Dogs eat dead things. Dogs eat slimy things. Dogs eat ... well, almost anything! When considering the household items that could be problematic for your pet, you might've overlooked one of the most common ones: soap. Because, we as humans, like to add pleasant smells to our soaps, your dog might think they are a tasty treat. If your dog ate soap, you might be worried. Will they get sick? Is soap poisonous?

If your dog ate a bar of soap or licked some liquid soap, you're justified in being a little concerned — but there's no need to panic. Read on to learn the facts, including what soap is actually made of, how eating soap can affect your dog's health and how to know when you should bring your pup to the veterinarian.

What's in Soap?

While every soap is slightly different, most liquid soaps contain water, oils (usually cocamide DEA, monoethanolamine and/or glycerin), fragrances and dyes, among other ingredients, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, triclosan and cocamidopropyl betaine.

Bar soap and soaps labeled "natural" have similar ingredients. Some soaps may also contain essential oils or dried herbs.

Your Dog Ate Soap: Should You Be Worried?

Some of the ingredients commonly used in soaps are harmful to humans if ingested. However, it can be difficult to know exactly how dangerous it is for dogs to ingest soap.

Soaps containing essential oils can be especially harmful to a dog's health. Pet Poison Helpline explains that pine oil, a common additive in disinfectants and cleaning products, can cause severe side effects in dogs who ingest it. Consuming soap that has pine oil in it can cause vomiting, skin irritation, drooling, weakness, loss of muscle control and can potentially harm their kidneys and liver.

Soaps may also cause chemical burns in your dog's mouth, esophagus and stomach. Additionally, ingesting a large chunk of soap may cause a blockage in your pet.