What Happens If a Dog Eats a Mothball?

Ingestion of any non-food substance can harm or even kill a dog. Many common household items can poison dogs or cause damage to the internal organs. This includes mothballs, which can wreak havoc on a dog's body, causing serious illness and death. Eating just one mothball can cause severe illness, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Poison Control Center. If your dog eats a mothball, it will need immediate veterinary treatment.

  1. The Dog Could Choke

    • Even small objects can stick in a dog's throat, making it unable to breathe. Choking requires quick intervention, and there may not be time to take the dog to the vet. There is a version of the Heimlich Maneuver for animals, but because dogs are much smaller than humans, greater care is required when performing the procedure. The smaller the dog, the greater the chance that a mothball could lodge in its throat.

    The Mothball Could Create an Obstruction

    • Any household item that a dog ingests could become lodged in the stomach or digestive system, causing serious illness, according to PetPlace.com. Even a small object such as a mothball could create a gastric or intestinal obstruction, causing vomiting, loss of appetite and abnormal bowel movements. The mothball will need to be removed, either through an endoscopy, which uses a camera and a long tube inserted through the mouth, or through surgery.

    The Dog Could Be Poisoned

    • Mothballs usually contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, insecticides that are toxic to dogs. According to PetEducation.com, naphthalene is twice as toxic as paradichlorobenzene. It can cause vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, brain swelling, liver damage, kidney damage, damage to blood cells, anemia, collapse or coma. Paradichlorobenzene has largely replaced naphthalene, but is still dangerous to dogs. It can cause liver damage, staggering and seizures. Liver inflammation may not be apparent immediately, but could occur several days later, resulting in loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea and jaundice.

    The Dog Will Need Immediate Veterinary Treatment

    • Vomiting should not be induced. Instead, you should take the dog to the vet immediately. Your veterinarian will administer activated charcoal, standard treatment for many kinds of poisoning. Your vet may also flush out the stomach, but only if your dog ingested the mothball between 60 and 90 minutes earlier. Your dog will need to be monitored for complications such as seizures, anemia and liver disease. Your dog may also need supportive care, such as intravenous fluids or oxygen, or medications for vomiting, seizures or brain swelling. Your vet may also want to take X-rays before and after treatment to ensure there is no damage to the esophagus, stomach or other internal organs.