The truth is that you should never allow your dog to consume alcohol, even if it seems innocuous to let them have a tiny sip of your wine, beer, or mixed drink. No matter how funny it might be right now, risking his health is never acceptable. Your duty as a pet parent is to keep your dog safe, which includes preventing him from drinking.
What Should I Do If My Dog Ingests Alcohol Accidentally?
The first thing you should do if, despite your best efforts, your dog consumes alcohol is to inform your veterinarian and receive advice on what to do. Some veterinarians may urge you to bring your dog in right away for a checkup, depending on the amount of alcohol they ingested, while others may advise waiting to see whether your dog reacts before bringing him in.
Usually, it’s advisable to take your dog to the vet straight away if he consumes more alcohol than one little sip or if you are unsure of how much he consumed. You ought to visit an emergency veterinary facility if the veterinarian’s office is closed. Animal poisoned by alcohol has to be treated right away.
In order to ensure that a veterinarian is available for you as soon as you arrive, you should phone your vet or the emergency clinic while you’re en route to let them know that your dog unintentionally drank alcohol.
Preventing Alcohol Consumption in Your Dog
Here are some simple guidelines to help keep your dog away from alcohol in the future.
Keep all alcohol out of your dog’s reach: Storing your alcohol away will stop an inquisitive dog from getting his teeth into a can or tipping over a glass bottle. You may put your alcohol in a refrigerator, a cabinet, or up high.
Never leave alcohol unattended. If you must leave your glass, make sure it is out of his reach to prevent him from taking a few laps before you get back. Before going to bed at night, make sure to discard or store any leftover alcohol in the refrigerator.
Talk with your visitors: Make sure everyone knows it is not acceptable to offer your dog a drink at any point if you are hosting a social event with your dog. It would be prudent to confine your dog in a secure location away from guests if you or any visitors are likely to be inebriated and forget our advise to prevent any unintended incidents.
SEE ALSO: Pet Waste Removal
How Does Alcohol Affect a Dog?
Dogs are poisonous to alcohol, just like they are to chocolate and onions. Even trace levels of alcohol can include harmful substances for them, not just in beverages but also in syrups and unbaked bread. Dogs can become intoxicated by alcohol due to both ethanol (the intoxicating ingredient in beer, wine, and liquor) and hops (the ingredient used to create beer). Intoxication symptoms might include:
- Vomiting
- Disorientation
- elevated core temperature
- Restlessness
- a lot of panting
- seizures and tremors of muscle
- Alcohol intoxication in dogs can result in organ system failure and possibly death in severe situations or if neglected.
Alcohol Amounts Maybe Present in Certain Food Items
There are several everyday items that can harm pets. Dogs are indiscriminate eaters, so they run the danger of getting alcohol poisoning from a variety of unknowing sources. Typically, ethanol, the kind of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, comes to mind when we think of “alcohol.” However, dogs are also at risk from using isopropanol and methanol. Alcohol may be absorbed by dogs via their skin. Thus, there is a risk of alcohol poisoning even while rolling or walking in alcohol-containing liquids.
Typical home goods that might include alcohol include:
- certain peanut butters with the “reduced calorie” label
- fluid for windshield wipers
- car coolants, antifreeze, and sugar-free gum
- baby wipes hand sanitizer uncooked bread dough
- nail polish remover
- mouthwashes, cold and cough remedies
- Rubidium ethanol
- flea, tick, and bug sprays
- soy sauce
- rotten fruit and vegetables
- skin cream and hand lotion
- hairspray, aftershave and mousse
- perfumes and cologne
- body washes
- skin toner and face wash
- vinegar
Conclusion:
Similar to how people react to alcohol’s effects on canines, the effects are frequently moderate. To find out if treatment is required, you should, however, get in touch with your veterinarian, an urgent care facility, or a pet poison hotline if you have any worries. If you have pet insurance, you can cover your vet bills or other medical treatments.
When your dog does consume alcoholic beverages or foods, keep an eye out for these important warning signs:
- depression or sluggishness
- Incoordination
- Drooling
- weakness Vomiting or retching
- Collapse
- slower breathing pace
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) (low blood sugar)
- Hypotension (low blood pressure) (low blood pressure)
- Hypothermia (low body temperature) (low body temperature)
