A report about thousands of children poisoned by laundry detergent pods, according to journal Pediatrics study there are 17,230 cases were children 6 years old and below ingested, inhaled or had skin or eye injury caused by laundry detergent pods in 2012-2013. The research was done by researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. They also said that 769 kids in the U.S. were hospitalized and one child died after ingesting a laundry detergent pod. 30 of the children went into comas and 12 suffered seizures.
Laundry detergent pods are single-use packs that is colored bright similar to candies. They are easy to use, just drop it in the washer no need to measure. These laundry detergent pods are not just dangerous to children but also your pets. Pets may mistake them as toys. Detergents contains harmful chemicals known as ionic and anionic surfactants. If your pets ingest a large amount it can be deadly, and chemicals in the detergent pods are more deadly since they are concentrated compared to bottled detergents.
The most common sign when your pet ingest a laundry detergent pod is vomiting. You will see your pets vomit has foam. These foam can be inhaled and can suffocate your pets.
What to do if your pets ingest laundry detergent?1. Call your veterinarian immediately
2. If it turns out to be a minor ingestion and there are no vomiting, your vet may tell you to give your pet water or milk to weaken the effects of the poison.
3. If the detergent gets on your pets coat you will need rinse it with water immediately.
4. If you pet can't breath and vomits a lot take your pet to the vet immediately.
Remember prevention is always better than care, so keep all laundry products in a safe place away from pets and kids.