Dog owners have been warned to keep rapid Covid-19 tests away from their pets, as one of the chemicals in the kits is poisonous to the animals.
Australia's Animal Poisons Helpline issued the notice after receiving an uptick in calls from dog owners whose pets had inadvertently consumed the buffer liquid used in the tests. It noted that the liquid solution contained a chemical called sodium azide, which can be fatal to dogs if consumed in high quantities.
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The charity, which helps pet owners in Australia and New Zealand receive urgent advice if they're concerned their animals have ingested something harmful, put out the warning in a Facebook post, asking their followers to spread the word to ensure the tests were kept in a safe place out of reach by pets.
It stressed that sodium azide, which is used as a preservative, was only found in the tests in very low levels and therefore was unlikely to cause harm if ingested in only small quantities, but cautioned that it was likely to have a varying impact on different dogs depending on their size and the amount they ingested.
'The actual risk of poisoning in any individual case will depend on the amount of sodium azide ingested and the weight of the animal involved,' the Animal Poisons Helpline wrote, per MailOnline, explaining that 'very small animals, or those animals that ingest a number of vials of buffer solution could possibly be at risk of poisoning'.
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It's not clear whether there have been any reports of dogs dying after ingesting the liquid, but the helpline said it anticipated that calls about the issue would 'continue to rise' as Australia ramped up the deployment of rapid tests as part of measures attempting to slow the spread of the omicron variant.
The tests, also known as lateral flow tests, have previously only been available for Australians to purchase at pharmacies, however the government has recently announced as many as six million citizens are set to become eligible to order up to 10 tests free of charge over the next three months. The new policy primarily affects the elderly, vulnerable and those on low-incomes.
The helpline encouraged animal owners to contact its number in the event that their pet consumes anything they're concerned about, saying, 'We can assess your pet’s exposure and determine if they will be at risk of poisoning and if they require urgent veterinary assessment.'
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Hannah Smith