Is alcohol toxic to dogs?
Yes. Dogs are affected by amounts of alcohol that would be trivial for a person, and signs usually start within 30 to 60 minutes. Alcohol can drop a dog's blood sugar and body temperature and slow its breathing, and severe cases can be fatal. Beer, wine, spirits, raw bread dough, hand sanitiser and rubbing alcohol are all sources. Treat it as an emergency and go to a vet now.
General information, not veterinary advice. If your pet may have eaten this, contact a vet now; do not wait for signs.
What to do right now
- Go to a vet or emergency clinic now
- Take the bottle, product or recipe so the vet knows the type and strength
- Keep your dog warm and quiet on the way
- Do not make your dog sick or give food, coffee or anything else by mouth
Go to an emergency clinic now if
- Your dog drank any alcoholic drink, especially spirits, liqueur or cocktails
- Your dog ate raw yeast bread or pizza dough
- Your dog licked or chewed hand sanitiser, rubbing alcohol or a flea spray
- Your dog is wobbly, very sleepy or hard to rouse
- Your dog has a swollen belly, retching that brings nothing up, slow breathing or a seizure
Who to call
Your own vet first. If they are closed, the nearest emergency or out-of-hours clinic.
In the United States
Both answer 24 hours a day and may charge a consultation fee.
Signs to watch for
| Sign | Usually starts |
|---|---|
| Vomiting, diarrhoea | 30-60 minutes |
| Wobbly, drunk-looking walk, disorientation | 30-60 minutes |
| Sleepiness, trembling | 30-60 minutes |
| Low body temperature, cold to the touch | Hours |
| Slow or difficult breathing, slow heart rate | Hours, severe cases |
| Seizures, coma | Hours, severe cases |
Why is alcohol toxic to dogs?
Ethanol, the alcohol in drinks, depresses the brain and nervous system. In dogs it is absorbed quickly, and the Merck Veterinary Manual says signs generally begin within 30 to 60 minutes. Beyond acting "drunk", alcohol causes three problems that make it dangerous for a dog:
- low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), because alcohol blocks the liver from making glucose
- low body temperature, because blood vessels in the skin widen and temperature control is disturbed
- a build-up of acid in the blood (metabolic acidosis)
Merck notes that deaths are usually due to breathing failure, low body temperature, low blood sugar or acidosis. A drowsy dog that vomits can also inhale vomit, which causes pneumonia.
How much alcohol is dangerous for a dog?
There is no amount known to be safe, and the veterinary sources we checked do not give a single toxic dose for drinking alcohol in dogs. What matters is the strength of the product, how much was taken and the size of the dog: a lick of beer is a different situation from a glass of spirits, and a small dog is affected by far less than a large one.
Some sources are stronger than they look:
- spirits, liqueurs and cream liqueurs, which are sweet and appealing
- raw yeast dough, which keeps producing alcohol in the stomach
- hand sanitisers, rubbing alcohol and some alcohol-based flea sprays
- some liquid medicines (elixirs) and mouthwashes
Isopropyl alcohol, found in rubbing alcohol and some sanitisers and flea sprays, is about twice as toxic as drinking alcohol. Merck reports that 0.5 mL per kg or more can cause serious signs in dogs, which is 5 mL, one teaspoon, for a 10 kg dog.
Because of this uncertainty, Pativo treats any alcohol ingestion as an emergency.
What will the vet do?
The vet will first stabilise your dog: supporting breathing, correcting blood sugar and acid levels, warming a cold dog and controlling seizures. Intravenous fluids help the body clear the alcohol. Making a dog vomit is only considered in the first 20 to 40 minutes and only if there are no signs yet, and only a vet should decide that. Activated charcoal does not bind alcohol well and is generally not used.
For raw dough, the vet stabilises the alcohol poisoning first, then deals with the dough mass, which can be difficult to bring up because it is sticky. Surgery is rarely needed.
Merck states that most cases respond well to appropriate supportive care, which is why getting there quickly matters.
How do I stop it happening again?
- Keep drinks off low tables and clear glasses promptly at parties.
- Let bread and pizza dough rise somewhere your dog cannot reach, such as a closed oven or high shelf.
- Store hand sanitiser, rubbing alcohol and mouthwash in closed cupboards, and do not leave sanitiser bottles in bags on the floor.
- Keep your dog out of the room when spraying alcohol-based products.
A swollen belly with retching that brings nothing up can also be bloat, which Pativo's emergency floor always treats as "go now". Caffeine in coffee liqueurs adds a second poison.
Questions owners ask
My dog licked a little beer. Is that an emergency?
A lick of a weak drink is very different from a glass of wine or spirits, and size matters: small dogs are affected by much less. Because the safe amount is unknown, call your vet now; Pativo treats alcohol as a go-now emergency.
Why is raw bread dough so dangerous?
Yeast keeps fermenting in the warm stomach, producing alcohol and expanding the dough. The swelling can stretch the stomach and, in susceptible breeds, lead to a twisted stomach, while the alcohol causes poisoning.
Is hand sanitiser toxic to dogs?
Many hand sanitisers contain a high concentration of alcohol, and some contain isopropyl alcohol, which Merck describes as about twice as toxic as drinking alcohol. A dog that chews a bottle needs a vet now.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Toxicoses From Alcohols in Animals
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Bread Dough Toxicosis in Animals
- Pet Poison Helpline: Alcohol
Checked against the sources listed on this page. How we write and check these pages