In most dried food items, medications and even shoeboxes there is a little packet placed there by the manufacturer to maintain freshness. The purpose of these little packets is to either reduce moisture in the packaging or to absorb oxygen. Chewing up these little forgotten items is a ‘common pastime’ for canines. Fortunately, most are harmless and require minimal or no veterinary care. However, one is a potential problem.
Q: What is it? A: Silica is a hard porous gel that is made synthetically and utilized because of its high affinity for water. It is placed in products to control the humidity and prevent degradation. Silica gel packets are usually 1 x 2 inches and contain multiple small white, clear or opaque beads inside.
Q: Why is it labeled “do not eat”? A: Silica gel is not intended for consumption and therefor receives the label “do not eat”. The dust from the processing and creation of silica is irritating to the skin, respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. In people who are chronically exposed to/inhaling silica, such as a employee in a mine or factory, a progressive debilitating disease called silicosis can develop. Fortunately, silica dust is rarely encountered by our furry friends. Some silica products are mixed with a moisture indicator, these indicators may be toxic in large doses. If a dye is present, the silica gel will no longer be a clear to white but instead bright orange, blue, pink or green.
Q: Is it a threat to dogs? A: No true toxicity risk exists from exposure to silica gel packets. The beads do not enlarge in the stomach and the exterior packaging is usually soft and presents little risk of injury of obstruction.
Q: What is it? A: A specific type of prepared charcoal (similar to activated charcoal used in veterinary hospitals) is found in white plastic cylinders inside bags of prepared foodstuffs like dog treats, chews and jerky. If broken open the small black granules are visible. These granules are not magnetic (as compared to iron).
Q: Why is it labeled “do not eat”? A: The charcoal is not intended to be consumed and therefor labeled “do not eat”.
Q: Is it a threat to dogs? A: The cylinder can cause a foreign body obstruction in small dogs and can damage the oral cavity when chewed. However, no true toxicity risk exists from the charcoal or external canister. In case you were hoping to save some money by saving the charcoal in these canisters for use in the clinic, think again. You’d need to administer the contents of thousands of canisters before achieving any therapeutic benefit! Best to stick with good old activated charcoal.
Q: What is it? A: Elemental iron granules are placed in small packets called oxygen absorbers are added to bags of pre-prepared or dehydrated food stuffs to absorb excess oxygen. This prevents oxidization (rancidity) of the food and preserves freshness 1. Oxygen absorber packets are typically about 1×1” in size and are often found in packages of beef jerky, pepperoni, dried fruits, dog jerky treats, etc. If the oxygen absorber is broken open, dark brown to rust colored material is visible. This material is magnetic which allows for quick differentiation between packets containing iron and those containing silica gel or charcoal.
Q: Why is it labeled “do not eat”? A: Elemental iron can cause severe poisoning, even in the small amounts contained in one oxygen absorber packet.2 It is very irritating to the GI tract and has direct corrosive effects. After ingestion, vomiting (with or without blood) is one of the first signs of poisoning. In fact, vomiting is such a common finding that if a dog does not vomit, it’s probable that a toxic dose was not ingested. If the dose is large enough to cause poisoning, severe metabolic acidosis, shock and hepatic toxicity can develop 1 -5 days after the exposure. At Pet Poison Helpline, the most severe cases of iron poisoning from oxygen absorbers have occurred in small dogs (<15 pounds). Unless a large dog ingested several oxygen absorbers or ingested unusually large ones, poisoning is much less likely.
The packet that holds the oxygen-absorbing material is made of plastic, and it is engineered to slowly allow oxygen to enter the packet and react with the iron dust or other oxygen-absorbing material. This plastic is not toxic, although it may scratch your stomach and intestines. Having plastic in your stomach can cause nausea and stomach aches, but should not cause permanent damage.
The outside of oxygen absorber packets explicitly say that they should not be eaten. There have been reports of people opening the packet and sprinkling it on their food because they think it is a seasoning packet. Manufacturers add these markings to indicate that the packet is not meant to be eaten, but it does not mean that the packets are dangerous.
The material most often used inside oxygen absorber packets is iron dust. The oxygen absorber works by allowing finely divided iron to react with oxygen to create iron oxide, also known as rust. The iron is not dangerous and may be absorbed by your body much like an iron supplement. A person or animal can be poisoned by eating large quantities of iron. However, according to WebMD, poisoning symptoms begin to appear only after eating more than 10 mg of iron per kilogram of body weight 12. This means that even a small child or animal would need to eat several packets to have any poisoning reaction 2. If this does happen, seek emergency medical treatment.
