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My dog ate a gel ice pack. Is it poisonous? Should I go to the vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My dog got a hold of a gel ice pac. I dont know if it is poisonous or if we should take hime to the vet.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 19th, 2017

Most cold gel packs contain nontoxic ingredients, such as propylene glycol, cellulose and urea. Within a few hours of ingestion, they may cause stomach upset, but they won't do any lasting damage. If it was an older (like from years ago) ice pack, then you should take your dog to a pet ER for induction of vomiting. However if it is recent, then it is likely non-toxic.

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23Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It depends on the contents of the gel ice pack. Some of them can contain propylene glycol, which if ingested in large amounts can cause kidney problems. You have a couple of options here. To be safe, you can take him into a vet immediately. You can also call the Pet Poison Hotline at 855-764-7661 . It's a $49 fee, but there are veterinary toxicologists available 24/7 with an extensive database of poisons. They can look up the brand of the gel pack, and tell you if there are any toxic ingredients in it. If there are, they can advise you what to do next. Good luck!

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    7Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on December 16th, 2016

    Most of these frozen gel ice packs are non-toxic and should not pose any significant toxicity risk - you may see some mild GI upset such as vomiting or loose stool if Rocco ingested some of the contents, but usually no other issues. If possible, I would recommend looking at the pack to see if it lists the ingredients and/or where it was manufactured. There have been a very few, rare cases of toxicity in dogs from ingesting the contents of gel packs made in China or Taiwan that contained ethylene glycol (antifreeze), but normally if the pack was made in the US and labeled "non-toxic" there should not be a problem.

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    Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 14th, 2019

    Hello. Ice packs in general, are not much of a concern. They generally contain cellulose ( starch ), urea ( not a concern in dogs ), & propylene glycol ( this is NOT antifreeze ). Since the package says it is nontoxic, then there is absolutely nothing you need to do or worry about. Bentley will be fine :) Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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