Many people are familiar with glow jewelry sold at carnivals, fairs and novelty stores. But when we take the jewelry home, we may have a problem: our inquisitive pets may chew on the jewelry.

The active ingredient in most glow jewelry and other glow in the dark products is dibutyl phthalate. This substance has low toxicity and there has not been a report of an animal poisoned by it's ingestion. In fact, massive amounts of dibutyl phthalate would need to be ingested before any toxic signs develop.

Despite the fact that it is non-toxic, dogs that chew on glow jewelry can suddenly exhibit very strange and startling behavior. Athough most will show no signs at all, a few may begin profuse drooling. This is thought to be related to the unpleasant taste of dibutyl phthalate. Without any treatment, most dogs return to normal in a few minutes.

If your pet has ingested dibutyl phthalate, encourage her to drink a small amount of water or milk or eat a slice of bread. This will help dilute the taste of the dibutyl phthalate. Even rinsing the mouth out with water can help reduce the signs associated with glow jewelry exposure.

Even after rinsing the mouth, you may want to bathe your pet. This will remove any dibutyl that may have leaked out of the tooth marks and onto the pet's hair coat.