Alcohol is toxic for dogs. Your vet might not ask how many drinks a week your dog has, but maybe that’s because they know if they are having any, they wouldn’t be there.
I couldn’t find anything on the web about alcohol and dogs so I am posting my experience so others can learn from it. Note that I used to have a friend that fed his dog beer and the dog didn’t have any noticeable side effects. But one drop of gin was way too much gin for my dog. Here it is …
We were having a drink on the porch with friends and my boyfriend finished his gin and tonic and put the glass on the floor. One of the dogs knocked it over and both dogs ate the ice cubes. We didn’t think anything of it since the drink was empty. An hour later my dog Teddy couldn’t walk straight, a half hour after that her legs wouldn’t support her at all, she was having trouble breathing and she started vomiting all over the floor and herself. (And made no move to clean herself up or move out of it.) She was also terrified and just wanted to lie as close to me as possible. Wait till you watch your dog try to flop across the floor to get next to you – it’s terrifying. Two hours after the gin flavored ice cube she was fine. (I then felt like I might need a gin and tonic myself!) Before we remembered the glass and the ice cubes, the emergency clinic vets were thinking back problems and neurological disorders. When we finally remembered the knocked over glass, they immediately said that was it. So, NO ALCOHOL FOR DOGS. Not even a drop!
Thank you so much for posting – I, too, could not find any references to dogs and alcohol until I found yours!
Appreciate the info…have a great holiday weekend!
Thank you for the info, Because my dog max, A mini dauschand, drank a whole 16 ounce beer that was knocked over. He experienced some of the same things Teddy experienced. He couldn’t walk at all, he was vomiting all over and he couldn’t move his head by himself. When he tried to go potty, he couldn’t stand up and went on himself. I gave him some bread 6 hours later. He spent the whole night shivering.
-Donna
Thank you so much! My toy fox terrier got ahold of some alcohol in a gross way. My friend puked and he ate it. He hasn’t thrown up so I guess it could be worse. He can’t hold his head up and he has peed on himself. I was totally freaking out until I read your post. I too couldn’t find anything. Thank you so much.
I’m sorry to hear about your dog. However, I have given my labrador alcohol several times with no ill effects. He’s a sucker for sweet stuff, so he’s had port and other sweet wines. It’s never more than an ounce and I’ve only done it 4 or 5 times over his 6 year life. He got rather tipsy on the port, which was more than 1 oz. His eyes were red and he was pretty sleepy. That’s it. Perhaps the size of the dog matters as my dog is 74lbs. It’s irresponsible, I suppose. I’m looking for some medical literature on the subject as my wife has forbidden me from giving anymore wine to the dog.
I now think it has something to do with the type of alcohol. Both of our dogs have had plenty of spilt beer without any side effects. I have now heard of a couple of people that are allergic to gin, so I’m wondering if my dog is allergic to gin or if it’s just that the alcohol was more concentrated or if she just got too much. Teddy’s a 75 pound dog, so I doubt it’s that she got too much …
I have an 18lb Pug that loves beer. One time at a Halloween party, a beer bottle got tipped over by a guest, and she lapped up a couple ounces. Ever since then, every time she sees a bottle of beer, she stares at it until you pour a little bit on the ground for her. She sometimes even tries to grab the bottle with her paws like a cat. I think beer is safe in moderation.
My Miniature Schnauzer handles beer just fine. I maybe give him 1-3 ounces of beer maybe 3 times a year because he likes it. Doesn’t get sick at all, just gets friendly and cordial. Must be because he’s German. 😉
My 23 lb cocker/poodle consumed two short rum and cokes tonight (one was on the patio floor and then latter the other was on the coffee table) now he’s down for the count, has thrown-up, pooped several times (where ever he was) and very afraid and I am watching closely. I’ll keep posted… Hard alcohol is really bad – beer is a whole other thing – be very careful…
That’s scary! Please let us know how your dog is. I hope he is ok and recovers well.
(My dog was also very scared. She jumped everytime I petted her.)
