Freak Accident with Detergent Pod Almost Blinds Family Dog Permanently
Rebecca West
A woman in the U.K. has taken to TikTok to try to warn others about the damage liquid detergent can do if it gets into the eye. The 25-year-old dog trainer from Bournemouth was doing laundry late one evening when one of the detergent pods she was about to use apparently sprang a leak and the solution inside managed to drip or splash directly into her dog Willow's eye.
Recounting the event to Newsweek, Jodie Forbes explained, "There was either a tear in the detergent pod or one of the pods in the packet, because when I lifted it out of the package and carried it one foot to the washing machine it had left a trail on the floor and got into Willow's eye as she stood beside me."
Forbes immediately wiped the excess detergent off of the animal's face with a wet cloth and then, following the instructions on the packaging, proceeded to rinse the eye with distilled water until she believed she'd removed all of the soap. Because it was late and Willow, a collie mix, seemed to be alright, she went to bed knowing that she'd need to monitor the dog.
The next morning, however, everything changed when she woke up and saw that Willow's eye was "glued shut," so to speak. "I immediately took her to the vet," Forbes stated. "Her eye was glued shut. I rinsed it to reveal her third eyelid pulled over red and inflamed and her eye blue and cloudy."
Once they were at the veterinarian's office, Willow was given three types of eye drops and painkillers to treat the injury. Unfortunately, the damage covered more than 90 percent of the eye, leaving everyone involved worried that Willow might lose her sight entirely in that eye. At one point, they used green dye to determine the extent of the injury and healing.
Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, senior vet for Purina, told Newsweek that pods, whether laundry or dishwasher, contain potentially irritating substances, like detergent and hydrogen peroxide.
"Pets can experience oral ulcers, inflammation of the esophagus, vomiting, or diarrhea if they ingest them. The pods are usually 'packed under pressure,' so if a pet punctures it, the contents can spray into their eyes, causing serious ulcers on the cornea and conjunctivitis, or into their airways, causing bronchitis or pneumonia," she outlined.
Forbes noted, "The vet was so concerned that we booked another appointment the same day to check the progress. So far, we have had five vet appointments for her eye and we have another checkup booked this week."
In addition to her regular vet, Forbes also brought Willow in to see a specialist, who provided her with more information regarding what had caused the severity of the eye issues.
"The specialist vet said that detergent is extremely dangerous and worse than getting acid in the eye because it spreads," Forbes related. Fortunately, at Willow's most recent vet visit, it was determined that the impacted area of the eye had shrunk to under 20 percent.
"We have been told that if we continue with the drops and it doesn't get infected, we should expect a good outcome," Forbes added.
If you use dishwashing or laundry pods, it's a good idea to keep them safely out of reach from children and pets. If something similar occurs in your house, flush the eye thoroughly and get the animal to the vet asap. The same thing goes if you believe they may have ingested one or even chewed on it until the contents leak: take them to a vet.