Some oxygen absorbers are made with materials other than iron, although this is uncommon because of the inexpensiveness and accessibility of iron dust. However, the food packager may avoid using iron because the food will need to go through a metal detector or because the food will be microwaved. When non-iron oxygen absorbers are used, they are still manufactured to be nontoxic because food packagers are concerned about their customers accidentally consuming the packets.
Oxygen absorbers are small packets that are added to food containers to remove oxygen. The oxygen is intentionally removed to preserve the food. Removing the oxygen can keep some types of bacteria and fungi from growing, and will keep oils from becoming rancid. Oxygen in food packages could also allow food to discolor and change in texture.
Acute iron toxicity is managed with bowel decontamination, whole bowel irrigation and chelation with deferoxamine, which helps get rid of iron from the body, according to Medscape. ADVERTISEMENT
No problems are likely if an adult eats an oxygen absorber, but acute iron toxicity can occur when a child or a pet eats an oxygen absorber packet. The active ingredient—reduced iron—doesn’t absorb well in the gastrointestinal system, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
If symptoms of poisoning occur and then disappear, this could mean that the person has gone into the second stage of poisoning, which precedes shock, states the Merck Manual. The third stage of iron poisoning involves shock, fever, bleeding, jaundice, liver failure and seizures. The fourth stage is liver failure, death and bleeding. The last stage is resolution marked by scarring of the stomach, intestines and liver.
Iron poisoning is a common toxicological pediatric emergency, and the severity is dose dependent, according to Medscape. Kids may or may not experience symptoms, so it’s important to observe them and not introduce new food for a period of time. If symptoms such as vomiting diarrhea or abdominal pain occur, it’s important to seek emergency care. Symptoms typically present within six hours of iron overdose.
Q: Why is it labeled “do not eat”? A: Silica gel is not intended for consumption and therefor receives the label “do not eat”. The dust from the processing and creation of silica is irritating to the skin, respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. In people who are chronically exposed to/inhaling silica, such as a employee in a mine or factory, a progressive debilitating disease called silicosis can develop. Fortunately, silica dust is rarely encountered by our furry friends. Some silica products are mixed with a moisture indicator, these indicators may be toxic in large doses. If a dye is present, the silica gel will no longer be a clear to white but instead bright orange, blue, pink or green.
The first goal is to determine if the ingested material contains iron. If a duplicate is available there are two characteristics of iron that can help – it is magnetic and it will appear on a radiograph as a metal density. If the entire product was ingested consider taking a radiograph to look for metal dense object in the stomach. Exposure can also be confirmed with a serum iron level taken 4-6 hours post ingestion. This lab test can often be run quickly and inexpensively at a local human hospital.
Q: Why is it labeled “do not eat”? A: Elemental iron can cause severe poisoning, even in the small amounts contained in one oxygen absorber packet.2 It is very irritating to the GI tract and has direct corrosive effects. After ingestion, vomiting (with or without blood) is one of the first signs of poisoning. In fact, vomiting is such a common finding that if a dog does not vomit, it’s probable that a toxic dose was not ingested. If the dose is large enough to cause poisoning, severe metabolic acidosis, shock and hepatic toxicity can develop 1 -5 days after the exposure. At Pet Poison Helpline, the most severe cases of iron poisoning from oxygen absorbers have occurred in small dogs (<15 pounds). Unless a large dog ingested several oxygen absorbers or ingested unusually large ones, poisoning is much less likely.
Q: Why is it labeled “do not eat”? A: The charcoal is not intended to be consumed and therefor labeled “do not eat”.
If the product is labeled “silica” or if the contents of the package are white/clear beads, the owner can monitor at home and no treatments are needed. If the contents are dark in color the owner should place a magnet over the black powder, if it isn’t magnetic, the product is likely non-toxic charcoal and, again, the owner can monitor at home. If the owner does not have a magnet, the powder is magnetic or the product was swallowed whole, it should be assumed that iron may have been ingested and further action is needed. If the dog weighs less than 15 pounds, the risk for poisoning is increased compared to large dogs. If at-home decontamination is appropriate, the pet owner may induce vomiting with hydrogen peroxide and then give 1-3 teaspoons of aluminum or magnesium hydroxide (Alternagel or Milk of Magnesia) to reduce the systemic absorption of iron. Alternatively, a quick call to Pet Poison Helpline can readily help determine the pet’s risk and need for decontamination. Following emesis, the pet owner should attempt to identify the contents of the packet or bring the pet and the remaining product, the emesis, or a duplicate of the product, if available, to the clinic.
FAQ
Can you eat oxygen absorber?
What happens if you open an oxygen absorber?
Why is oxygen absorber used in food?