Alcohol, Dogs & “Drunk Ice” Don’t Mix
Like most of you, I’ve always refrained from giving my dogs alcohol of any kind (beer or mixed drinks), knowing that alcohol and dogs just don’t mix. But you may not know that even ICE from a mixed drink could seriously harm your dog. Here’s what you n…
I gave my favorite German Short Hair Pointer about 1/2 oz of Scotch tonight after she just begged me for some. Well, not 5 minutes later she appeared aggitated so I got on the net and searched. After reading all the comments warning not to give dogs alcohol, I realized I made a big mistake. I took her into the kitchen and threw her pretzel after pretzel. As the minutes went on, her catching got worse. Eventually, I gave her two or three handfulls and quit for awile. 5 minutes later, she was throwing up three handfulls of pretzels wet down with Scotch. Moral of the story, when you drank too much you ate something like pretzels didnt you? If you are dumb enough (like me) to give your dog alcohol, hurry up and feed them pretzels before its too late. She is sleeping like a baby now. I am glad.
My sheltie has a chronic ear infection and he has had surgery 3 times, he just came home from the hospital tonight and was in pain…I gave him an ounce of a milk based mixed drink (mud slide) no ill effects as of yet, (I was worried that the milk would give him an upset stomach as dogs can be intolerant of cows milk) and it did seem to bring him some relief….and he was able to sleep for about an hour, but after reading ur posts I will have to try something else!
my dog and i usually split a 30 rack and shes always fine. She can put away about 15 or 16 before she gets drunk enough to vomit
same here. My chocolate labs a tank. I live in Tampa bay and i’m good friends with a couple of guys from the buccaneers. So I had a few of the guys from the buc’s offense over last weekend. And well my chocolate lab, richard, outdrank mike alstot! I’m changing her breed from chocolate lab to chocolate christine foley!
I give my lab drinks because she asks for it, only in moderation because I drink all sorts of drinks depending on the day of the week. Tonight its brandy n coke and she lapped that up no problems, about a glass full overall, she’s currently dozing by the bed like the drunk she is! She likes beer also but thats not her fancy really more into the spirits my dog.
Alcohol, Dogs & “Drunk Ice” Don’t Mix
Like most of you, I’ve always refrained from giving my dogs alcohol of any kind (beer or mixed drinks), knowing that alcohol and dogs just don’t mix. But you may not know that even ICE from a mixed drink could seriously harm your dog. Here’s what you n…
My dog rex is a french poodle. I fear for his life as he has seemingly become a chronic alchoholic. Dogs and alchohol is no joke. Rex got his second dui last weekend and is now probably getting plowed by a big burly choholate lab named butch at the state poundatenchery.
Dogs and alcohol is nothing, what we really need to be worried about is dogs and the distribution of narcotics. My chocolate lab, tyrese just got arrested last weekend for intent to sell cocaine and extacsy pill
It has been estimated that over three million dogs are out-and-out alcoholics. Several million more have a serious drinking problem that they cannot manage on their own. While drinking may be a singular problem behavior for some dogs, research suggests that for others it may be an expression of general adolescent turmoil that includes other problem behaviors. Dogs that start drinking before the age of 2 are 10 times more likely to bite your ankles and are six times more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and coronal heart disease than dogs that wait the legal age of 6.
I was drinking a glass of wine, and some of it spilled down the stem to the bottom disc. My 5 month old, 3.4 pound Chihuahua licked it up, and nothing happened. He liked it, and every time I have a glass of wine in my hand he tries to drink it. He is also attracted to the smell of beer. I do not give him any. It was an accident. He had injested a few drops, equivalent to a human drinking a healthy sip of wine.
At his weight, a teaspoon of wine is equivalent to a glass for a human. I know some things that are not harmful to humans (like chocolate or onions) are harmful to dogs in even small amounts. But, is it possible that your dogs go so messed up because a) they have no tolerance (remember the first time you had a drink? I would get drunk/sick from 2-3 drinks) b) they are ingesting too much for their weight. A mini-daschund that drinks a 16oz beer is like you or I drinking 25-30 beers, and in a short period of time. That would make anyone sick. I’m surprised it survived.
