Help! My dog stepped in gasoline and I can't get it off her paws!

smallfry

smallfry

My Sweet Angel
O.G.
Dec 18, 2005
8,212
4,755
#1
I'm so angry and upset...the landscapers in my community were here today blowing leaves with that big blowing machine which I think is run on gasoline. Well, I was walking Molly this evening and she was sniffing furiously on the grass and then the scent of gasoline hit me. I pulled her away, but when we got home, I smelled her paws and sure enough, they smelled like gasoline. I put her right into the bath and washed her with her shampoo, but I can still smell the gasoline now that she is dry.

I'm so angry that they would just leave that crap on the grass without putting a sign up...there are so many dogs in the community. I'm calling the homeowners association right now :mad:

What do I do?? Also, what if she breathed in the fumes from the grass when she was sniffing it?
 
#2
Bathing your dog was the smartest thing to do. It removes most of it and also neutralizes it somewhat. I believe you might need to repeat the bath. Hopefully your pet didn't lick any of it.
Please call your vet now. Depending on how much was inhaled, your pet could have a problem.
The main thing is that none of it was ingested.

ETA...You might need to use a mild detergent on her paws only. Gas and other solvents are usually only broken down and removed with actual detergent. I once used Tide to get engine oil off a cat. It worked.
 
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#3
Thank you for your response NemoAndChula...I was also worried about the inhalation.

So, I called Pet ER, since my Vet was already closed and they gave me the number for poison control. It is run by the ASPCA, and they were really helpful. Since she seems to be feeling okay, they told me to wash her paws in plain dishwashing liquid, like Dawn or Palmolive and rinse well. Then I have to monitor her for two hours. So, her paws are squeaky clean and the smell of gasoline is almost gone - I still smell it a bit on her front paws. I think she feels okay, since she just rolled around in the pile of laundry I took out of the dryer :P

There is a $65 charge for the poison control consult, but ASPCA is one of my favorite charities, so I didn't mind.
 
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#4
Just to ease your mind..maybe call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control center..I have the number, but I don't know what hours they operate..

888-426-4435
Let us know..
 
#8
Irishgal said:
Just to ease your mind..maybe call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control center..I have the number, but I don't know what hours they operate..

888-426-4435
Let us know..
Click to expand...

Yes, that is the number and they are 24/7 with Vets on call at all times. It is a $65 consult fee payable by credit card, but once you pay that initial fee, you can call back as many times as you want in relation to that one case number.

Thank you again J!
 
#9
Great advice! I also wanted to mention that gasoline is a petroleum based product. It can't be removed with simple soap. Detergent works differently in it's action and chemical makeup. Remember the ads on tv where marine biologists used DAWN dish liquid to clean the tar (also petroleum based) off the wings of sea birds?

Years ago the use of phosphates in detergent proved to be an environmental hazard. It was banned in some states before others. Phosphates were used in detergents and sold to the public for their remarkable ability to cut through grease, etc. My neighbor in New York bought her TIDE in Jersey. I ran to her house to borrow a cup of her TIDE and it cut through the used car oil my cat had jumped into.
 
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