Button Batteries and Magnets: Dog Dangers

A button battery, often a lithium coin cell, can generate an electric current when it touches moist tissue. This current can cause a chemical reaction that burns the lining of the throat or stomach within as little as two hours. The damage can continue after the battery is removed, and can lead to holes, bleeding, and serious illness. Larger coin cells are more dangerous, since they can lodge in the esophagus.

Dogs may chew a battery compartment open, or swallow an entire device. The harm does not depend on the battery being old or dead, and used batteries can still be dangerous.

Small, strong magnets, such as those in toys, desk games, jewelry, and fridge decorations, are another concern. If a dog swallows more than one, they can attract each other through the walls of the intestines, trapping tissue between them and causing pressure damage, perforation, and infection. Even a single magnet can be a problem if the dog also swallows a metal object.

Magnets are a hidden risk, because they may not cause signs for hours or days, and the damage can be severe by the time they appear.

Many ordinary items contain batteries or magnets. Be aware, and check your home.

• Light-up ornaments, flashing jewelry, and LED candles.
• Singing and musical greeting cards, and holiday toys.
• Remote controls, key fobs, and car keys.
• Watches, calculators, hearing aids, and thermometers.
• Small electronic gifts and stocking stuffers.
• Magnetic building toys, jewelry clasps, and fridge magnets.

Signs may be absent at first, or vague. Do not wait for them to appear.

• Drooling, gagging, or retching.
• Vomiting, especially with blood.
• Pawing at the mouth, or refusing food and water.
• Lethargy, or a painful belly.
• Black, tarry stool, or diarrhea.
• Collapse.

Note: If you think your dog swallowed a battery or magnets, go to a vet immediately. Do not induce vomiting, and do not give food or drink unless instructed.

Time matters. For button batteries, the first hours are critical.

1. Stop your dog from eating more, and check the mouth for pieces.
2. Find the battery packaging or device, and note the type and size if you can.
3. Go straight to an emergency veterinary clinic, and call ahead.
4. Take the packaging, or a photo, with you.
5. Follow your vet's advice, which may include an X-ray and removal of the object.
6. You can also call a poison helpline on the way. In the US, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is 888-426-4435 and the Pet Poison Helpline is 855-764-7661; a fee may apply.

The best approach is to keep these items out of reach. Check that battery compartments on toys and ornaments are secured with screws or tape. Store spare batteries in a locked cabinet. Put remote controls, keys, and gadgets away, and ask visitors to keep their bags out of reach. Keep magnets on high shelves. After presents are opened, tidy up quickly, and check the floor for small parts.

Give your dog plenty of safe chews and enrichment, and teach leave-it and drop-it. A dog who is busy and trained is less likely to hunt for forbidden items.

A veterinarian will usually want to know how long ago the item was swallowed, and what it was. An X-ray can show a battery or magnets, and their position. If a button battery is in the esophagus, it is usually removed urgently, often with an endoscope, because of the speed of tissue damage. If it has reached the stomach, treatment may involve monitoring, or removal, depending on size and type. Magnets in the intestines often need surgery. The earlier the visit, the more options there are.

Safety guidance for households with small children applies to dogs as well. Choose toys and decorations with battery compartments that are fastened with a screw. Store spare batteries in a locked drawer, and dispose of used ones promptly, taping the terminals of lithium cells. Keep greeting cards with sound modules, key fobs, and remote controls out of reach. Check the floor after presents are opened, because small parts often get lost.

• Screw-closed compartments on toys and ornaments.
• Locked storage for spare batteries.
• Tape over the terminals of discarded coin cells.
• No loose magnets in homes with dogs.
• A quick floor sweep after every gift-opening session.

If you cannot find a battery in a device your dog has chewed, treat it as swallowed until proven otherwise. Do not wait to see if signs appear. Call the clinic, say it is a possible button battery, and go. A false alarm costs a little time. A missed battery can cost your dog their life.