Success Story: Apollo

Apollo is a 3-year-old pit bull/boxer/lab mix who decided to get a little rambunctious in his kennel—in the laundry room. While he was wrestling around in his kennel, Apollo somehow knocked the laundry detergent down, causing it to leak into his kennel. What does Apollo the curious decide to do? He decided to eat it—a lot of it.

If you pet ingests laundry detergent in pod or liquid/powder form, contact your veterinarian or a poison control hotline immediately, (800) 222-1222. Laundry detergents contain chemicals called ionic and anionic surfactants, and while small ingestions of these substances, such as a lick of a small spill, generally cause only drooling and/or retching, larger ingestions can cause larger issues. This Vet Street article--Why Laundry Detergent, Pods Are Dangerous to Pets—has some great information about this subject:

The most commonly seen clinical sign with detergent ingestion is vomiting. One problem with detergent is that it is foamy; when the animal vomits, the foam can be inhaled into the lungs. In the worst cases, the soap coats the airways and hinders oxygen exchange in the lungs, causing animals to suffocate. More commonly it can cause coughing, difficulty breathing and inflammation of the lung tissues. Gagging and retching are also common, due to irritation in the back of the throat.

His dad just started a new job and received his first paycheck the same day Apollo decided to make this not-so-wise decision. With rent, insurance, and his own medical bills adding up—and not a full two-week worth of hours on his paycheck—Apollo’s dad knew he couldn't afford an emergency vet bill, but loosing Apollo wasn’t an option.

Apollo had to stay the night at the vet to be monitored as well as have fluids flushed through him, but now he is on the mend; and hopefully doesn’t have a taste for laundry detergent anymore.

After Fur Kids Foundation helped Apollo and his dad, we received a thank you message: “Thank you and the FKF for everything. It really truly makes me feel better knowing that there are good-hearted people in the world.” Fur Kids Foundation is happy we were able to help this family stay together.

Fur Kids Foundation is grateful for the dedication of our volunteers and supporters who have helped local families stay happy and healthy, and together! If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families in Campbell County, Wyoming with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.