Doggy Spa Day Gone Wrong

Boxer Eats Eye Mask Potentially Containing Toxic Ingredient

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The cooling face mask Kate Vaughan purchased was supposed to help with headaches and maybe those puffy eyes. When her dog Maya decided to eat rather than wear the mask, however, it created a different kind of headache – one that ended in a trip to the pet emergency room.

"We have four dogs, and two are usually the troublemakers," explained Vaughan, who lives with her family in Florida. "When I found my face mask chewed up, I actually yelled at the wrong dog. When Maya started vomiting up the gel, however, I realized she was the real culprit."

At first, Vaughan wasn't too concerned. She used to work at a dog training company, and has been around dogs her whole life, so she assumed Maya would simply vomit up the mask contents and be fine.

"My husband slept on the couch to be close to her, and she vomited throughout the night," Vaughan added. "The next morning, she started acting wobbly, so I decided I better call a veterinarian. They advised me to call the toxicology experts at Pet Poison Helpline."

"We are finding that some face masks have started to contain a chemical compound called acrylamide, which can be toxic to both pets and people if ingested in a large enough quantity," said Dr. Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline. "We have seen an increase in the number of suspected acrylamide poisoning calls we receive from seemingly harmless products. National Poison Prevention Month is coming up in March, so we thought it was timely and important to highlight this case for other pet lovers."

When Maya arrived at the Veterinary Emergency Clinic of Central Florida, she was panting and anxious but had stopped vomiting. Pet Poison Helpline advised the hospital medical team that the face mask may have contained acrylamide, which can cause gastrointestinal upset, central nervous system stimulation or depression, ataxia (poor muscle control), tremors, seizures and liver injury. Ingestion of acrylamide is fatal in many instances. They recommended Maya receive an anti-emetic, intravenous fluids and continued monitoring. Due to the risk of kidney and liver damage, bloodwork monitoring was also recommended. Specific medications for tremors, seizures and liver support were discussed to be given based on how Maya's symptoms progressed.

"Acrylamide can be found in a wide range of products, including cosmetics and packaging," Dr. Schmid added.

Pet Poison Helpline is warning pet lovers about the potential hidden dangers inside products and materials containing acrylamide. Typically, exposure to cold packs and wraps causes mild stomach upset. However, after ingestion of cooling migraine wraps, pets were developing severe neurologic signs including ataxia, body tremors, and seizures. In certain cases, liver and kidney failure were also occurring. These severe signs have been fatal in several cases.

"While there continues to be testing and research as to why this is happening, we have discovered a common link that may be causing the severe poisonings; acrylamide," Dr. Schmid confirmed. "Educating the public on the potential risks of these products if ingested by pets is critical in minimizing the number of animals being exposed to this potentially fatal material."

"Maya is 13 years old, so I'm astonished she came back so well," Vaughen added. "She's acting like a four-year-old again. We spent $4,700 on veterinary bills, but obviously it was 100% worth it."

About Pet Poison Helpline
Pet Poison Helpline®, your trusted source for toxicology and pet health advice in times of potential emergency, is available 24 hours, seven days a week for pet owners and veterinary professionals who require assistance treating a potentially poisoned pet. Per incident and subscription service options are available. We are an independent, nationally recognized animal poison control center triple licensed by the Boards of Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Pharmacy providing unmatched professional leadership and expertise. Our veterinarians and board-certified toxicologists provide treatment advice for all species, including dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, large animals and exotic species. As the most cost-effective option for animal poison control care, Pet Poison Helpline's fee of $89 per incident includes follow-up consultations for the duration of the case. The company also offers pethelpline^(SM) and pethelplinePRO^(SM) subscription services directly to pet lovers. Based in Minneapolis, Pet Poison Helpline is available in North America by calling 800-213-6680. Additional information, including a chat feature for pet owners, can be found online at www.petpoisonhelpline.com.

Contact: Curtis Steinhoff
Pet Poison Helpline®
(602) 300-8466
[email protected]

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SOURCE Pet Poison Helpline