Anyway, I don’t let my dog drink, but I wonder if (after he is matured) a few teaspoons of red wine here and there may actually be good for him?
I know tea is not good, since it contains the same stimulant (theobromide) as in chocolate, which kills dogs. Maybe in lesser amounts, but I won’t experiment with that.
I will try to do some research on this. I find it hard to believe that any animal has not evolved to tolerate some alcohol. After all, it is found in fermented fruits, which would be available to wolves for hundreds of thousands of years.
My daughter came home drunk last night. She puked all over and peed on the kitchen floor, I didnt know it till this morning. Well I have 2 dogs a 75 pound rhodesain, And a 35 pound Border collie. After I got up and found it I went to get all cleaning supplies and found the puke gone and some of the urine gone. Now i am worried about it I dont which one ate/drank what? They Both keep wanting out to eat grass but neither one has of yet puked and its been about an hour.After reading your posts I know that they will be okay. thanks for having a place for me to find out about alchol and dogs.
PS the kid is in big trouble when i can wake her up
your dog must be a light weight mine is 55ibs and can drink 3 beers in 10 min. she gets tipsy after tht so i don’t give here anymore
ANYONE WHO GIVES AN ANIMAL ALCOHOL IS STUPID AND SHOULDN’T EVEN OWN AN ANIMAL. COMMON SENSE TELLS YOU THAT ALCOHOL IS BAD FOR ANIMALS. IT’S BAD FOR HUMANS, SO YOU KNOW IT’S BAD FOR AN ANIMAL. DON’T GET ME WRONG, I REALLY ENJOY DRINKING, BUT I WOULD NEVER GIVE NOT EVEN A DROP OF ALCOHOL TO AN ANIMAL. I’M AFRAID MY DOG GOT AHOLD OF JUST A LITTLE STRAWBERRY DAQUARI THAT WAS SPILLED. I’VE BEEN WORRIED TO DEATH ABOUT HER & YA’LL PEOPLE ARE HANDING IT OVER TO YOUR ANIMALS. IF YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE AN ANIMAL, THEN HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY & TAKE PROPER CARE OF IT. YOU SHOULD TREAT ANIMALS LIKE YOU WOULD YOUR CHILDREN. WOULD YA’LL GIVE YOUR CHILDREN ALCOHOL? I HOPE NOT!!
All mammmals are capable of processing alcohol in roughly the same fashion or we would not have survived as long- fermentation is a natural bi product of organic decomposition, and we all harbor bacterium in our guts that produce SOME alcohol at all times.
Alcohol like any other substance has a concentration level that is lethal. This level depends on two primary factors- mass and metabolic rate.
Your lap dog is obese if it weighs in at even 10% of your own weight- think of giving the dog 1.6 ounces of beer and see how that goes.
A large dog such as a lab or mastiff might easily exceed 50% of your own weight.
It’s not suprising that many small dogs get alcohol poisoning so easily, people don’t understand the mechanism and give the animal far too much.
The scenario of the shivering, vomiting, shakey-legged dog is a fairly accurate depiction of my own 21st birthday some time back.
i can’t beleive you people would actually be willing to give your dog alcohol. mine got a hold of some and she was fine until the next day. she wouldnt poo for a while and then vomited constantly. she peed all over herself and is now sleeping. vet said she might be poisoned.
dont be an idiot and keep your dog away from whatever crap you happen to be drinking.
loool, i can’t stop laughing i’ve just gave my 6months 30pounds german shephered about quarter of my whisky mixed with coke cup, and then i realized that i should read online about dogs and alcohol before doing that, while am reading the comments he’s just starring at my drink lol , and he barked once in a strange way as if he is saying i want the rest, and i can’t stop lauging cuz he wouldn’t stop jumping on my g/f’s leg and bitting her really hard lol !!!
I guess i had to learn the hard way, I think the effects of alcohols on dogs is very close to effects on humans !
our pit bull loves wine!! He’s a wino like us and he just passed out a sec ago on the bed after doing a retarded circle dance!
me and my buddies gave my 5 month old pittie/rottie a buncha beer.. split on the floor or in his bowl he got a lil typsy but he jsut seemed really happy and friendly.. no puking or whatever.. beer is fine for dogs.. my doog lovesssssssssssss it
My 8 month old teacup yorkies had some Bailey’s from one one my glasses once, and they both loved it. They had a fair bit of it too, and didn’t show any ill effets.
