Most pet owners know chocolate can be deadly to dogs. It’s slightly less well known that antifreeze, or engine coolant, even in small amounts, can be even deadlier.
Now there is some good news about this toxic hazard
Most antifreeze is made with ethylene glycol, which has an irresistibly sweet taste to many animals. Ingesting even small amounts of ethylene glycol can cause kidney failure and death if prompt treatment is not received.
A voluntary agreement was recently announced by major antifreeze manufacturers which addresses this attractive taste. Effective immediately, all antifreeze manufactured for sale in the United States will have a bittering agent added. The agent, also known as an aversive, will serve as a deterrent for animals that are drawn to the taste of antifreeze and engine coolant.
Some formulations of antifreeze are made with propylene glycol
This ingredient, used in “pet-friendly” antifreeze, is less attractive to pets. Pet owners may recognize this substance from ingredient lists on some pet foods. While it is considered safe in small amounts, it remains toxic when large amounts are ingested.
Propylene glycol-based antifreezes are much safer around pets. Product labels clearly show which active ingredient is used. In states without an antifreeze bittering statute, this is the only way to add a level of pet safety to antifreeze use.
Washington state has had an antifreeze bittering statute since 2005
Oregon was the first to pass a bittering statue in 1991. Seventeen states have passed laws requiring their use. Over the past 10 years, a national effort has been made to mandate the use of an aversive in antifreeze. Every attempt at the federal level has failed.
Despite repeated setbacks, a coalition of interest groups including the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) and the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) continued to work with manufacturers to craft this recent accord. In December of 2012, the voluntary agreement was announced. This is an encouraging step towards addressing a well known risk for pets.
Some dangerous products remain available for sale
While the agreement calls for the immediate addition of an bitterant, previously manufactured product continues to be sold. This will continue until all product manufactured prior to the agreement has been sold or removed from retailer’s shelves.
In states that did not have their own bittering statue in effect, it is left to the consumer to ensure the safe use of the products. The best way to determine with certainty if a particular product contains the bitterant is to contact the company through their 800 number and inquire about the specific batch number.
Even with the addition of the bittering agent, antifreeze, coolant, and other automotive fluids remain toxic to pets. Eliminating the sweet attraction from some of these products is encouraging, care should still be taken when using them.
If this information is true as to an addition of bitterant to all antifreezes starting two years ago does that mean my beautiful pet collie is really not dead after all from antifreeze poisoning as concluded by its vet ? I verified from another vet that antifreeze kills dogs. I have studied antifreeze in several outlets and in every one see ethylene glycol on the label. Also every one has (small) poison warnings on small labels on the back of the containers. I found no mention of any bitterant on any of the labels. I concliude the author of this article is in the employ of an antifreeze producer.
Robert-
Thanks very much for your comment.
I’m very sorry to hear you are among the many unfortunate pet parents who lost a dog to antifreeze toxicity. That’s precisely what this voluntary program was implemented to prevent. I assume you live in a state which does not have a bitterant statute, which would mean that anti-freeze products are not required by law to include a bitterant.
While the program described in the post is a good step forward, it is voluntary. As such, it is entirely dependent on manufacturers to step up and comply. That does not always work as intended without the force of law behind it.
Nothing in this agreement will have an effect on the warning labels that appear on antifreeze. Even with the addition of a bitterant, when it is included, antifreeze remains a toxic substance for dogs. The bitterant does not change that— it is simply intended to make the sweet taste of antifreeze less attractive. Far better would be a move to a less toxic antifreeze substance as is used in Sierra.
Thanks again for your comment. I’ll be stopping into a local auto parts store within the next day to see what I can find on the labels here in WA state.
And, on a closing note, I am in no way associated with the antifreeze industry. If I were, I’d be working hard to transition it from ethylene glycol and move to less toxic products like propylene glycol or methyl alcohol.