Are you wondering whether or not silica beads are toxic to dogs? Are you also wondering whether any kind of negative health consequences can happen due to the consumption of silica beads by dogs? What can be done when your dog consumes silica beads in an excessive amount?
Silica beads toxic to dogs
Silica beads are not toxic to dogs if they are consumed in a very small amount. But excessive consumption of silica beads will cause health hazards such as lethargy, dehydration, vomiting, constipation, red gums, intestinal blockage, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, and so on.
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Silica beads when consumed by your dog in a very small amount aren’t really toxic but you need to put your dog under observation to look for deteriorating health symptoms.
Your dog’s age and size will also matter a lot in determining whether or not your dog will have negative consequences from the consumption of silica beads.
Moreover, silica bead itself isn’t truly toxic to dogs if it is consumed in a small amount but the larger amount will cause several health hazards such as intestinal blockage, loss of skin electricity, vomiting, diarrhea, and so on.
In addition, silica bead is actually made out of natural products meaning it is just made out of silicon dioxide which is found in the sand. But if the silica beads have moisture indicators in them then these are toxic for dogs.
Moreover, if silica beads are transparent then, these won’t harm your dogs if eaten in a small amount but if there are dyes or colors added to the silica beads then it will definitely cause some serious damage to your dog.
In addition, the package of silica beads contains even higher health risks due to the toxic elements.
The package contains a lot of medication and toxic food items which will definitely cause damaging effects on your dog.
The dyes used in the packages will most definitely have a triggering effect on your dog as these colors or dyes are made with methyl violet and cobalt chloride. Both of these are toxins and shouldn’t be consumed due to their high chemical level.
Is it safe to eat silica beads?
The materials in silica beads aren’t really toxic for dogs but this doesn’t mean that it is safe for your dog to eat silica beads. The first reason is that silica beads aren’t really meant for eating because they are non-edible.
Accordingly, a large amount of silica beads is unsafe for dogs. But the dyes used in the packets have moisture indicators that contain colors such as orange, pink, green, and blue, and these are highly toxic even if consumed in a small amount.
How many silica beads are harmful to dogs?
One packet of silica beads won’t really harm your dog but when your dog consumes a large number of silica beads, then it can definitely be harmful.
Moreover, small dogs will be more hurt by the huge consumption of silica beads rather than the big ones because the young dog’s immune system is not developed yet.
Accordingly, the harmful effects of silica beads can thus include vomiting, diarrhea, difficult bowel movement, intestinal blockage, loss of skin elasticity, weakness, and so on.
What happens if a dog eats silica beads?
Your dog may eat a lot of non-edible things that shouldn’t be consumed in the first place. Accordingly, the packaging and the beads themselves may entice your dog to eat these silica beads.
However, these silica beads are not meant for consumption by dogs. This is because some negative consequences can occur if your dog eats silica beads.
Dehydration:
One of the first things that can happen to your dog if your dog eats silica beds is dehydration.
Nevertheless, you should remember one thing that the number of silica beads consumed by your dog will determine the intensity of the consequences.
Therefore, if your dog eats one package of silica beads, it may not affect your dog that much unlike having several packets.
During this time, you need to just look for the signs of dehydration and put your dog under observation to notice whether or not any sickness signs are apparent.
Accordingly, some signs of dehydration will be very prominent from the moment your dog starts vomiting.
These early signs of dehydration due to the excessive consumption of silica beads will later lead to more severe symptoms of dehydration.
Accordingly, these are lethargy, weakness, red gums, heavy breathing, loss of elasticity of the skin, dry mouth, dry eyes, increased heart rate, and so on.
In this case, you have to contact your veterinarian to make sure your dog’s electrolytes are at the standard level otherwise your dog’s organ will not function properly.
Intoxication:
Another negative consequence of consuming silica beads by your dog is related to facing intoxication problems.
Accordingly, the excessive rate of intoxication is not only the result of the consumption of the silica beads rather also due to the consumption of the packets.
Sometimes, your dog may eat the silica beads with the packaging and these packets can sometimes contain colors or dyes which may have toxic elements.
These dyes are known as methyl violet and cobalt chloride and both of these are highly toxic and can lead to lung problems, infection, and mostly intoxication.
Accordingly, these will definitely cause your dog to have allergic reactions, dermatitis, vomiting issue, indigestion, and many more.
In addition, collapsing, seizures, pale gums, drooling, lethargy, diarrhea, bloody stools, increased heart rate, and so on are the strong indicators of intoxication in dogs and you must contact the vet if you see these signs of intoxication in your dog.
GI blockage:
An excessive amount of consumption of silica beads and packets will definitely cause gastrointestinal blockage in your dog.
Moreover, the effect will be much worse in small and younger dogs than the big ones.
Accordingly, when silica beads and packets are consumed, the sensitive parts of your dog’s body such as the abdomen and intestinal part are impacted the most thus your dog may choke and face abdominal discomfort in the process.
In addition, the packets of the silica beads sometimes contain medication and toxic food items which are highly unfavorable for your dogs and can cause intestinal blockage.
Accordingly, you need to make sure to look out for the symptoms of lethargy, diarrhea, bloating, whining, constipation, abdominal pain, gum bleeding, abnormal heartbeat, dryness in the eyes, and so on.
Dog ate silica packet: What to do?
Although silica beads aren’t really toxic for dogs, a large quantity can be quite harmful, and therefore being knowledgeable about the immediate actions that need to be done in case your dog eats silica beads will help you to surpass unwanted accidents.
Make them stop:
One of the first things that you need to do immediately if you see your dog eating a large number of silica beads is to retain them from consuming anymore and keep your silica beads in a place that is out of reach for your dog.
Initial treatment:
If your dog ate silica beads along with the packets, then you can perform some initial treatment before going to the vet to make sure that your dog is not choking on the packets of silica beads.
Accordingly, you need to make sure to pry your dog’s jaw open and use your fingers carefully to remove the packet from your dog’s jaw so that your dog can breathe or stop choking.
However, you need to make sure that you know the process or steps of doing this type of initial treatment otherwise don’t risk it.
Observe for symptom:
One of the best things that you can do if your dog ate silica beads is related to observing or monitoring your dog for possible symptoms.
Therefore, you need to make sure to monitor whether or not your dog is acting out of character or abnormally.
However, if you see signs such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, drooling, shortness of breath, irregular breathing, upset stomach, bloody stool, and so on, then it is a matter of concern.
Accordingly, if you especially see the above-mentioned issues or symptoms in your dog right after the consumption of silica beads, you have to make sure to seek medical attention for your dog.
Contact the veterinarian:
If you see your dog’s health deteriorating, you need to hospitalize your dog or contact your veterinarian.
You should be in constant contact with your veterinarian even if there are mild symptoms of silica bead intoxication.
This is because if the mild symptoms are untreated, this can cause bigger problems in the future.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, large doses of silica beads will definitely be toxic for your dog. In fact, the packets of silica beads are even more harmful than the silica beads themselves. This is because silica beads’ packet contains toxic dyes that can lead to gastric-related issues, lethargy, vomiting, and so on.