Woburn, Sept. 18, 2007 – Sydney, a 7 month old female Labrador Retriever puppy, belonging to Mary O’Neil of South Hamilton, Massachusetts presented at
Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital (Mass Vet), in Woburn having ingested Gorilla Glue. Sydney had been vomiting, and her regular veterinarian’s x-rays had shown a significant amount of a foreign material filling her stomach.
Gorilla Glue is a common household polyurethane adhesive. When applied, Gorilla Glue will expand to 3-4 times its original volume. This is generally a good thing for household projects necessitating heavy duty glue. However, according to manufacturer warnings and information, when the glue interacts with water, it causes an exothermic reaction producing enough heat and carbon dioxide to rupture a sealed container.
Unfortunately its musty, earthy odor and taste are appealing to dogs. At Mass Vet in Woburn we see more than a few cases of dogs that have ingested gorilla glue a year. When eaten in enough volume – in this case somewhere within the range of ½ to ¾ of a 4oz container – the Gorilla Glue will expand and fill the entire stomach causing an obstruction and irritation to the stomach lining, and death. Surgical removal of the hardened and expanded glue is necessary for most dogs, though the prognosis for recovery is generally good.
Dr. Scott Pett’s original x-rays were consistent with Gorilla Glue. On presenting at Mass Vet, Sydney was taken to surgery, performed by Drs. Kechia Davis, DVM, DACVS, and Deb Colley, DVM. The material was removed intact and fully solidified from Sydney’s stomach. It was 7cm in diameter and an almost perfect mold of the inside of Sydney’s stomach.
Sydney is back at home and recovering from her surgery and her ordeal. Sydney serves as a timely reminder that household products, while useful can be extremely dangerous when inappropriately ingested by pets and children. Always remember to keep your harmful products out of reach and out of sight of children and pets. Keep in mind that while cats are more finicky than dogs, they are just as likely to ingest toxic plant matter and sweet-tasting toxins such as antifreeze or potpourri liquid. In many cases it takes little more than 1 teaspoon of antifreeze to cause kidney failure in a cat.
Keep your pets safe, keep harmful products out of reach and have the name, number and address of a 24 hour emergency veterinary hospital on hand. In the event of an emergency, looking for a name and number will only increase stress. Ask your regular veterinarian for more information if you do not know of a local 24 hour hospital.