My Dog Licked Neosporin or Hydrocortisone Cream: Now What?

My dog licked Neosporin or hydrocortisone cream? That usually means mild stomach upset, but a few human creams are emergencies, so check the tube.

Call an animal poison control line and go to an emergency vet now if the tube was a prescription skin-cancer cream (fluorouracil, also called 5-FU), a psoriasis cream containing calcipotriene, or a compounded pain or muscle cream, or if your dog is vomiting over and over, trembling, seizing or weak; even a lick of these can be life-threatening.

A dog nosing at an open tube, or licking ointment off a scrape, is an easy accident. What happens next depends first on what is in the tube, not on how much your dog got. So before anything else, pick up the tube and read the active ingredients.

My dog licked Neosporin: what usually happens

Start with the plain ointment from the first-aid kit. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, these ointments contain ingredients such as bacitracin, neomycin and polymyxin B, and "Generally, exposures to triple antibiotic ointments result in mild GI upset and can be managed at home."

In plain words, you may see some vomiting or loose stool. For the plain ointment, watching your dog closely at home is usually the right plan.

There is one important catch. Merck notes that "Some triple antibiotic ointments have additional ingredients, such as corticosteroids, pramoxine, or lidocaine, and these should be considered separately." If the label lists lidocaine, pramoxine or a steroid, call your vet or a poison line so the added ingredient can be assessed. Do not simply wait and see.

Read the tube first: the creams that are emergencies

Some creams are far more dangerous than antibiotic ointment. Check the label against this list. If your dog licked, chewed or swallowed any of these, it is an emergency whatever the amount, and you should not wait for signs to appear.

1. Fluorouracil (5-FU) skin-cancer cream. The FDA says fluorouracil "comes as a cream or solution and is sold under the brand names Carac, Efudex, Tolak, and Fluoroplex." It warns that if a pet is exposed to even a small amount "by licking your skin where you applied it or by chewing or licking the tube, he or she could get very sick and possibly die." In the FDA's own words: "In the reports that FDA received involving a total of 20 dogs, all 20 dogs died." Pet Poison Helpline says that "Clinical signs occur within 30 minutes to 6 hours," and Merck describes the first signs as severe vomiting, which can progress to bloody vomiting and diarrhea.
2. Calcipotriene psoriasis cream. Pet Poison Helpline warns that "Small ingestions – even a lick or taste – by companion animals can lead to severe, chronic disturbance in electrolytes, kidney failure, and death."
3. Compounded pain or muscle creams. These can contain a long list of ingredients. The ASPCA notes that they may contain NSAIDs, and ASPCApro lists ingredients such as diclofenac, flurbiprofen, ketoprofen and lidocaine.

If one of these is the tube in your hand, or your dog shows any of the serious signs in the bold line above, do two things at once: call a poison line and head to the nearest emergency vet.

• ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435, open 24/7. A fee may apply.
• Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661, open 24/7. A fee may apply.

Bring the tube with you. If you are not sure whether what you are seeing counts as an emergency, our practical pet emergency checklist can help you decide.

Hydrocortisone and other steroid creams

If your dog licked hydrocortisone cream, or another steroid cream, the picture is usually milder than the three creams above. Merck says the signs after a dog swallows a corticosteroid cream "can generally be managed at home" and include:

• mild vomiting and diarrhea
• drinking more and peeing more
• extra hunger

Merck's care advice is simple: pets that eat corticosteroid creams "should be given free access to water and might need more frequent opportunities to urinate." So keep the water bowl full and take your dog out more often than usual.

Betamethasone needs a longer watch. Merck calls it a long-acting corticosteroid and notes that with betamethasone, signs "can last much longer, up to 1–3 weeks after exposure." If the label lists betamethasone, call your vet or a poison line with the tube in hand.

The serious signs in the bold line at the top still mean the ER, whatever steroid cream it was.

Licked off your skin vs chewed the tube

A lick off your arm still counts. The ASPCA notes that "a small exposure can even constitute a pet licking their owner's skin after recent application of the product."

For plain triple antibiotic ointment or a mild hydrocortisone cream, a lick off your skin usually means, at most, the mild stomach upset described above, so watch closely. But if the cream on your skin was one of the three emergency creams, a lick is still an emergency. The FDA warning above names licking the skin where 5-FU was applied as one of the ways dogs are exposed.

A chewed tube is a different problem. Your dog may have swallowed more of the cream, plus pieces of plastic or metal from the tube itself. Watch for vomiting, not eating or belly pain, and see a vet if you notice any of these.

If the chewed tube was one of the three emergency creams, go to the ER now, whether or not your dog seems unwell. ASPCApro advises bringing "the packaging in along with the pet so a full ingredient list can be obtained," so take every piece of the tube you can find.

What to do right now at home

If the tube is not one of the emergency creams, or you are still checking, work through these steps:

1. Take the tube away and put it somewhere your dog cannot reach.
2. Read the label. Find the active ingredients and their strength. Note roughly how much is missing so you can tell a vet or poison line.
3. Photograph the label in case the tube is chewed further or thrown out.
4. Wipe your dog's mouth and muzzle with a damp cloth, and wipe or wash your own skin if the cream was on you.
5. Offer fresh water.
6. Keep your dog calm and with you where you can watch them closely.
7. Do not make your dog vomit. Merck lists inducing vomiting as part of decontamination, which a veterinarian carries out when it is needed.

