You open an old storage box and immediately recognize the sharp smell of mothballs. Then you notice something more worrying: one of the mothballs appears to be missing, and your dog or cat has had access to the area.
This is not a good situation for a “wait and see” approach. Mothballs are concentrated pesticides designed to release insecticidal vapor, and dogs and cats can become poisoned after swallowing them. Significant inhalation or skin exposure can also cause problems.
Quick Answer: If your dog or cat may have swallowed a mothball, contact a veterinarian or veterinary poison-control service immediately. Even one mothball can cause poisoning depending on the active ingredient, product size, amount swallowed, and your pet's size. Save the package if possible. Do not induce vomiting or give milk, oil, food, hydrogen peroxide, activated charcoal, or another home treatment unless a veterinary professional specifically instructs you to.
Why Are Mothballs Toxic to Dogs and Cats?
Mothballs are solid pesticides. Rather than simply producing an unpleasant smell, they gradually release chemical vapor intended to kill clothes moths and their larvae when the product is used correctly in an enclosed storage environment.
The National Pesticide Information Center explains that mothballs sold in the United States typically contain very high concentrations of either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene (PDB). Some moth-repellent products, particularly outside the United States, may contain camphor.
All three compounds can cause illness, although their toxic effects are not identical. That is why identifying the product is much more useful than simply telling a veterinarian that your pet “ate a mothball.”
One mothball may be enough to cause poisoning. Do not use the absence of symptoms—or your pet's body size—as a reason to delay professional advice after a suspected ingestion.
The Closet Count
Mothball emergencies often begin with uncertainty rather than a witnessed ingestion. You find an open closet, a damaged bag, or an old storage chest and aren't sure whether your pet actually ate anything.
The Closet Count: Before cleaning everything up, determine how many mothballs should be present and how many you can actually account for. If one is missing and your pet had access to the area, tell the veterinarian exactly that. You don't need to see the animal swallow it for the possibility to matter.
Also keep the original package. The ingredient name and product form can change both the expected signs and the veterinary treatment plan.
Naphthalene vs. PDB vs. Camphor
The following comparison summarizes typical veterinary concerns. It should not be used to decide at home that one type is “safe enough” to ignore.
| Ingredient | Common Concerns | Potential Severe Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Naphthalene | Vomiting, appetite loss, abdominal discomfort, lethargy | Red-blood-cell injury, methemoglobinemia, anemia, breathing difficulty, neurologic signs, liver or kidney injury |
| Paradichlorobenzene (PDB) | Vomiting, abdominal discomfort, lethargy, trembling | Weakness, poor coordination, tremors, and liver or kidney changes after substantial or repeated exposure |
| Camphor-containing products | Gastrointestinal upset or altered behavior | Neurological stimulation, tremors, or seizures after significant exposure |
Naphthalene is particularly associated with oxidative damage to red blood cells. This can lead to hemolytic anemia or methemoglobinemia, conditions that interfere with normal oxygen delivery and may produce pale, abnormal brownish, or otherwise discolored gums along with weakness or breathing difficulty.
PDB more commonly causes gastrointestinal and neurological signs, while substantial camphor exposure can affect the central nervous system. The exact pattern still depends on dose and the individual animal.
How Are Pets Exposed to Mothballs?
Ingestion is the most common and most concerning route, particularly in dogs. A mothball may resemble a toy or other small object, and dogs are more likely than cats to intentionally pick one up and swallow it.
Other possible exposures include chewing and swallowing fragments, breathing concentrated vapors over time, substantial skin contact, or contacting heavily contaminated materials.
Cats may be less likely to intentionally eat mothballs, but veterinary toxicology sources suggest they can be especially sensitive to their effects. The practical rule for both species is the same: mothballs should remain completely inaccessible.
Can Mothball Fumes Harm Pets?
Yes. Mothballs work by turning gradually from a solid into vapor. If you can strongly smell mothballs in an open living area, some of that pesticide is present in the surrounding air.
The National Pesticide Information Center warns that mothballs should not be scattered through houses, attics, garages, yards, or gardens as general-purpose animal repellents. Modern U.S. mothballs are intended to build up their vapor inside appropriately closed storage containers.
