We’ve all seen the commercials advertising the amazing strength and adhesive quality of Gorilla Glue. It may be something you use on a regular basis in your home. But, did you realize it can be a major detriment to your pet’s health?
The active ingredient in Gorilla Glue is diphenylmethane diisocyanate. This product is not exclusive to Gorilla Glue. It can be found in numerous glue products. Diisocyanate products polymerize and form a hard, foam adhesive. The product also expands multiple times and becomes much larger than the original volume of product used.
It is this expansile nature of the product that causes the problem. If ingested, in the warm, acidic, watery environment of the stomach, the reaction can be almost violent. Rapidly the glue will start to enlarge taking on the form of the stomach cavity. It also becomes hard. This large, hard object cannot pass through the stomach or the small intestines leading to a complete blockage. Initially vomiting is the only clinical sign. It is usually after eating or drinking as these substances cannot pass out of the stomach. If this goes on for any length of time, inappetance, lethargy and abdominal pain will occur. Dehydration is also a concern.
The consolidated foam from the glue reaction is non-digestible so inducing vomiting to expel the product is not beneficial. It could also lead to obstruction in the esophagus which is even more difficult to deal with. Giving fluids such as water or milk only make matters worse as this increases expansion of the glue. And giving a bulk diet to push the glue through has been unsuccessful due to the large size of the glue foam. The treatment of choice, or rather the only treatment, is surgical removal of the foam mass. The good news is that with surgery prognosis is excellent AND you get a lovely glue mold of the stomach!