BBQ cleaners and your pets

Barbecue cleaners are a seasonal pet poisoning risk that the Animal Poisons Helpline is often contacted about. The residue oil on used barbecue plates is highly attractive to pets, who will actively seek out and lick these plates when they are left in reach.

Many pets will continue to lick oil off used barbecue plates even if they have been covered in barbecue cleaning products. Such products typically contain chemicals such as ethanolamine or hydroxide salts which are designed to saponify and remove fats from the barbecue. These cleaners can often be highly irritating or even corrosive to our pet’s skin, mouth, and throat.

We have also received calls about dogs ingesting fabric barbecue cleaning wipes, some of which do not seem to dissolve in the stomach. Ingestion of these wipes can result in significant irritation of the gastrointestinal tract and may be vomited days later or result in a gastrointestinal obstruction.

When cleaning your barbecue, please keep your pets away. Ensure pets cannot get access to used plates and drip trays. Keep cleaning products out of reach, including used fabric wipes that may be covered in oil.

☎ If your pet has ingested something they should not have, please phone the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738 (AU) or 0800 869 738 (NZ) for advice. The Animal Poisons Helpline is a free service for all pet owners in Australia and New Zealand, and we can rapidly determine if your pet requires immediate veterinary assessment or can be observed at home.

📧 Don’t miss the next pet poisons alert. Visit animalpoisons.com.au/stay-up-to-date to subscribe to our mailing list and receive updates and alerts directly to your inbox.

This post has been made possible by a grant from Animal Welfare Victoria.