Long-term or substantial vapor exposure can cause illness. If a pet develops vomiting, lethargy, respiratory changes, eye irritation, or other abnormal signs in an area where mothballs have been used improperly, remove the animal from the exposure and contact a veterinarian.
Symptoms of Mothball Poisoning
Signs depend on the chemical and dose, and they may not begin immediately. Mothballs can dissolve slowly in the gastrointestinal tract, so a pet that appears completely normal immediately after ingestion may still develop toxicity later.
Possible signs include:
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Abdominal discomfort
- Loss of appetite
- A mothball-like odor on the breath or vomit
- Lethargy or weakness
- Pale, brownish, or otherwise abnormal-looking gums
- Rapid or difficult breathing
- Dark or abnormal urine
- Unsteady walking or poor coordination
- Tremors
- Seizures
Do not wait for symptoms after a known or strongly suspected ingestion. Signs may be delayed, and early professional assessment can leave more treatment options available.
What to Do If Your Dog or Cat Eats a Mothball
- Stop additional exposure. Move your pet away from the mothballs and safely collect any remaining product.
- Find the package. Identify the product name, active ingredient, and approximately how many mothballs are missing.
- Contact veterinary help immediately. Call your veterinarian, an emergency veterinary clinic, or a veterinary poison-control service.
- Provide useful details. Give your pet's approximate weight, the amount possibly swallowed, and when the exposure may have occurred.
- Do not induce vomiting yourself. Whether vomiting is appropriate depends on timing, clinical condition, species, ingredient, and aspiration risk.
- Do not give home remedies. Avoid hydrogen peroxide, salt, milk, oil, food, activated charcoal, or other treatments unless specifically directed by a veterinary professional.
- Take the package with you. If you go to a clinic, bring the original container or clear photographs of the label.
Don't assume that several hours passing means treatment is pointless. Mothballs dissolve slowly, and the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that professionally supervised gastrointestinal decontamination may still be useful later than with many rapidly absorbed toxins.
Why You Shouldn't Make Your Pet Vomit at Home
Veterinarians may induce vomiting in selected recent mothball exposures when the animal is clinically appropriate for the procedure. That does not mean owners should attempt it themselves.
An animal that already has neurological signs, impaired consciousness, or another condition increasing aspiration risk may be harmed by inappropriate vomiting. Cats also require different considerations from dogs.
The safest action is to call first and follow instructions for the specific pet and product.
How Is Mothball Poisoning Treated?
There is no single antidote that reverses every form of mothball poisoning. Treatment is based on the active ingredient, amount, time since ingestion, clinical signs, and laboratory abnormalities.
Veterinary care may include gastrointestinal decontamination when appropriate, blood testing, intravenous fluids, treatment for vomiting, medications for tremors or seizures, oxygen or respiratory support, and monitoring of liver, kidney, and red-blood-cell function.
Severe naphthalene-associated anemia or other blood abnormalities may require more intensive treatment, including blood transfusion in some cases. Additional medications may be used when oxidative damage or organ injury is present.
When Is Mothball Exposure an Emergency?
A suspected ingestion already deserves immediate professional advice, even when your pet seems well. Emergency veterinary care becomes especially important when significant symptoms are present.
Seek emergency veterinary care for difficulty breathing, collapse, severe weakness, seizures, repeated or severe tremors, profound lethargy, loss of consciousness, markedly pale or abnormal brown-colored gums, or rapidly worsening illness.
Do not drive past a nearby emergency clinic simply because you are waiting for a particular symptom from an online checklist. Different ingredients produce different clinical patterns.
Are Cats More Sensitive Than Dogs?
Possibly. Merck notes that cats are suspected to be more sensitive to mothball toxicity than other species, while current VCA guidance also advises particular caution with cats.
Dogs, however, are more likely to actually swallow mothballs. So frequency of exposure and biological sensitivity are two different questions.
Neither should change the immediate advice after suspected ingestion: identify the product and contact veterinary help promptly.
