Ethylene glycol is extremely toxic. It is a powerful antifreeze used in screen wash, car radiators and transmission fluid. Make sure you do not spill any of the liquid when you refill your screen wash container – as a few drops can prove fatal to your pets. Dogs and cats might drink the sweet-tasting wash or lick their fur contaminated with the chemical.

Symptoms typically start less than 12 hours after exposure. They include vomiting and neurological symptoms (ataxia, drunken appearance, depression), followed by rapidly progressing kidney failure. Unfortunately the prognosis is poor for animals with acute renal failure but recovery can occur with early aggressive treatment.

Call our veterinary centre « veterinaire.ch » in Ecublens or Lausanne straight away if your animal swallowed antifreeze, even a small amount. Please dial 0900 900 969 in case of an emergency outside the opening hours of the practice.