Battery Ingestion in Pets

Well, the holiday season has passed, and life is starting to return to normal. Many of the Christmas gifts we received came equipped with batteries. Dogs and cats will often chew on batteries and this in turn puts them at risk for severe ulceration to the exposed tissues. The most common type of batteries a dog chews on are alkaline dry cell batteries (household AA/AAA/C/D/9 Volt and small button batteries).

Risks of Battery Ingestion

So if the remote control appears to be chewed and the batteries are punctured, or missing then the risk that your pet could be exposed to a corrosive injury is high. Batteries are poisonous to both cats and dogs and typical signs of battery ingestion are.

• Oral pain
• Drooling
• Pawing at the mouth
• Vomiting
• Inappetence
• Difficulty swallowing
• Inappetence
• Pain
• Fever

Because these symptoms are indicative of many illnesses or injuries that your pet can experience, it is always important to have them assessed as soon as possible to rule out other issues – If you know your dog or cat has recently chewed or ingested a battery, then it is crucial to obtain care as soon as possible.

Written by Marie Hearn