They’ll drink beer as well, but are a bit snooty about it. They’ll only drink Stella Artois.
I’ve never given them gin, but that’s because I don’t share my gin with anyone. 🙂
my little 3 month yorkie licked my shot of rum and honey. i freaked. she became calm and licked her nose and lyed down for a while. she looked like she got a small buzz. after 15 minutes she got up and is back to her normal self thank god cause my girl friend would have killed me…..
yeeah, my dog loves it all. i have a flask that i fill with all kinds of whiskey and brandy. i used to tip it up for her and she’d just pass out like a drunk after a half hr. now she gets her kicks on mad dog 20/20, and that bitch loves any kind of beer. i cant even say beer without her eyes glazing over and her staring at me like i was made of chicken jerky. my dog weighs 63 lbs and is almost 2. german shep/lab mix. she has never puked or shown any symptoms other than the occasional hangover the next day. but you cant make a dog drink water so i give her gatorade. she loves it more than a car ride!
My dog is a 5 month 2.5 lb toy poodle she drunk about 1\4 cup of a B52 which has 3 differnt liquors… And besides the crooked walking she’s fine….
Alcohol will effect an animal depending on size and weight differently. The worst type of alcohol to give or for it to get ahold of accidently is wine, port or brandy. Is has an advanced fermentation process and can cause seizures, coma, kidney failure, and death, just like grapes and raisins. Beer is not safe either, just as it can cause cirrosis of the liver in humans it can also occur in dogs, at smaller amounts. Grantled my dog has gotten ahold of beerin the past especially when begging. a very small amount should not cause a probelm and if acquired shold be on VERY RARE occasions. We are probably all suckers for the beggars, but be careful, a druck dog may be amusung to watch at a party but it can be deadly or shorten their life expectancy!! BE SMART PEOPLE!!
I was drinking rum and coke tonight and I went out for a cig. Not thinking about it untill half done. When my husband and I came in the house my dog had put her self in her kennle (which is time out) she is now under the bed sleeping. After reading all that has been put here I am okay but at the same time worried. I dont think that I will getmuch sleep tonight for checking on her. She is a 42lbs 5 in a half month old Sheppard/rottie mix. This is not the first time that she has done something like this, she had jumped on tha kitchen counter and gotten my husbands beer and took off and drank it. She was fine nothing like what I read here. So I am not sure what to think….I guess just keep an eye on her and see what happens ! Thank God for having the vet on speed dial
I have been searching for alcohol poisioning and couldn’t find much on this very important topic. Our dachshund drank a white russian last night and we thought she was going to die. Her body went limp, she stared blankly, shivered, and had jerking seizers. She finally vomited and peed but just laid in it unresponsive. After 13 hours she is just responding and getting back on her feet. She seems ok now, but who know what the long term affects will be. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SUBJECT THAT NEEDS MORE AWARNESS!!!!!
We had a St Paddy’s Day party last night and I planned ahead and had my dog stay the night elsewhere. Cleaned up our place, brought him back home, but he somehow got into the garbage and I believe consumed beer and god knows what else. He was weaving, very lethargic, with bloodshot eyes rolling back. I was about to take him to the vet, when he suddenly jumped up, went outside to the bathroom (normally). More alert after 4 hours … he’s back asleep now & I’ve cancelled vet visit but plan to keep an eye on him. I too always thought alcohol and dogs was a joke, not that I would give him much, but he was REALLY messed up after this accidental consumption & I’m going to be more careful in the future. Scary!
