat socks, among other things. I have pulled partially swallowed socks out of his mouth a couple of times. He is a trash raider so we have to really watch what we throw away. It isn’t uncommon to have a select pile of garbage sitting on the counter until the kitchen bag is ready to out to the dumpster. The last thing I want to do is to have him or the recently corrupted Heidi grab onto a razor blade or a shard of broken glass and swallow it.

Here’s a lengthy thread about this very thing on the Old English Sheepdog forum.

I knew there was a reason I need to keep my house clean! It might be easier to get rid of the dogs and get my CCW.

Dec. 15, ‘07 - A commenter below shared about the use of hydrogen peroxide or salt as directed by a veterinarian.  Upon researching this further, it seems that this is controversial.  At the time of the comment, I had intended to provide links either backing this up or shooting it down.  I had found links saying that these methods are safe if done correctly.   I got busy and did not do that.  So that any future readers will know that this is not an ignorant, cruel thing to do to dogs, this is what the Merck Veterinary manual says about the use of hydrogen peroxide or salt when inducing vomiting is necessary to save the dog’s life: 

Hydrogen peroxide (3%) or salt applied to the back of the pharynx stimulates vomiting via the ninth cranial nerve. Small doses (5-10 mL) of hydrogen peroxide can be administered via oral syringe until emesis occurs. It should be administered cautiously, especially in cats, because aspiration of hydrogen peroxide foam causes severe aspiration pneumonia.

  The Merck Veterinary Manual is for Veterinarians and other veterinary professionals.  If it says a thing is safe, there is the assumption that those putting the information to use are responsible professionals using sense and education, not some group of fraternity brothers or devil worshipers looking for ways to torture animals, for goodness sake. Please don’t go giving animals anything besides the food that you know is safe without the express advice and instruction of a veterinarian, preferably your own vet who has actually seen your pet.   To say that no one should give something to an animal because it is toxic in large doses is to say that a sick child shouldn’t receive antibiotics for the same reason.  That’s ridiculous.  

listen online down gilead lane

CBH Ministries’ Down Gilead Lane

Here’s their program archive on Oneplace. They haven’t always kept that current but it looks like they are now. Prior to their site being updated/upgraded once or twice, they made archived shows available right from there. Apparently now the archives are only available on Oneplace.com. I don’t care where they’re available, I’m just glad that they are.

Speaking of audio programs!!!, before I forget to mention it, there is a new set in the Jonathan Park series! Volume V, “The Explorer’s Society”, is available through The Vision Forum.