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My dog ate Merthiolate. Is this mercury-based liquid dangerous?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 8 months and 14 days old

My dog just chewed a plastic bottle of Merthiolate. The bottle is here, but he ate the liquid while chewing it. Is this liguid dangerous??

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on November 18th, 2016

Oh dear! This is definitely concerning, since Merthiolate is a mercury-based compound that can be quite toxic if ingested - mercury poisoning can be a serious issue in dogs, just like humans. This is an unusual thing for a dog to ingest, so I don't have any direct experience with it and have not been able to find much information about how much would be toxic or what to expect, so I would recommend calling the ASPCA poison control hotline for more specific advice: 888-426-4435.

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    Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I would recommend contacting the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Helpline at 1-888-426-4435. Merthiolate contains mercury which can be highly toxic, and the experts at Animal Poison Control have access to information to determine whether or not the amount Han Solo may have ingested is toxic. If he is acting abnormal in any way I'd recommend taking him to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

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