Keep watching closely even if your dog seems fine at first, because some creams cause signs later.

If you cannot read the label or cannot tell what the active ingredient is, call ASPCA Animal Poison Control or Pet Poison Helpline with the tube in hand. Go to the ER if they advise it or if your dog shows any of the serious signs above.

Using creams safely around a dog

A few habits make a repeat much less likely:

• Keep freshly treated skin away from your dog. Wash your hands after applying a cream and do not let your dog lick the spot; the ASPCA counts licking skin soon after you apply a cream as an exposure.
• Keep fluorouracil completely away from pets. If anyone in the home uses it, the FDA advises storing medicines out of pets' reach, including empty containers, and throwing away or washing anything used to apply it, such as gloves or cotton-tipped applicators. Whether to cover the treated area is a question for your own health care provider.
• Store tubes up high or in a closed cabinet, not on nightstands, couch cushions or the edge of the tub.
• Put caps back on right away and throw out empty tubes in a covered bin.
• Keep your dog's medicines separate from yours. Mix-ups happen. If one ever does, our guide on what to do if you accidentally gave your dog a double dose covers the next steps.

Never put a human cream on your dog without a veterinarian's OK. That includes antibiotic ointment and hydrocortisone. Dogs lick whatever you put on them, so a cream on a sore spot often ends up swallowed. If your dog has an itchy or raw spot that tempted you to reach for the first-aid kit, read our guides to dog hot spots and why dogs lick their paws first.

What a RexVet online vet can and cannot do after a dog licks a cream

If the cream was not one of the three emergency ones and your dog is not showing serious signs, a video visit can be a quick way to get a veterinarian's eyes on the situation. On a video call, a vet can:

• read the tube and its active ingredients with you on camera
• help you sort a mild case from one that needs an emergency clinic
• tell you exactly what to watch for and when to go in
• recheck your dog if things change

A video vet cannot decontaminate your dog, run bloodwork for kidney values or calcium, give fluids or treat seizures. That is why the cases in the next section go straight to an in-person vet, not to a video visit.

RexVet's veterinarians are licensed in Florida, New York and Virginia. If the veterinarian decides medication is appropriate, they can prescribe where state rules allow. In Florida, a veterinarian who has seen your pet only by video may prescribe only FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled, for up to 14 days (1 month for flea-and-tick-only products), and cannot renew without an in-person exam.

If you are in Florida, New York or Virginia and want a vet to look at the tube with you, you can book a RexVet video visit for $64.99. Vets are available 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays, for pet parents in Florida, New York and Virginia only.

When to see a vet in person in Florida, New York or Virginia

Go to an emergency or in-person vet if any of these apply:

• your dog licked, chewed or swallowed fluorouracil (5-FU), calcipotriene or a compounded pain or muscle cream, even with no signs yet
• vomiting over and over
• weakness, trembling or seizures
• a chewed tube followed by vomiting, not eating or belly pain
• signs that start a day or more after the lick; Merck notes calcipotriene signs "usually occur within 24–36 hours after ingestion"

If vomiting is your main worry and you are unsure how serious it is, our guide on why a dog is vomiting explains the warning signs.

If you start with a video visit in Florida and your dog needs hands-on care, state law helps you get there: under Fla. Stat. 474.2021, when the first evaluation is done by telehealth, the vet must give you "the contact information for at least one physical veterinary clinic in the vicinity of the patient's location." You can read more about online vet care in Florida, New York and Virginia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Neosporin toxic to dogs if licked?

Plain triple antibiotic ointment is not one of the three emergency creams. Merck says exposures "result in mild GI upset and can be managed at home." If the ointment also contains lidocaine, pramoxine or a steroid, call your vet or a poison line, because Merck says those are assessed separately.

What happens if a dog eats hydrocortisone cream?

Your dog may have mild vomiting or diarrhea, drink and pee more, and be hungrier than usual; Merck says these signs can generally be managed at home. Give free access to water and more chances to go outside. With betamethasone, a long-acting steroid, Merck says signs can last up to 1–3 weeks after exposure.

Which human creams are most dangerous for dogs?

Fluorouracil (5-FU) skin-cancer cream, calcipotriene psoriasis cream and compounded pain or muscle creams. The FDA says a small 5-FU exposure means a pet "could get very sick and possibly die," and Pet Poison Helpline says even a lick of calcipotriene can lead to kidney failure and death. Go to an emergency vet and call a poison line right away.

My dog licked my skin after I put cream on; is that a problem?

It counts as an exposure: the ASPCA notes that a small exposure can even be a pet licking the owner's skin after recent application. With plain triple antibiotic ointment that usually means mild stomach upset. With any of the three emergency creams, treat it as an emergency.

Should I make my dog throw up?

No. Do not make your dog vomit at home; if it is needed, a veterinarian does it as part of decontamination. Call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661, both open 24/7 (a fee may apply).

Remember the order: an emergency cream or any serious sign means the ER first. For a milder lick where you want a veterinarian to read the label with you and help you decide what to watch, you can book a video visit now for $64.99. RexVet's veterinarians are licensed in Florida, New York and Virginia and are available 24/7 for pet parents in those three states only.