My Dog Ate A Battery. Now What?

Dogs are good at sometimes getting into trouble. This may include getting into normal household items you didn’t expect, including batteries. Because our households have an increasing number of electronic devices, this means more batteries that your dog could find and accidentally ingest.

What Happens When a Dog Ingests a Battery?

When a dog gets hold of a battery they can chew or puncture it, swallow pieces of it, or even swallow the battery whole. In some cases you might find an electronic device, such as a TV remote, broken open with the battery missing. You might not know whether the battery was chewed, ingested, or just lost under the furniture.

There are many different types of batteries, but alkaline dry cell batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, etc.) and lithium ion or “button” batteries are the most common in households and more readily accessible to our pets.

Alkaline dry cell batteries are common in household devices such as:

• Remote controls 
• Flashlights 
• Children’s toys 
• Other portable electronic devices 

Lithium ion batteries are commonly found in smaller electronic devices, such as key fobs, watches, and other small portable electronic devices.
 
If your dog ingests a battery, the concerns related to their health will vary depending on the battery type. However, both instances should be treated with urgency.

If a Dog Ingests an Alkaline Battery

Dogs can be at risk for a gastrointestinal (GI) blockage if they ingest whole alkaline dry cell batteries or large pieces of them.

When an alkaline dry cell battery is chewed open, it releases its internal contents—a corrosive, black, powdery yet sticky material that can cause severe damage to a dog’s mouth, throat, and GI tract, including ulcers.

Symptoms of Alkaline Battery Ingestion in Dogs 

If a dog chews on or ingests an open alkaline battery, symptoms can develop in as little as two hours.

Symptoms may include:

• Little or no appetite 
• Mouth pain 
• Drooling 
• Vomiting that may include blood 
• Abdominal pain 
• Fever 

If a Dog Ingests a Lithium Battery

Lithium batteries can cause severe burn-type injuries due to the electric current they release when in contact with tissues. This type of injury can be especially severe in the GI tract, where the injury can result in a rupture of the GI tract and leakage of its contents.

Even when these batteries are small enough to pass through the GI tract, they can “stick” and remain in place, which increases the risk of severe injury.

In smaller dogs, these batteries also pose a risk for a gastrointestinal blockage. Even chewed and damaged lithium ion batteries can still cause injury if sharp edges on the batteries are created from chewing.

Symptoms of Lithium Battery Ingestion in Dogs 

• Lethargy 
• Decreased or loss of appetite  
• Vomiting with or without blood 
• Abdominal pain 
• Fever 

What To Do if Your Dog Eats a Battery

If your dog chews or ingests a battery or pieces of a battery, contact your vet as soon as possible. Do not attempt any treatments at home, such as inducing vomiting or giving any over-the-counter medications, as a vet must examine your dog promptly.

If your regular vet isn’t open, you can contact a pet poison consulting service, such as Pet Poison Helpline, to determine if an emergency vet trip is warranted depending on the exposure.

Treatment for When Your Dog Eats a Battery

The initial tests for your dog will depend on whether your pup chewed and spit out the battery or whether they ingested any of it.

Your vet will perform a physical exam, including an oral exam. They may recommend X-rays if there is any chance your dog swallowed battery material. In some cases, your vet might recommend additional tests, such as blood work or an oral exam under sedation to help determine the extent of damage.

Treatment for your pup will depend on the type of battery and whether it was chewed or ingested whole. This could include administering GI support medications such as sucralfate, removing the battery (or battery pieces), monitoring for signs of GI injury, and providing more extensive medical care if signs of GI injury develop.

Removing the ingested battery material is not always recommended, and it may be safer to allow the battery to pass through the intestinal tract in certain cases. When deciding whether to remove battery material your vet will consider: 

• The type of battery involved 
• If the battery was ingested intact or damaged 
• Location of the battery material is in the GI tract 
• If your dog shows any signs of GI injury

If your vet decides the battery material should be removed, they may do so via endoscopy (when a tube is inserted in the dog’s esophagus to allow the vet to retrieve the foreign object), surgery, or (rarely) induce vomiting.

However, your vet might recommend that you allow the battery material to move through your dog’s GI tract naturally, while you monitor them carefully and watch for any symptoms like a painful abdomen, diarrhea, or vomiting.

Your dog might require several days of medications to help protect their GI tract, and careful monitoring at home once they are discharged from your veterinarian’s office. They might require follow-up examinations or X-rays to ensure the battery has passed through the GI tract.

In most cases, if your dog chews or ingests a battery and receives prompt medical care, they can recover and go on to live a normal and healthy life. While battery exposures can cause severe injury, this risk is reduced when you seek medical care as soon as possible.

Preventing Your Dog From Eating a Battery

The ideal goal is to prevent your dog from chewing or eating batteries in the first place. However, this can be difficult, given how common batteries are in the home.

Store Batteries Properly 

Make sure that any items containing batteries are stored where your dog cannot get hold of them. If you ever find that your dog has chewed an electronic device, make sure all the batteries are still in place and undamaged. If you think your dog may have ingested any piece of a battery, contact your vet or Pet Poison Helpline for additional guidance.

Replace Batteries With Caution 

Always use caution when replacing batteries in electronic devices in your home. Store your extra batteries in a secure location, such as a cabinet or drawer that your dog can’t paw open. When you replace batteries in a device, immediately dispose of the old batteries in a location your dog cannot access.

If your pup has a tendency to get into the garbage, use a pet-safe strap lock to ensure they don’t get into the trash container once the batteries are disposed.

If your dog is the type to grab anything you drop, you might want to change batteries in an area your dog does not have access to.

Ultimately, if you can prevent your dog from having access to batteries, you can reduce the risk of trouble. But if, despite your caution, your dog gets hold of a battery, seek veterinary care promptly to ensure the best outcome for them.