Dog lover and trainer Sophie Jackson resides in the UK. She competes in agility and obedience with her four dogs.
The simple answer is yes, a dog will drink alcohol. That does not imply that they should, but sadly, each year, dogs are poisoned by people who share their drinks with them, sometimes fatally.
Although not all dogs are drawn to alcohol, some do enjoy taking a sip from a glass. Clear spirits can be mistaken for water by some people, especially if it has been diluted. Drinks with cream or eggs are also very alluring to dogs. Irish cream and similar drinks can be a common cause of alcohol poisoning and are tasty to dogs.
Offering a pet alcohol is a particularly bad idea. Not only might it incite the dog to steal alcohol in the future, but even a tiny sip can have fatal health effects.
Even though drinking alcohol is the most obvious way for dogs to get sick from it, this is by no means the only way. A form of alcohol found in numerous everyday items can be harmful to dogs. Among them are antifreeze, some washing liquids, rubbing alcohol, rotting fruit, and some medications. What’s even more concerning is that a dog can be poisoned without necessarily consuming alcohol. A litter of six-week-old puppies who had been shampooed with an alcohol-based dishwashing detergent were reported to have ethanol poisoning in 1984.
Knowing the signs and causes of alcohol poisoning could help save your dog’s life, but it’s also crucial to know how to avoid it in the first place.
Although it is not a type of alcohol you drink, isopropanol (also known as isopropyl) is a common component of household cleaners, antiseptics, hand sanitizers, and detergents. Along with rubbing alcohol, it can also be found in some spray-on flea treatments.
Because it can be absorbed through the skin, isopropanol is extremely toxic. It can irritate the skin of both humans and animals, but when enough is absorbed (either through ingestion, inhalation, or the skin), it causes poisoning that needs to be treated right away. Isopropanol is also highly flammable.
It’s sometimes recommended to use rubbing alcohol, which contains isopropanol, as a home remedy for fleas. This method of canine poisoning is simple because isopropanol is easily absorbed through the skin. Even worse, if the dog ingests any of the rubbing alcohol, they could die within 30 minutes of doing so.
Some commercial flea and tick sprays also contain isopropanol. A light spritz with these sprays shouldn’t be harmful, but excessive or frequent use can poison you. Additionally, if the fur is left damp and your dog licks itself, the isopropanol it consumes could have adverse effects. Last but not least, keep in mind that these substances are flammable, so pets treated with them should not be around open flames until they are fully dry.
Methanol is another form of alcohol that is highly toxic. It is most frequently utilized in household products as an antifreeze in car screen washes. It takes very little methanol to poison a pet; just 3ml could cause a small dog serious harm. Sadly, many antifreeze products have a sweet taste that appeals to animals.
While it is fairly simple to keep antifreeze containers away from pets, it is important to keep in mind that the substance can also leak from vehicles and create puddles that canines and felines will lick up. Sadly, antifreeze poisoning frequently results in death, and pets who do survive may be more likely to develop chronic kidney disease. Get your pet to the veterinarian right away if you suspect they’ve consumed antifreeze. The more quickly they receive treatment, the greater chance they have of surviving
On the plus side, some producers are eliminating the methanol from their antifreeze formulas or adding ingredients that make it taste bitter to deter animals from drinking it.
The most typical cause of unintentional alcohol poisoning in dogs is alcohol-containing beverages because they contain ethanol.
Ethanol is also called drinking alcohol. Unlike isopropanol and methanol, which people shouldn’t consume, ethanol is the main component of alcoholic beverages. Since ethanol is naturally produced through fermentation, it can be found in rotting fruit and fruit juice. Unbaked bread dough can contain ethanol because yeast reacts to sugars to start the fermentation process. Ethanol poisoning can occur in dogs that consume uncooked bread.
Ethanol is also found in antiseptics and hand sanitisers. It serves as a vehicle fuel in some nations. Additionally, it can be found in deodorants, mouthwash, perfume, and marker pens. In fact, because it is present in so many goods and foods, ethanol is practically impossible to avoid. The amount in these products is typically so small that it causes no harm, but excessive consumption can result in poisoning, especially if a dog consumes alcohol or a product like mouthwash.
Even if a dog who has consumed ethanol is not exhibiting any symptoms, a veterinarian should be consulted right away, even though it is less toxic than methanol or isopropanol.
There are also pet products out there that contain alcohol. Here are just a few:
Keep Rubbing Alcohol Stored Away Safely
An article from Peteducation.com says “symptoms can be seen after ingestion of less than 1.3 ml per pound of body weight.”
To put that into perspective, 1. Only a quarter of a teaspoon’s worth of 3 ml is used. So, a 10 lbs. Dog could become ill after just 2.5 teaspoons That and more can easily and quickly be absorbed into the mouth and down the throat with one large lap of the tongue. Make sure to keep toxic chemicals, including rubbing alcohol, tightly closed and out of the reach of animals and children.
Could it be that isopropyl alcohol, once regarded as safe, also needs to be limited?
Using Rubbing Alcohol on Dogs – Is it Safe?
When it comes to your dog, just avoid using rubbing alcohol altogether because there are so many available alternatives.
They can also be found in colognes, hand sanitizers, shave creams, human lotions, and other products. If your dog is licking these off of you, the alcohol is being consumed by them. If your dog consumed an entire container of one of these products, that would be even worse.
FAQ
How much rubbing alcohol is toxic to dogs?
The published oral lethal dose in dogs is 5. 5 to 7. 9 g/kg of 100% ethanol.
What does rubbing alcohol do to dog skin?
Isopropyl alcohol is rapidly absorbed through your dog’s skin. It has several negative effects. Skin irritation and excessive dryness. Delays healing of skin tissue.
Can you put alcohol on dogs paws?
Instead of sweating to cool off like humans do, dogs release heat through their paw pads by rubbing alcohol on them. Try dabbing some rubbing alcohol on your dog’s paw pads if you need to quickly cool your dog down. This can help to draw some heat out.