Pet Safety / Compounds / Carbaryl

Is Carbaryl safe for dogs and cats?

High risk for pets

Dogs are at significant risk from carbaryl toxicosis due to widespread residential availability (Sevin granules and dust widely sold) and dogs' tendency to contact treated lawn areas. Acute toxicosis (cholinergic syndrome): excessive salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation (SLUD signs), vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, bradycardia, miosis, and seizures at severe exposures. LD50 in dogs is estimated at ~50–100 mg/kg — considerably lower than the rat LD50, indicating dogs are more sensitive. The reversible nature of carbamate AChE inhibition means treatment with atropine (to manage muscarinic excess) is generally effective; pralidoxime (2-PAM) is NOT recommended for carbamate poisoning (may worsen toxicity by displacing the carbamate-AChE complex). ASPCA APCC receives numerous carbaryl toxicosis calls annually related to garden product exposure. Full recovery is expected with appropriate treatment in most cases.

What is carbaryl?

The IUPAC name is naphthalen-1-yl N-methylcarbamate.

Also known as: naphthalen-1-yl N-methylcarbamate, Carbaril, 1-Naphthyl N-methylcarbamate, Sevin.

IUPAC name
naphthalen-1-yl N-methylcarbamate
CAS number
63-25-2
Molecular formula
C12H11NO2
Molecular weight
201.22 g/mol
SMILES
CNC(=O)OC1=CC=CC2=CC=CC=C21
PubChem CID
6129

Risk for dogs

High risk

Dogs are at significant risk from carbaryl toxicosis due to widespread residential availability (Sevin granules and dust widely sold) and dogs' tendency to contact treated lawn areas. Acute toxicosis (cholinergic syndrome): excessive salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation (SLUD signs), vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, bradycardia, miosis, and seizures at severe exposures. LD50 in dogs is estimated at ~50–100 mg/kg — considerably lower than the rat LD50, indicating dogs are more sensitive. The reversible nature of carbamate AChE inhibition means treatment with atropine (to manage muscarinic excess) is generally effective; pralidoxime (2-PAM) is NOT recommended for carbamate poisoning (may worsen toxicity by displacing the carbamate-AChE complex). ASPCA APCC receives numerous carbaryl toxicosis calls annually related to garden product exposure. Full recovery is expected with appropriate treatment in most cases.

Risk for cats

High risk

Cats are highly sensitive to carbaryl and carbamate insecticides in general. Their deficient cytochrome P450 and glucuronidation metabolism impairs carbaryl detoxification, and their grooming behavior increases oral exposure from contaminated fur after contact with treated surfaces. Clinical signs of toxicosis: profuse salivation, muscle tremors, ataxia, bradycardia, dyspnea, and seizures. ASPCA APCC advises strict avoidance of applying carbaryl-containing products in areas accessible to cats. Some older flea/tick products containing carbaryl for cats have been removed from the market; however, exposure to recently treated garden areas remains a risk. Treatment: decontamination (bathing), atropine titrated to effect, benzodiazepines for seizure control. Prognosis varies with dose and promptness of treatment; severe cases may be fatal.

Regulatory consensus

11 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Carbaryl. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IARC—Group 2
EPA CTX / IARC—Group 3 - Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans
EPA CTX / EPA OPP—Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans
EPA CTX / CalEPA—Known human carcinogen
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 5 positive / 3 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 5 positive / 3 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Eye Irritation: Category 2B (score: moderate)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Skin Irritation: Category 3 (score: moderate)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Skin Sensitization: Not classified (score: low)
US_EPA2024registered_restrictedEPA registered. Residential restricted.
EU_REACH2007bannedEU non-approval.

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter carbaryl

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Carbaryl:

  • Physical/mechanical pest control (IPM)
    Trade-offs: More labor-intensive. May not be sufficient for severe infestations.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Spinosad
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Bt
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Pyrethrin
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Neem
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is carbaryl safe for pets?

Dogs are at significant risk from carbaryl toxicosis due to widespread residential availability (Sevin granules and dust widely sold) and dogs' tendency to contact treated lawn areas. Acute toxicosis (cholinergic syndrome): excessive salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation (SLUD signs), vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, bradycardia, miosis, and seizures at severe exposures. LD50 in dogs is estimated at ~50–100 mg/kg — considerably lower than the rat LD50, indicating dogs are more sensitive. The reversible nature of carbamate AChE inhibition means treatment with atropine (to manage muscarinic excess) is generally effective; pralidoxime (2-PAM) is NOT recommended for carbamate poisoning (may worsen toxicity by displacing the carbamate-AChE complex). ASPCA APCC receives numerous carbaryl toxicosis calls annually related to garden product exposure. Full recovery is expected with appropriate treatment in most cases.

What products contain carbaryl?

Carbaryl appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

Why do regulators disagree about carbaryl?

Carbaryl has been classified by 11 agencies including IARC, EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / EPA OPP, EPA CTX / CalEPA, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Carbaryl in the pets app

Look up products containing carbaryl, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (3)
  1. IARC Monographs Volume 53: Carbaryl — Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risk to Humans (1991) — regulatory
  2. US EPA: Carbaryl — Registration Review Proposed Interim Decision and Ecological Risk Assessment (2020) — regulatory
  3. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Carbamate Insecticide Toxicosis in Companion Animals (2021) — report

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →