Discovering that your dog has eaten Epsom salt can be alarming. Epsom salt can pose serious health risks to dogs if ingested.
Eating large amounts of Epsom salt can cause a medical condition known as hypermagnesemia which can affect a dog’s heart and nerve impulses. Ingesting Epsom salts can also cause other adverse side effects like diarrhea and stomach upset.
Acting quickly and understanding the potential dangers is crucial. This guide will provide detailed steps on what to do immediately after discovering your dog has ingested Epsom salt.
Is Epsom Salt Harmful To Dogs?
Some vets recommend the usage of Epsom salts for dogs with certain health problems.
However, epsom salt poisoning can happen if your dog eats the epsom salt directly or drink epsom salt water.
Since epsom salts are made of magnesium sulfate, too much of this compound in your dog’s body can lead to hypermagnesemia.
Hypermagnesemia is a medical condition whereby your dog has abnormally high magnesium levels in its blood.
Magnesium isn’t bad in any way and is a mineral that is required for metabolic functions in your dog’s body. It can be found in your dog’s bones and muscles.
However, too much magnesium can affect your dog’s nerves and heart.
Symptoms of hypermagnesemia include:
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Arrhythmia
- Fasciculations (these often look like flickering under the skin)
- Depression
- Low blood pressure
- Cardiac arrest
- Paralysis
- Lethargy
- Coma
These are very serious side effects and can be fatal to some dogs in severe cases. The best way to help your dog is to get it to the vet immediately.
Even if your dog doesn’t ingest enough Epsom salts for it to be toxic, it can suffer from pretty bad diarrhea as Epsom salt is a natural laxative.
Sometimes vets even prescribe magnesium sulphate to dogs with constipation.
If your dog is having diarrhea, it is best to try and keep the dog food as bland as possible. A serving of boiled or steamed chicken with some rice can help settle the tummy.
You can also add a small amount of fresh pumpkin or psyllium husk to your dog’s food to firm up its stool.
When using pumpkin, please do not use canned pumpkin that contains sugar or other added ingredients.
On a side note, pumpkin works well for dogs with pancreatitis as it is easily digested and absorbed by the dog’s body.
If the diarrhea persists for more than 48 hours, you need to take your dog to the vet for treatment as prolonged diarrhea can be life-threatening.
How Is Epson Salt Poisoning Treated?
The vet will give your dog a thorough physical examination, check its vital signs and run a few important lab tests.
The aim is to try and determine the level of magnesium in your dog’s body.
An electrocardiography or ECG might also be carried out on your dog to get a better analysis of its heart as hypermagnesemia affects the heart as well.
The common treatments for hypermagnesemia are fluid and calcium therapy to flush out as much of the excess magnesium from the dog’s body as possible.
Diuretics can also be given to increase the magnesium excretion.
If the ingestion happened recently, vets may also give an emetic to make the dog vomit to prevent further absorption of the epsom salts.
Can Epsom Salt Be Beneficial For Dogs?
When used in a safe and supervised environment, Epsom salts can have some benefits for dogs.
Epsom salt can help with:
- Itchy skin
- Inflammation
- Dry skin
- Relaxation
- Promotes healing for small wounds
The right way to use Epsom salt on your dog is to fill your bathtub with some warm water and add a cup of Epsom salt.
The water level should be well below your dog’s mouth so that it doesn’t end up drinking the Epsom salt water.
If you need to get some Epsom salt water on the hard-to-reach places, use a small glass or pail to pour some on that area.
Let your dog soak in the Epsom salt water for about 10 minutes to give the salts time to work.
Once the time is up, get your dog out of the tub and towel it dry.
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