My dog ate a battery – what should I do?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: Pet Poison Helpline

Call a vet now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. If a battery is punctured or swallowed, alkaline or acidic material can leak out and cause corrosive injury to the mouth and other body tissues.

What to do now

What to do right now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
Note what was eaten, how much and when.
Bring the battery packaging.
Keep your dog calm.
Remove any battery or pieces left within reach.

Don't

Do not make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to.
Do not give any human medicine.

Why it can be dangerous

Batteries can be very dangerous when ingested or chewed by dogs.^[1] When a battery is punctured or swallowed, alkaline or acidic material can leak out and cause corrosive injury to the mouth and other body tissues.^[1]

Signs to watch for

Drooling
Pawing at the mouth
Ulcers

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

OkPaw is on Android now – an iPhone version is on its way.

Common questions

How much battery is dangerous?

Batteries can be very dangerous when ingested or chewed by dogs.^[1]

What signs should I watch for?

Watch for drooling, pawing at the mouth and ulcers.

What should I do now?

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now.

Sources

Pet Poison Helpline

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages