Corrosives and caustic ingredients are found in most household products on the market today. These include dishwashing detergents, anti-rust compounds, alkaline batteries, drain decloggers, and commercial solvents, and toilet bowl cleansers. These can at least cause chemical burns of the mouth, esophagus and stomach, and in more sever cases can cause perforations (rips or lacerations) of the stomach and late strictures (a narrowing) of the esophagus.

Treatment: **IMPORTANT - DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING!** If you do induce vomiting when corrosives are involved, it can result in rupturing of the stomach and burns of the esophagus.
Instead, rinse the dog's mouth immediately after contact and take him as quickly as possible to the nearest veterinary clinic. If you can't get to the vet very quickly, give the dog water or milk (30 ml [or 2 Tablespoons] per 6 pounds of body weight) by plastic syringe to dilute and acid or alkali in the stomach. Giving an acid to neutralize an alkali and vice versa is no longer the recommended practice because it can cause further injury instead of being beneficial. With topical exposure, flush the area with water for 30 minutes.

If the chemicals come in contact with the animal's eyes, flush the eye(s) with cool water or sterile saline solution. To do this soak a wad of cotton in the solution or with water and squeeze it into the eye.

• Vomiting
• Rapid Labored Breathing
• Tremors
• Convulsions
• Coma

Prevention: Always keep household cleaners and chemicals up and out of the way from your pets. If necessary, install childproof cabinet locks on cabinets where chemicals are stored if they are kept under the sink in your kitchen, for example. Always keep gas cans, corrosives, and other such products up off of the garage floor. Never use petroleum solvents to remove any substances from a dog's coat since these chemicals are extremely harmful to the skin and are highly toxic if absorbed.