What to Do if Your Dog Has Ingested Kerosene

While kerosene is not one of the leading causes of poisoning in dogs, the flammable liquid can cause significant illness or lead to death when a canine ingests it in a large enough amount. Because kerosene is one of the lighter fuel grades, it absorbs quickly on skin and in the intestinal tract. Dog owners suspecting this type of poisoning should not ignore this type of incident but rather act quickly to get necessary medical care.

  1. Call the Veterinarian

    • Treatment of kerosene ingestion is not something to approach without professional advice. By asking a series of questions, the veterinarian determines whether you should take the dog immediately in the clinic or monitor it at home. If the dog's symptoms appear to be mild and not life-threatening, your veterinarian may advise you to keep the dog at home and monitor his progress. If the dog displays severe symptoms, the veterinarian most likely will want to examine the animal at the clinic.

    Avoid Inducing Vomiting

    • Inducing vomiting is often recommended for treating some poisons, but not in the case of kerosene ingestion. Kerosene absorption causes burning, and forced vomiting increases the level and risk of further damage to the esophagus, throat and mouth, as the flammable liquid comes back up and is expelled. It is also common for some of the product being vomited to end up being inhaled during the process. This often leads to pneumonia, as the dog's lungs treat this substance as a toxic invader.

    Determine How Much

    • If possible, try to figure out how much kerosene the dog drank. This can be difficult to accomplish, because most of these incidents happen when a dog is doing what a dog does best: snoop around on its own volition. In most cases, the dog is not being closely watched when the incident occurs. However, knowing how much was ingested is helpful information for a veterinarian in determining the seriousness of the poisoning.

    Watch For Symptoms

    • Dogs poisoned by kerosene can display a variety of reactionary symptoms. These range from the least worrisome issues such as drooling, shaking their heads or pawing at their mouths, coughing and gagging to symptoms indicating a more serious threat such as a lack of coordination, stumbling, muscle tremors or strained or difficult breathing. If you're monitoring a dog for kerosene ingestion and it begins to display the advanced symptoms, get the dog prompt veterinary care.