Homemade slime is all the rage with the elementary and middle school crowds (and some older ones as well). Dogs also love it and seem to find it particularly yummy—and therein lies the problem.
In fact, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center reports it had a recent case where a dog died after ingesting homemade slime. Here’s what you need to know if this issue presents itself at your practice.
Homemade slime can present a variety of different concerns for small animals. Most inconsistencies in clinical signs shown are because there are many different recipes with a wide array of ingredients.
Some ingredients (like white glue, glitter, shaving cream and starch) are generally considered to be non-toxic but can cause mild GI upset. However, there are other ingredients that can cause more severe signs.
Laundry detergent: This is often the most dangerous ingredient in homemade slime. If a pet vomits after ingesting the slime, it can cause aspiration pneumonitis, which can be life-threatening. This case study explains the best treatment for laundry detergent cases.
Salt: This is less common, but still quite a dangerous ingredient in homemade slime. It’s more commonly found in salt dough ornaments and homemade play dough. Excessive intake of salt can cause hypernatremia, which results in lethargy, polydipsia, GI upset, ataxia, tremors, seizures and death.
Borax: Borax generally causes GI upset and mild GI irritation, but in high doses it can cause acute kidney injury as well.
Appropriate treatment for slime cases will depend on the formulation of the slime and the clinical signs being shown.
Source: ASPCA PRO (https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/deadly-dangers-homemade-slime)