My dog Quinna is an odd dog. We think she is part Labrador retriever, part beagle, part something else. Now, we all know how Labs love to eat, and like many dogs, they are not always very discriminating when it comes to defining “edible.” I have seen dogs eat rocks, Christmas ornaments, boxes of straight pins, long swatches of car upholstery, rubber balls, stuffed animals, even disposable razors, to mention just a few strange choices. There is one famous case in the veterinary journals of a dog who swallowed a nine-inch-long knife. Truth. I’ve seen the x-rays. The story (which may be apocryphal) is that the owner brought the dog to the vet because he was “holding his neck funny.” I bet. The knife was lodged in the dog’s esophagus, the sharp point at the entry to the stomach, and the end of the handle just visible in the back of his throat. Dogs.
Quinna is a Labrador outlier. She often refuses table scraps. (Yes, I give my dog table scraps, in moderation, using common sense about what is safe.) She sniffs suspiciously at dog treats, and chews before begrudgingly accepting them if they pass muster. So it never ceases to amaze me when dogs do things like eat batteries. What could possibly be attractive about munching on Energizer AAs? Does Coppertop, the Cocker Spaniel, think they are tiny bones? Go figure.
Let’s talk about battery ingestion. It happens far more often than you might think — owners calling to report that Cocker Coppertop has chewed, swallowed, or is suspected of swallowing a battery. What do you do if this happens? The very first thing is to make an exhaustive search of the area, to make sure said battery has not just rolled under the couch. We hate to put Copper and you through a lot of fuss and bother, not to mention expense, if the dog has been falsely accused. This also happens more often than you might think. So look around carefully before you call me. Especially late at night. Or on weekends. But if you really can’t find that battery, read on.
The exact risks to Coppertop’s health depend in part on the type of battery. The majority of household batteries are alkaline dry cells. These contain highly corrosive substances such as potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, so the consequences of ingestion are much more dire if Coppertop has chewed through the outer layer, or punctured the battery in any way. If that has occurred, those caustic compounds may leak out and cause severe tissue necrosis. The level of damage may not be immediately apparent, but can worsen dramatically over time. Never assume Coppertop is fine just because he looks OK immediately after the event.
Your veterinarian will start with a thorough oral examination. If Coppertop has bitten through the battery, there may be telltale black, powdery marks in his mouth, or visible ulcers. Remember, even if there is no visible tissue damage right away, you can’t rule out that issues will develop a little later. In any case, his mouth should be gently but thoroughly rinsed with warm water for 10 to 15 minutes to flush out any remaining caustic fluid. Next, he needs x-rays of both chest and belly to locate the battery. Inducing vomiting is not recommended, because the battery can get stuck in the esophagus, or continue to leak corrosive goo on its way up, making the situation far worse. More about this later.
What about lithium “button” or “disk” batteries? They are small, and don’t contain those corrosive chemicals, so no problem, right? Wrong. Button batteries generate a strong electrical current, which can do terrible damage to Coppertop’s gastrointestinal system. In a recent continuing education webinar, the toxicologists at Pet Poison Control described an elucidating experiment, if you want to see for yourself. Take a hot dog (that’s a frankfurter, not a dachshund). Slice it down the middle on the long axis. Put a button battery in the middle. Tie the hot dog tightly shut with a piece of string. Open it up 15 minutes later. There will already be visible burn marks on that wiener from the electricity generated. It’s impressive (and scary) to see. Try it if you don’t believe me. Just make sure Coppertop doesn’t eat the hot dog afterward. The lesson is that lithium button batteries are small, but dangerous when swallowed, with the potential to cause deep ulcers and even life-threatening perforation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Regardless of the type of battery ingested, the optimum treatment is always to get it out fast. Just not by vomiting. Button batteries and alkaline dry cells that are not leaking chemicals can sometimes be removed endoscopically by a specialist. However, endoscopic removal may be contraindicated, as we don’t want to drag a battery up through the esophagus, leaving a trail of destructive chemicals. In those cases, surgical removal is a better choice.
What if endoscopy or surgery are simply not options, due to finances or logistics? Then we rely on conservative medical treatment. Feed Coppertop bland, bulky, high-fiber foods. Give veterinarian-prescribed gastroprotectants and antacids. Monitor closely for clinical signs of illness, such as blood in the stool, vomiting, abdominal pain, or loss of appetite. Follow the progression of the battery with daily x-rays. Once we know for sure that the battery is out of his body, and he has gone five to seven days with no evidence of illness, then all should be well. The reality is that plenty of pups poop out batteries uneventfully. That doesn’t mean you should ignore it when Coppertop chews the TV remote, or mistakes the disk battery on the floor for a dog treat. I’m one of the lucky folks whose pet is so picky I never worry about her eating inedibles, but your pooch may be like the dog who swallowed the nine-inch knife. In case you were curious, the knife was removed, and that dog recovered uneventfully. We like happy endings.
