Toxin Tuesdays: Salt

One of the unexpected sources of salt toxicity in pets (Image Source)

Salt may seem like an odd toxin to our pets but it is definitely one to consider due to the potential profound effects on our pets.  One way to develop a salt toxicity is to have no access to water. This is not common in our household pets but can happen in livestock especially if water sources become frozen. If you pet spends a good amount of time outside ensure that their water source is fresh and accessible. There are other causes of increased salt around the house that may surprise you. Items like homemade play dough (or play dough ornaments), paint balls and salt used to melt snow have very large amounts of salt and can cause issues if ingested by our pets.

 

Paint balls are another source of salt toxicity in our pets (Image Source)

Symptoms of a salt toxicity can vary depending on amount and time of exposure. In mild cases you may only see some gastro-intestinal upset such as vomiting, diarrhea or lack of appetite. These tend to happen fairly quickly after a toxic level is reached, usually within hours. From there symptoms can progress to neurological signs. These would include tremors, stumbling, seizures, or in extreme cases a coma.

While pets affected by salt toxicity do need to be re-hydrated it needs to be done under veterinary supervision (Image Source)

 To confirm the diagnosis, blood samples will be taken to assess the sodium level. If over the threshold, treatment should be instituted immediately. While this is a serious condition, and aggressive treatment is needed, it must be done appropriately. In this case overloading with fluids to dilute the sodium will not work, in fact it may make the patient worse. It has to be done slowly with frequent blood draws to assess the sodium levels. If treatment is initiated prior to severe symptoms it is possible to have a positive outcome and unlikely lifelong effects. Unfortunately many cases reach the late stages prior to us noticing anything is wrong and many times treatment will not help them.

It is important to monitor your pets to prevent their exposure to unwanted materials. Even if it does not seem appealing to us (because really who would want to eat ice salt or a hard play dough ornament) pets tend to find these items irresistible. If you think your pet may have been eaten something containing a good deal of salt it is best to contact your veterinarian immediately.