Veterinary dip of sulfurated lime solution. How toxic?
April 16, 2018 8:19 PM Subscribe
Just gave my dog a dip of sulfurated lime solution. She's licking it off her fur. Is it harmful to ingest?
You are not my veterinarian.
My otherwise healthy 5 year old hound-mix has a skin problem. The vet believes it's skin mites (mange). I have just applied the dip, and sat with her to the bathroom for a couple hours -- so that her fur could air dry. The vet told us not to towel her dry, because the dip needs to remain on her fur and skin. (We had a heater and a fan in there.)
Now she is slightly damp, on her sofa, and is licking her paws and anywhere she can reach. I'm concerned about the chemical in the dip. Will it make her sick? The bottle has no warnings about toxicity. It's too late the phone the vet. I tried giving the dog a marrow bone to distract her, but she would rather lick her fur.
Should I run out to petco and get an e-collar? I hate to make her wear that cone.
You are not my veterinarian.
My otherwise healthy 5 year old hound-mix has a skin problem. The vet believes it's skin mites (mange). I have just applied the dip, and sat with her to the bathroom for a couple hours -- so that her fur could air dry. The vet told us not to towel her dry, because the dip needs to remain on her fur and skin. (We had a heater and a fan in there.)
Now she is slightly damp, on her sofa, and is licking her paws and anywhere she can reach. I'm concerned about the chemical in the dip. Will it make her sick? The bottle has no warnings about toxicity. It's too late the phone the vet. I tried giving the dog a marrow bone to distract her, but she would rather lick her fur.
Should I run out to petco and get an e-collar? I hate to make her wear that cone.
Cone her, please, ASAP! Sulfered lime that is used for a plant pesticide combines very badly with acids, including stomach acids. In fact, I would call any vetrinarian you can reach as well to ensure you don't need to bring her in for what she has already licked.
posted by Jane the Brown at 8:45 PM on April 16, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Jane the Brown at 8:45 PM on April 16, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: "Lime Sulfur Dip Caution
For topical use only on dogs and cats Do not exceed recommended daily concentration. Measure carefully. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes. May cause skin irritation. If eye contact or skin irritation develops, rinse with clean water for at least 15 minutes, stop treatment and contact your veterinarian immediately. If ingestion occurs, rinse mouth with clean water and offer large amounts of milk, egg whites or water. DO NOT INDUCE VOMITNG. " This quote is from https://www.drugs.com/vet/lime-sulfur-dip.html
Yeah, you've got a call-poison-control-immediately situation there.
posted by Jane the Brown at 8:50 PM on April 16, 2018 [3 favorites]
For topical use only on dogs and cats Do not exceed recommended daily concentration. Measure carefully. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes. May cause skin irritation. If eye contact or skin irritation develops, rinse with clean water for at least 15 minutes, stop treatment and contact your veterinarian immediately. If ingestion occurs, rinse mouth with clean water and offer large amounts of milk, egg whites or water. DO NOT INDUCE VOMITNG. " This quote is from https://www.drugs.com/vet/lime-sulfur-dip.html
Yeah, you've got a call-poison-control-immediately situation there.
posted by Jane the Brown at 8:50 PM on April 16, 2018 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I had to give my cats lime dips when they had ringworm. They were required to wear cones until they dried completely because the wet dip can make them ill if they lick it off.
She must wear a cone until she is completely dry, which takes about 8 hours. Yes, she will be very unhappy, but the cone isn’t going to hurt her and she will be fine. She cannot be allowed to lick herself. I’d also recommend putting a bunch of old towels or something on her sofa unless you want it to smell like fireworks forever.
posted by Autumnheart at 9:32 PM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
She must wear a cone until she is completely dry, which takes about 8 hours. Yes, she will be very unhappy, but the cone isn’t going to hurt her and she will be fine. She cannot be allowed to lick herself. I’d also recommend putting a bunch of old towels or something on her sofa unless you want it to smell like fireworks forever.
posted by Autumnheart at 9:32 PM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks to all for the replies. I truly appreciate the concern shown here on the green.
Doggie stopped licking after a few minutes. I think her feet were still wet and she was licking to dry off her paws. She does that when we come in from the rain, if I forget to dry her feet. She's calm now.
I phoned ASPCA 24 hour Animal Poison Control Center. The rep asked a lot of detailed questions, and consulted with a vet. The vet said that the diluted solution we used (per bottle directions) is not likely to cause any serious problem. We should watch for the following, and phone back if we see a problem:
* watch for vomiting (next 4-6 hours)
* loose stools (next 12-24 hours)
* Affect to Central nervous system is very unlikely. If we see change in gum color, trouble breathing, disorientation -- head immediately to the clinic.
Next bath, we will be more careful and use a cone.
Interesting note... doggie has a "Home Again" chip. As subscribers to the Home Again service, we are covered for the ASPCA poison control consult. No charge for the consult.
posted by valannc at 10:11 PM on April 16, 2018 [9 favorites]
Doggie stopped licking after a few minutes. I think her feet were still wet and she was licking to dry off her paws. She does that when we come in from the rain, if I forget to dry her feet. She's calm now.
I phoned ASPCA 24 hour Animal Poison Control Center. The rep asked a lot of detailed questions, and consulted with a vet. The vet said that the diluted solution we used (per bottle directions) is not likely to cause any serious problem. We should watch for the following, and phone back if we see a problem:
* watch for vomiting (next 4-6 hours)
* loose stools (next 12-24 hours)
* Affect to Central nervous system is very unlikely. If we see change in gum color, trouble breathing, disorientation -- head immediately to the clinic.
Next bath, we will be more careful and use a cone.
Interesting note... doggie has a "Home Again" chip. As subscribers to the Home Again service, we are covered for the ASPCA poison control consult. No charge for the consult.
posted by valannc at 10:11 PM on April 16, 2018 [9 favorites]
Best answer: You can find soft and sometimes inflatable cone collars for pets now, which can be a lot more comfortable for them but still pretty effective in keeping them from licking themselves. It's also less jarring if they walk into a wall with the cone, because there's some give, so it's less harsh on the neck. It still looks unbelievably goofy, of course, but that's up to you to keep to yourself.
posted by Mizu at 12:58 AM on April 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 12:58 AM on April 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Followup. Doggie had no adverse affects. She is fine. ASPCA poison control center phoned me to followup. I'm impressed and grateful for their service. Thank again mefites!
posted by valannc at 10:22 AM on April 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by valannc at 10:22 AM on April 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
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posted by neilbert at 8:29 PM on April 16, 2018