Can dogs drink alcohol?
Toxic. No. Ethanol is a strong central nervous system depressant and dogs are affected by far smaller amounts than people.
Call a vet or a poison line now.
There is no calculator for alcohol because no reliable dose threshold is published. A vet or poison control line can judge the risk from what was eaten and your dog's weight.
If it has already been eaten
Your own vet, or the nearest 24-hour emergency animal hospital.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435
Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661
Have ready: your dog's weight, the exact product and how much was eaten, and the time it happened.
How much is dangerous?
Merck gives no single toxic dose for dogs, because the outcome depends on concentration, body weight and stomach contents. The practical position is that alcohol has no place in a dog at any amount.
Why it does harm
Ethanol is absorbed rapidly from the gut, reaching peak plasma concentration in 1.5 to 2 hours, and acts as a powerful CNS depressant. Severe cases progress to hypothermia, bradycardia and respiratory depression.
Sources
What to look for
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Staggering and disorientation
- Lethargy progressing to collapse
- Tremors and difficulty breathing
- In severe cases coma, low body temperature and seizures
Timing. Generally 30 to 60 minutes after ingestion.
What to do
- Call a vet. Do not wait for it to wear off — dogs can become hypoglycemic and hypothermic while apparently just sleeping.
- Say what was drunk and roughly how much, including the strength.
- Remember the non-obvious sources: raw bread dough, fermenting fruit, and some rubbing alcohols and flea sprays.