Salt Poisoning – A Potential Summertime Hazard

Many owners take their dogs to the beach in the summer to cool off and play. People may forget that the ocean, although a fun place for dogs to run and play can potentially be a hazard because of the salt content of the water. Access to salt could also happen at a picnic or barbeque, especially to those dogs that like to eat or are curious and playful about things. Although salt provides some essential electrolytes and improves the flavor of many foods, too much salt can be a hazard and become toxic in large quantities. Therefore, salt poisoning can occur both in people and animals and is an often overlooked toxicity.
What are common ways in which pets develop salt poisoning? Dogs have been reported to also develop salt poisoning after swimming/playing in the ocean (which contains 3.5 percent sodium) without having access to fresh water. In addition, other potential sources for exposure include using salt as an anti-emetic and ingestion of various salt containing materials including table salt, rock salt, and dough-salt mixtures.
What are clinical signs that may be seen in companion animals that have salt poisoning? Excess salt intake in dogs results in vomiting within several hours of ingestion. Clinical symptoms can progress to weakness, diarrhea, muscle tremors, seizures and death.
How is salt poisoning diagnosed? Serum and CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) concentrations of sodium >160 mEq/L, especially when CSF has a greater sodium concentration than serum, indicate salt poisoning.
What is the treatment and prognosis for a case of salt poisoning? For animals not showing clinical signs, induction of vomiting and allowing access to water is recommended. For animals already showing clinical signs, the treatment should include slow return of the animal to normal water and electrolyte balance over two to three days. Correcting the sodium concentration too quickly will worsen brain swelling and clinical signs. In affected animals, the mortality rate may be greater than 50 percent despite therapy.
Can salt toxicity be prevented? Yes. Keep hazardous material out of your pet’s reach to minimize potential exposure. Always have plenty of fresh water available and make sure that any automatic water sources are always functioning. Therefore, as long as sodium regulating mechanisms and fresh drinking water is always available, salt poisoning is less likely to occur.
For more information, please call Valencia Veterinary Center at 661-263-9000 and visit www.bestvalenciavet.com.