Mosquitoes are pests that are capable of carrying different diseases. To stay protected, people use different items to keep mosquitoes at bay. One of those items is the old-fashioned mosquito coil.
Unfortunately, a curious pet dog may mistake the mosquito coil you’re using for a smoky snack. Should you be worried if your pet chows down on your mosquito coil? You can get the answer to that important question regarding mosquito coils and dogs in this article.
What Happens if My Dog Eats a Mosquito Coil?
You’ve probably used a mosquito coil numerous times before without thinking too much about it. All you need to know is that it keeps mosquitoes away.
Learning more about mosquito coils will be key if you want to understand how they could impact your pet dog.
Mosquito coils work by releasing odors that repel any mosquitoes nearby. Specific ingredients are used to make the mosquito coils so they can effectively shoo the mosquitoes away.
Some mosquito coils are made using citronella. Other options on the market may be made from dried pyrethrum powder paste. How badly eating the mosquito coil will affect your dog will depend in large part on the item’s material composition.
How Citronella Mosquito Coils Affect Dogs
Citronella is a toxic substance to common household pets. That’s why pet owners are advised not to keep any citronella plants or products in places where their dogs can access them easily. Mosquito coils made from citronella are also toxic to dogs.
What can you expect to see if your dog eats your citronella mosquito coil? The likely outcome is your dog getting sick.
They may get diarrhea not long after they ate the citronella mosquito coil. In addition to diarrhea, your dog may also start throwing up.
Whenever any dog starts to experience diarrhea and vomiting at the same time, they also become at risk of getting dehydrated. Give your pet water constantly so you can avoid that potential problem.
How Pyrethrum Mosquito Coils Affect Dogs
Remarkably, the mosquito coils made from citronella may be the safer option if you have a pet dog. As bad as a bout of diarrhea and vomiting can be, it may still be preferable to the effects that pyrethrum mosquito coils can have on dogs.
For starters, your pet dog may develop some gastrointestinal issues due to consuming the pyrethrum coil. That means they could still experience diarrhea and vomiting. However, the symptoms of pyrethrum poisoning go well beyond that.
Another symptom to watch out for is choking. It may seem like your dog is choking on something even though they have already swallowed the mosquito coil. This can be a great source of discomfort for your pet so try to relieve it as soon as possible.
Your dog may also start to experience tremors after eating the pyrethrum coil. Check their legs for shaking if you want to confirm your suspicions.
Lastly, a dog that is suffering from the effects of pyrethrum poisoning may start to have seizures. They may drop to the ground and seize up right there.
As you can see, the symptoms of pyrethrum poisoning are very serious. Your dog will have to consume a lot of the coil to get sick because the amount of pyrethrum in it is relatively low. Even so, you should consider the ill effects it can have on your dog before you light it up.
Additional Issues Caused by Mosquito Coils
Mosquito coils are made in that shape so they can release a large amount of the mosquito-repelling odors within a short period of time. You won’t have to wait long for a mosquito coil to take effect.
Furthermore, the coil shape prevents it from being an obstruction while in use. You are less likely to bump the coil because it only takes up a small amount of space.
The shape of the mosquito coil allows it to work efficiently. The problem is that shape could also be the reason why your dog is in danger.
If your dog somehow swallows a big portion of the mosquito coil, it could get lodged in their gastrointestinal tract.
Your dog may experience severe discomfort due to the big chunks of mosquito coil that did not go all the way down to their gut. The blockages could also cause your pet to become disinterested in eating. They may be in so much pain that they cannot even summon the energy to eat.
What to Do if My Dog Eats a Mosquito Coil?
We’ve established that mosquito coils can be harmful to dogs, but what should you do if your pet eats one? The tips included in this section of the article should help you manage that scary situation better.
Watch Over Your Pet
The amount of mosquito coil your dog ate will greatly affect how their condition develops in the hours after consumption. Hopefully, your pet only ate a small amount of the mosquito coil.
If your dog did not eat a sizable portion of the mosquito coil, the two of you can stay home. Stay somewhere close to your pet and monitor how their condition develops. Remember to also give your pet water so they don’t get dehydrated even if they end up vomiting or pooping.
The effects of your dog eating the mosquito coil may clear up after a few hours. Once they go away, your pet should be back to normal.
Go to the Veterinarian Together with Your Pet
Upon checking on your pet, you may find that they ate a big piece of the mosquito coil. They may also be suffering from that decision already.
Considering how much of the coil your dog ate, you should go ahead and bring them to the veterinarian. It’s possible that your dog is sick due to the chemicals in the coil, but the issue could also be due to an obstruction inside their body. In either case, your pet dog is likely very sick and in need of immediate treatment.
You should head to the veterinarian to be safe. Note that surgery could be necessary if the mosquito coil is stuck deep in your dog’s gastrointestinal tract.