Glow Sticks/Jewelry - A Danger to Your Pets

March - Pet Poison Prevention Month

Glow Sticks/Jewelry - A Danger to Your Pets

Who remembers glow sticks at the county fair or wearing them around our necks during a carnival or a fun family event?  I live in the country, so it’s very dark on my street and I use glow sticks to hang on the outside gate to mark my house.  My friends just love this idea.

Even though glow sticks are awesome and fun for our children and us, did you know that they can pose a danger to our pets?  Cats are more prone to chew on them than dogs, believe it or not.  The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Hotline receives over 70 calls a year regarding pet(s) who have chewed opened some type of glow stick or glow jewelry and it involves mostly cats. 

The liquid inside a glow stick is usually not life threatening, but can cause other issues, such as:

• Pain
• Irritation
• Foaming at the mouth
• Profuse drooling

Keep all types of glow sticks out of reach of your pets and children.  Remember, it’s nice to have fun wearing them but you don’t want your pets to have to suffer for it.

If you find your pet has chewed thru the glow stick/jewelry and shows signs listed above, please contact your vet for further instructions.

Teri Ann Tate is a Pet Tech Instructor and teaches Pet CPR, First Aid and Pet Care Classes in Arizona.  She is also a certified Emergency Animal Medical Tech I (EAMT I); certified Large Animal Rescue Tech II (LART II); and a certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR).  She runs a pet care business, Comfy Pets of AZ and has a passion for animals as well as the great outdoors.  To learn more about her business and classes, go to http://www.comfypetsofaz.com