How to Prevent Mothball Poisoning
Mothballs create the greatest risk when they're used as if they were ordinary household deodorizer balls or general-purpose pest repellents. They aren't.
Use them only according to their pesticide label, keep them in their original labeled packaging until use, and place treated storage containers where pets cannot access them. Never scatter loose mothballs around rooms, patios, garages, gardens, attics, or other pet-accessible areas unless a specific labeled use explicitly permits it.
Also inspect older storage areas. Forgotten mothballs in inherited furniture, seasonal-clothing boxes, closets, basements, or garages can create an exposure years after someone originally placed them there.
After opening old storage: Account for loose mothballs before letting pets into the area. Air out stored fabrics as directed and keep pets away while you clean up old pesticide products.
Safer Ways to Protect Stored Clothing
You may be able to prevent clothes-moth damage without using a pesticide at all. Start by removing the conditions that support an infestation rather than adding chemicals automatically.
- Clean clothing before long-term storage.
- Use well-sealed garment bags or storage containers.
- Vacuum closets, shelving, carpet edges, and undisturbed areas.
- Inspect stored wool, fur, feathers, and other susceptible fabrics periodically.
- Remove or properly treat infested materials when necessary.
If you choose to use a pesticide product, follow the exact label directions and keep both the product and treated storage area inaccessible to pets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one mothball poison a dog or cat?
Yes. Current veterinary toxicology guidance states that even one mothball may cause poisoning. Risk depends on the active ingredient, size of the mothball, quantity swallowed, species, and body size.
My pet seems fine after eating a mothball. Can I just watch them?
No. Mothballs dissolve slowly and some signs can be delayed. Contact a veterinarian or veterinary poison-control service immediately after a known or strongly suspected ingestion rather than waiting for symptoms.
Should I make my dog vomit after eating a mothball?
Not unless a veterinarian or veterinary poison professional specifically tells you to. Whether vomiting is appropriate depends on timing, product, clinical condition, and aspiration risk.
Can mothball fumes poison a cat?
Significant or prolonged inhalation exposure can cause illness. Mothballs should not be left exposed in occupied living areas and should only be used in the manner specified by their pesticide label.
Why do mothball poisoning symptoms sometimes appear late?
Mothballs dissolve slowly after ingestion, and some systemic effects—such as blood-cell or organ injury—can take time to develop. A delay in symptoms therefore does not prove the exposure was harmless.
Are modern mothballs safer than old ones?
Many modern U.S. products use PDB rather than naphthalene, but that does not make them safe for pets to swallow. Both can cause poisoning, and products may vary by country and formulation.
Key Takeaway: A missing mothball is not a good “watch and see” experiment. Count what remains, save the package, identify the active ingredient, and get veterinary advice before symptoms decide the urgency for you.
The Bottom Line
Mothballs are easy to underestimate because they're small, familiar, and often associated with old closets rather than pesticides. But their entire purpose is to release insecticidal chemicals, and swallowing even one can be dangerous to a dog or cat.
If a mothball is missing and your pet had access, don't wait for vomiting, tremors, abnormal gum color, or breathing problems. Find the product information and contact a veterinarian or veterinary poison-control service.
Count first, call early, and treat a missing mothball like a pesticide exposure—not a missing air freshener.
Veterinary & Poison Safety Disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes and cannot determine whether a specific mothball exposure is safe for an individual dog or cat. Toxicity varies with the active ingredient, product size, amount, route of exposure, species, body weight, and health status. If your pet may have swallowed a mothball, has experienced significant exposure, or develops abnormal symptoms, contact your veterinarian, an emergency veterinary clinic, or a veterinary poison-control service immediately.
Sources & Editorial Standards
This article was reviewed against current veterinary toxicology guidance from the Merck Veterinary Manual and current mothball-poisoning guidance from VCA Animal Hospitals.
Pesticide-use and household-exposure information was checked against the National Pesticide Information Center and its guidance on proper mothball use.
Because mothball composition and toxicity vary by product, this guide intentionally does not provide one universal toxic dose or a do-it-yourself decontamination protocol.
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