Poisons affecting the skin

The skin is the body's largest organ and has multiple functions. It acts as a barrier against the environment, is involved in the regulation of body temperature and provides an animal with a sense of touch. Oil glands in the skin secrete sebum that coats and protects the fur, helping to keep the skin moisturised and pliable. There are differences across breeds in the hair coats of cats and dogs and, of course, some breeds lack hair. Hair length or lack of hair will need to be considered when deciding on decontamination plans for pets with skin contamination. Many household products contain chemicals which can cause adverse effects on skin and some plants also pose a more serious risk.

Detergents are very common household chemicals. They are found in a variety of cleaning products such as washing up liquids, toilet cleaners and fabric washing products and come in the form of liquids, powders and liquid capsules. The severity of the effects depends on the quantity, concentration, duration of contact and type of detergent involved. Non-ionic detergents are generally less irritating than anionic detergents (Gloxhuber, 1974). Toiletry products containing detergent such as shampoo and shower gel, will be less irritating than cleaning products that contain detergent, as they are intended for use directly on the skin. Cationic detergents, such as benzalkonium chloride and didecyldimethyl ammonium chloride, are found in household disinfectants and patio cleaners and are very irritant to tissues.