What happens if my dog eats paint?

First of all don’t panic – we’re here to help!

One of our early frights with Beans was his ability to strip paint from some chair legs – after some worried nights and days we’re here to share the advice we’ve received from our vet.

Is paint toxic to dogs?

Simply – Yes paint is toxic to dogs. Prevention is better than the cure, make sure that no open paint containers, freshly painted surfaces or art supplies (tubes that could be chewed open)

If your dog manages to ingest some of this the first thing you should do is ring your vet or poison centre for advice specifically relating to the type of paint that’s been eaten.

It’s really important to relay the type of paint the dog had access to – lead based paint is a lot more serious than a water soluble art supply.

Are paint fumes toxic to dogs?

YES

Make sure that paint is well ventilated and your dog doesnt have prolonged exposure to the fumes.

My dog ate paint off the wall?

Hopefully not a lot!

Managing to get some paint chips off the wall while left alone isn’t a serious cause for concern thankfully! (depending on the paint type of course).

Average wall paint that doesn’t contain metals, or antifungal chemicals can be fairly safe in very small quantities. Make sure your dog has access to plenty of water, doesn’t choke and keep them monitored for a day or two to make sure they didn’t manage to eat too much.

If there is ANYTHING you’re concerned about, call your vet immediately.

What if my dog licks the wall?

As above – if its normal, metal free paint this is probably the least worrying situation that could occur. They will likely get such a small amount off the wall they probably won’t even notice.

It’s worth making sure you give your walls regular cleaning in areas where food and drinks could be served (or spilled!) to make sure there’s nothing interesting on the wall for the dog to taste.