If you think your dog or cat has swallowed a penny, this is a medical emergency. Do not wait to see if the penny will pass. Call your veterinarian and arrange an emergency visit immediately.
Pennies look deceptively like copper, but pennies minted after 1982 are about 98% zinc.1 At first, the zinc and foreign bodies only irritate the gastrointestinal tract. Signs of this irritation include vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. A dog’s stomach acid can break down the zinc quickly, allowing it to pass into the blood stream. A high level of zinc in the blood causes red blood cells to burst – a condition known as intravascular hemolysis. Signs include:
Severe or lengthy intravascular hemolysis can lead to organ failures and death. Just one penny can be fatal to a dog or cat. Smaller dogs are at greater risk because pennies will have to digest longer, releasing more zinc, before they are small enough to pass out of the stomach through the pyloric sphincter.
Treatment will involve x-rays to identify the location of the zinc object and surgery to remove it. In severe cases, blood transfusions, chelation therapy, and/or treatment for organ failure may be needed. There is not an established threshold for toxicity. All incidents should be reported immediately.2
Pets check things out with their nose and mouth and are so curious. Keep that change in a safe place away from pets and their curiosity.
References:
1. Fun Facts Related to the Penny. [Internet] Available from: https://www.usmint.gov/learn/kids/coins/fun-facts/category/penny
2. Richardson, J.A. (2002). Zinc Toxicosis from penny ingestions in dogs. Veterinary Medicine (February): 96-9
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