Mothballs
ToxicNot all mothballs are the same: camphor is the most toxic, then naphthalene, then paradichlorobenzene. Naphthalene causes hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia. Bring the package and call your vet.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Do not offer as a treat
There is no recommended treat portion for this hazardous item. If swallowed, contact a vet with the amount, time and product details. Do not induce vomiting yourself.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Lethargy
- Pale gums or mucous membranes
- Difficulty breathing
- Methaemoglobinaemia
- Haemolytic anaemia
- Tremors
- Poor coordination or balance
- Seizures
- Disorientation
More about this food
Mothballs are three different chemicals sold in the same shape. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists naphthalene, paradichlorobenzene (PDB) and camphor as the active ingredients and ranks them: camphor is the most toxic, followed by naphthalene, then PDB. Which one your dog ate changes what happens next, which is why the clinic will ask for the ingredient before anything else.
All three cause vomiting, anorexia, abdominal pain and lethargy. Then they diverge. Large naphthalene exposures cause hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia, with dyspnea and pale gums, and in rare cases neurological changes such as trembling, tremors, ataxia and seizures. PDB does not typically produce blood abnormalities on acute exposure, though anemia has been reported with chronic exposure. Camphor hits the CNS, causing depression and altered mentation or, going the other way, excitation and seizures.
If you cannot find the box, a veterinarian can sort them out by flotation. Merck describes the test this way: in water, a mothball that floats is camphor and one that sinks is naphthalene or PDB; in a saturated salt solution, a floater is naphthalene and a sinker is PDB. This is a reason to bring an intact mothball with you, not a reason to run experiments at your kitchen sink while the clock runs.
Check the drawer, closet, garment bag or storage bin, count how many are missing, collect the remaining product and packaging, and call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. Do not induce vomiting at home; emesis, activated charcoal with a cathartic, and treatment for methemoglobinemia are veterinary decisions. One more thing worth knowing: mothballs sublimate, so the chemical is in the air and in the fabric. Do not put mothball-stored blankets or clothing straight into a dog's bed.
Frequently asked questions
- He chewed one but I do not know how many were in there.
- You do not need an exact count to go. Collect the remaining mothballs and the packaging, note where they were stored and your dog's weight, and call the clinic or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 now.
- He only sniffed around the closet. Is that dangerous?
- Inhalation is not the same as eating one, but mothballs sublimate into the air and into fabric. Keep him out of the enclosed closet, and call if he vomits, goes flat or breathes with effort.
- I was told modern mothballs are safe.
- They are a different chemical, not a safe one. PDB is less toxic than naphthalene but still causes vomiting and abdominal pain, and camphor products are the most toxic of the three. Read the active ingredient off the box and tell the clinic.