Is Pool Chalk Toxic to Dogs?

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Like other pets, dogs too, often eat practically whatever they come across. As a pet owner, you will be worried if your dog ends up eating some substances that might not be well-suited for its system. Talking of such items, pool chalk readily comes to mind. Also called billiard chalk, pets often nibble on this substance and put the animal owner into a panic. Well in this article we will answer everything you need to know about pool chalk and dogs. 

So, is pool chalk toxic to dogs? 

Although there are many things that are toxic if a dog eats them, pool chalk is not one of those items. Thankfully pool chalk is not toxic to dogs, and will most likely not even affect your dog. It can have minor side effects such as vomiting or diarrhea until the chalk passes depending upon the amount eaten. 

If you want to know more about dogs and pool chalk, you will want to keep reading this article. 

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What Is Pool Chalk?

Pool chalk is special chalk that is used on the tip of a cue stick before there is any shot. The importance of the cue chalk is to increase the friction efficiency of the tip. This is because when the pool ball hits the surface, there should be no miscue. A miscue is an unplanned slippage between the struck ball and the cue tip.

The pool tip chalk is not the substance that is commonly called chalk (Calcium Carbonate). However, the difference is that we can derive it from any of the regular chemicals, made primarily from silica. This practice of chalking the cue started around the time of the Industrial Revolution and experts could come up with newer materials that allowed for much firmer grip with the ball.

Chalk can also be a description of cone-shaped talc powder and once again, the essence is to ensure that friction is reduced between the bridge hand and the cue, allowing for better strokes. They produce some other types of hand chalk from compressed talc. It all depends on the specific purpose that we use the billiard stick for.

Is Pool Chalk Itself Toxic?

Even though pet owners may be worried when their dogs end up swallowing or eating pool chalk, there is no reason to lose hope. The thing here is that pool chalk is not a toxic substance for a dog. However, because of its chemical structure, it can disrupt the gastrointestinal system of the animal. This is why the dog can start experiencing symptoms like diarrhea or even vomiting.

As a pet owner, what you need to do is to take time and check if there is any blockage anywhere in your dog’s system. When there is a suspicion that the dog has consumed pool chalk, the dog owner must check the stool to see if there are remnants of pool chalk. If this is the case, you can quickly notice as the dog finds it difficult when it is time to stool. The dog also loses appetite, and blood can start appearing on the stool. If this happens you may want to consult your vet and schedule a checkup for your dog. 

Why Will A Dog Eat Pool Chalk? 

This is an obvious question in the minds of many people, as they will wonder why a dog will even eat pool chalk. This is because dogs nibble on several items and one of these is a billiard stick which has pool chalk covering its tip. Dogs are often playful and it is not unusual to see one eating a stick that has been coated with pool chalk. So, a dog can consume pool chalk not because it is nutritious on its own or even because it is the way dogs behave sometimes, they can just pick up practically anything and start consuming it. That is why we call them animals, as they do not think before consuming anything. This habit can harm the health of the animals. 

What Should You Do If Your Dog Eats Pool Chalk? 

If as a dog owner, you discover that your dog has eaten pool chalk; you do not have to enter a panic mode at all. The first step that can be taken is to call your local veterinary doctor to come and examine the dog to see if there is anything that can be done. 

In a scenario where no vet doctor can assess the dog, there are other things that the dog owner can do. The stool must be checked if it contains pool chalk. There is every possibility too that the gastric acid of the dog would have broken down the substance. If this happens, you may not even notice that your dog ate the pool chalk and they act exactly like normal. 

Why Is Chalk Applied To A Pool Stick?

For those who have enjoyed and observed a game of billiards, they may wonder the reason behind the players using chalk to the end of their sticks. Even those who are just admirers of the game end up being called upon to ‘chalk up’. The main essence of why this is done is because it is to apply friction to the cue stick. The chalk provides friction during the cue stick and the spot during movement. Hence, it does not allow the cue to slide off from the ball before time as this can spoil the shot and result in what we call a miscue.

With time, the end of the pool stick becomes old and rounded because of constant and repeated use. The chalk allows for friction that enables the shot to be made. Also, when the chalking is done, it allows the place to pace properly, thus allowing for more time to focus on and perfect the shots. When it comes to the frequency of how often a player should add chalk, we recommend that the chalking be done after a person takes every shot.

Also, when a player wants to take a shot that will need an extra spin on the ball, it is good that the chalking up be done shortly before the shot itself is taken. This will allow for a tinier amount of surface area to be utilized for the cue tip alongside the ball itself, which will need extra friction.

However, it has to be pointed out that the actual demerit to regularly chalking up is that it allows for the accumulation of chalk dust and this collects all over the balls and the surface of the game itself. To cope with this, it becomes important to gently tap the cue stick after we have done the chalking to get rid of any loose chalk.

Conclusion

Now that you know what to do if your dog eats pool chalk, you can rest easy. This is something that a lot of dog owners ponder before they ever even get a pool table. They want to make sure that what they are getting cannot in any way hurt part of their family. So since it is safe, you can rest easy knowing that if your dog eats some pool chalk, everything is going to be just fine. Dogs are very important, and keeping them safe and keeping toxic items away from them is very important. This is why it is good to know that pool chalk is not toxic to dogs.