There is one essential bit of winter kit that almost every household has that is not just toxic to cats and dogs, but rapidly fatal in very small doses, says veterinary surgeon Graham Lewis.
Once symptoms develop, it is almost always too late to treat and unfortunately leads to euthanasia or death.
So what is this toxin we all have and use regularly? And what can we do to keep our pets safe from it?
Why is antifreeze so toxic?
The answer is antifreeze. The active ingredient in antifreeze is ethylene glycol and it causes irreversible kidney failure in affected animals.
Unfortunately it causes this rapidly, but your animal will not show signs of being unwell until the kidney failure has set in – by which point it is usually too late to save the pet.
Ethylene glycol is metabolized in the liver to toxic metabolites that cause crystal formation in the kidneys. These crystals block the renal tubules and lead to necrosis of tissue and acute kidney injury and failure.
This happens within 24-72 hours of ingestion of the ethylene glycol and the symptoms we see in pets are due to the acute kidney injury. The symptoms you might see would include lethargy, vomiting, no urine output and abdominal pain.
The acute injury to the kidneys is usually too severe to reverse and the kidney failure is usually the reason these animals are euthanised.
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Antifreeze is such a risk because of the quick onset of this irreversible kidney failure but also because it only requires a very small dose to cause this (a couple of teaspoons-worth licked off the ground would be enough for most cats). It's also often sweet-smelling so animals commonly want to lick the liquid.
So what can you do to limit the risks to pets?
There are pet-safe alternative antifreezes that contain propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol. Using these would minimise the risk to your animals.
If you do use ethylene glycol, I would recommend storing it in a secure location not accessible to animals or children. When using it, take steps to minimise the risk of spillages and if spillages do happen, ensure that these are cleaned up immediately. Correct disposal of containers is also important so that your cat or dog cannot get at these after they have been used.
What to do if your pet comes into contact with antifreeze?
If you suspect or see your pet ingest antifreeze containing ethylene glycol do not delay, call your vet immediately. If your pet gets it on their coat, clean it off straight away then call your vet immediately.
Sadly we vets have all had heartbreaking cases of often young animals affected by this toxin that we have been unable to save. I hope this article helps make people aware of the dangers and hopefully will save some pet lives.
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