Snake-A-Way can be harmful to dogs. The product contains two active ingredients, naphthalene (7%) and sulfur (28%), both of which are toxic to dogs if ingested in sufficient quantities. While the concentrations are lower than what you’d find in pure mothballs, a curious dog that eats the granules or licks them off their paws faces real health risks.
What’s in Snake-A-Way
Snake-A-Way (sold as Dr. T’s Snake-A-Way Snake Repelling Granules) is registered with the EPA and works by irritating a snake’s sensory organs. Its formula is 7% naphthalene, 28% sulfur, and 65% inert ingredients. Naphthalene is the same chemical found in traditional mothballs, and it’s the more dangerous of the two active ingredients for dogs. Sulfur, while less acutely toxic, can still cause serious problems if a dog eats enough of it.
The granules are spread on the ground around a property’s perimeter, which puts them right at nose and mouth level for most dogs. Dogs that dig, roll in the yard, or eat things off the ground are at the highest risk of exposure.
How Naphthalene Affects Dogs
Naphthalene irritates the digestive tract first. Almost every case of naphthalene exposure in animals starts with vomiting and loss of appetite. These early signs can appear within a few hours of ingestion.
With larger exposures, the damage goes deeper. Naphthalene destroys red blood cells, leading to hemolytic anemia. It can also change the structure of hemoglobin so it can no longer carry oxygen effectively, a condition that shows up as pale gums and labored breathing. In rare cases, neurological signs develop: trembling, loss of coordination, and seizures. The severity depends on how much the dog consumed relative to its body weight, which means small dogs are at significantly greater risk from the same amount of granules.
Sulfur Risks Are Real Too
Sulfur makes up the largest share of Snake-A-Way’s active ingredients. In excess, sulfur causes stomach and intestinal irritation, lung problems if inhaled as dust, and in severe cases, brain damage. The National Pesticide Information Center warns that signs of serious sulfur poisoning in animals can include blindness, seizures, loss of coordination, and death. Breathing in sulfur dust alone can irritate a dog’s airways and trigger coughing.
While it takes a larger dose of sulfur than naphthalene to cause serious harm, the fact that sulfur is present at four times the concentration of naphthalene in the product means a dog eating the granules gets a substantial dose of both chemicals at once.
Signs Your Dog May Have Eaten Snake-A-Way
Symptoms can begin within a few hours. Watch for:
- Early signs: vomiting, drooling, refusal to eat
- Moderate signs: lethargy, pale or white gums, labored breathing
- Severe signs: tremors, loss of coordination, seizures, collapse
Pale gums are a particularly important warning sign because they indicate the dog’s red blood cells are being destroyed or can no longer carry oxygen. If you see this alongside vomiting or breathing difficulty after possible exposure, the situation is urgent.
What Happens at the Vet
Treatment focuses on getting the product out of the dog’s system and supporting the body while it recovers. If the dog arrives soon after eating the granules and isn’t showing neurological symptoms, the vet will typically induce vomiting, then give activated charcoal to absorb any remaining toxins in the gut.
Dogs already showing more advanced signs need supportive care. Vitamin C can help reverse the oxygen-carrying problems in the blood, but dogs with severe anemia may need a blood transfusion. Tremors and seizures are managed with medications to calm the nervous system. Liver-protective treatments are sometimes added because the breakdown of red blood cells can overload the liver. Recovery time depends entirely on how much was consumed and how quickly treatment started.
Dog-Safe Ways to Keep Snakes Away
If you share your yard with a dog, physical deterrents and habitat modification are far safer than chemical repellents. Snakes enter yards because they find food, shelter, or both. Removing those attractants is more effective than any granule.
Start with the basics: keep grass mowed short, eliminate wood piles and debris, and seal gaps under porches, decks, and sheds. Move bird feeders away from the house, since fallen seed attracts rodents, which attract snakes. Trim trees and shrubs so branches don’t hang low to the ground.
For physical barriers, mulching with sharp materials like coral rock, holly leaves, pine cones, or eggshells creates surfaces snakes prefer to avoid. Certain plants, including lemongrass and wormwood, are reported to deter snakes when planted in landscaping beds around the property perimeter. Sealing holes in fences and cracks in walls closes off entry points. Installing a hawk or owl perch can invite natural predators that keep snake populations in check.
These approaches won’t expose your dog to toxic chemicals, and most of them address the root cause (a snake-friendly habitat) rather than just trying to mask it with a repellent.