New ASPCA Research Warns Pet Parents of Danger from Consumer Cooling Products

ASPCA Poison Control is seeing severe cases weekly following exposure to consumer migraine caps, eye masks, wraps and dog beds that contain hydrogel

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from the ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®), published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA), reveals severe cases – and even death – related to ingestion of consumer polyacrylamide-based hydrogel products, including migraine caps, eye masks, wraps and dog beds. The research was conducted in collaboration with Ashley Haugen from The Product Injury Coalition, polymer scientists at Cambridge Polymer Group, and an attending veterinarian at VEG ER for Pets, to summarize case data and analyze gel from associated products. The study examined outcomes for 45 dogs with suspected acrylamide toxicosis, with some exhibiting signs such as vomiting, muscle tremors, unsteadiness on the feet, sensitivity to sound or touch, an increased heart rate, seizures, and death.