Battening down the batteries

Battening down the batteries


Your pooch just munched on your TV remote, but it’s just plastic and batteries, so no big deal. Or is it?

In fact, ingestion of batteries, or even part of a battery, can be very dangerous for dogs by causing severe, sometimes even fatal, damage to the lining of the digestive tract.

Most household batteries, like AAA, DC or 9-volt, have corrosive alkaline or acidic contents. And the newer disc-shaped batteries can deliver an electric current to delicate tissues in the digestive tract. Most dangerous of all are lithium batteries, which can cause serious injury within 15 minutes of being eaten.

Battery ingestion can cause your pet a world of hurt, so seek veterinary help right away. The earlier the treatment, the less time batteries have to do damage. As for the future, batten down the batteries to help keep your canine of feline friend fully charged.

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