Vicks VapoRub can be a lifesaver for us humans when it is applied to our chest, back, throat, and bottoms of feet to relieve coughs (yes, it really works). But what about dogs? If your dog has a cough, can Vicks VapoRub safely be used on them?
No, it cannot. Camphor is the problem. Whatever you do, do not apply Vicks or anything else with camphor in it on your dogs or anyone else’s dogs. What will happen to your dog if you use it on them? Camphor poisoning signs and symptoms include local skin irritation, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and possibly even death.
Even though I’ve had dogs for most of my married life—I was married in 1984—this is something that I never knew until recently. One day someone dropped off a dog at my daughter’s house and then took off without the dog. My daughter and her family fell in love with this dog and gave him a home. He refused to be kept in the house all the time and loved to roam around the neighborhood where he now lived. Sometimes Billy Bob would even be gone overnight, but he always returned home. He knew how much he was loved, and he knew where home was.
The last time he took off, he had a slight cough. My daughter began to worry when he didn’t return home for a few days. But then he showed back up, and his cough was even worse. And he had no appetite. So Billy Bob got to take a trip to see the vet.
Apparently, someone who didn’t realize that camphor was toxic to dogs rubbed Vicks VapoRub all over his chest and throat. I’m sure they thought they were helping him, but they were doing the opposite. That is why his cough had worsened. Thanks to the vet, we all learned that camphor is toxic for dogs. On a side note, it is also toxic to cats. Anyway, once the offending substance was cleaned off him, his cough slowly became better as did his appetite. He health appeared to be improving for a day or so but then he took a turn for the worse. Sadly, Billy Bob didn’t get better this time. He quit eating and lost the ability to walk. At the recommendation of the vet, he was put down.
Did the Vicks kill him? I can’t say for certain. But since it is toxic to dogs, I’m sure it was at least partially if not completely responsible for his death. Billy Bob left behind a human family—my daughter, her husband, and their four children—who will always miss him and mourn his untimely death.
Writing Prompts
Write an article about the toxic effects of Vicks VapoRub on dogs and cats.
I really wish the above story wasn’t true, but it is. Write a story about when someone learns what Vicks VapoRub does to dogs and cats. How did they learn? Were any dogs or cats harmed or killed?