I think anyone who enjoys giving their dog alcohol just to see them “react” is sick. I love my Great Pyrenees female who’s about 120 lbs and she got into my cup of ice tea with some Black Velvet whiskey that i left on the table when i went for a bathroom break. I came back and saw the “lap” marks on a piece of paper i had nearby and looked in my cup and saw it almost gone…..she probably couldn’t get to the bottom of the cup. I almost died. I freaked and hurried up and gave her some food to coat her stomach and prayed it would not kill her. Alcohol and dogs are a serious thing. I treat her like the princess she is and all dogs should be treated with respect for their minds and bodies. They are not just a “thang” or play toy. They are breathing, living, feeling mammals like us and although this “alcohol consumption” is how “we as humans” have fun; it’s not for dogs nor should it ever be. After about 20 minutes passed while writing this email to you all; i gave my dog another two cups of food to force her to vomit so her body and liver wouldn’t try to metabolize this all the way…..you people are a bunch of alcoholics and drug addicts yourself; the ones who have posted blogs about how fun it is to see your dog get drunk; and you don’t deserve to have a dog or any kind of animal. I’m an animal lover; defend animals and a nutritionist by heart and education…..you “people” who love to get high yourself with your dogs are really messed up. Alcohol is a human thing to relax or have fun sometimes; not for animals. Get a life, a good job or schooling because you sure have a lot to learn. Love your animals MORE than yourself because they will always give 100% more in return; UNLIKE people. That’s all i have to say. Live, Love and WAKE UP and LEARN.
Our vet recommended giving peroxide to our dog to induce vomiting after consuming alcohol. Please be sure to call your vet immediately in any emergency.
My dog drank an abandoned grey goose and cranberry at the last Pimps Up Hoes Down party I threw. I didn’t think twice about it until later on during the night, after some of the barely dressed strippers fell asleep, I saw him pile driving one of them doggy style in the corn hole. Chick was so drunk she didn’t feel a thing. Moral of the story, keep feedin the pigs vodka and make sure my butt cheeks are clinched if I fall asleep after my dog has thrown a couple back.
My dog is dying from bone cancer. I’ve read curcumin has cured mice of several types of cancer and so I’ve been giving him some curcumin. However, after a short while I realized it does not dissolve in water, and some research showed it was useless unless it was dissolved. It was passing right through him. There are only two things it dissolves in – grain alcohol and DMSO. I’ve dissolved as much as 3 grams of curcumin in 1 oz of grain alcohol and 500 mg of curcumin in 30 ml of DMSO. I put the DMSO/ curcumin solution right on the bone tumor as a topical treatment, and I mix the grain alcohol/curcumin mix with peanut butter and flour until it is solid. He eats it. Neither application has appeared to have any effect, except he is still alive 8 weeks after diagnosis and the vet only gave him 30 days. He consumes about 2 oz of grain alcohol a day, with as much as 12 grams of curcumin. You gotta do what you gotta do.
Hi Arcy,
I’m so sorry to hear about your dog’s bone cancer. I’m glad you’ve found a way to help him!
Stormy
Makes sense now. I was just making jelly shots and i frosted some mint to go on the shots by dipping the mint in the left over alcoholic jelly and then rolling it in sugar. I let my springer spaniel lick the sugar i didn’t use and thought nothing of it. Shortly afterwards he vomited. I didn’t realise so little alcohol could have such a profound effect on dogs.
I had a mate feed my dog rum and coke as well as coyboys, last night, i found out just as he was finishing the coy boys, yes he started getting drunk, so i put him to bed, i found him this morning not being able to move and breathing heavly this morning, and like he was in shock, he is now at the vet, on a drip, i find out how he is going in 6 hours, im making rule no. 1 o my house hold NO ALCOHOL for dogs,not even a drop.
Amanda,
I hope your dog is ok soon!
My little Pom licked the glass of my Brandy that I was holding and at first I thought everything was fine. Then about an hour or so later she started making that honking sound like something was stuck in her throat and started shivering and couldn’t leave my side. This went on for about two hours and now she is finally sleeping on my lap. I hope she is ok. I read in one of the comments that brandy is one of the worst…
I appreciate this post but does anybody have any solutions? Anything we should do incase our dog gets hold of some alcohol and has a negative effect?
Sounds like alot lot of people with not alot of sense on here, and some that do. Size of the dog, type of booze and how much you give to the dog are all big factors. As for this story and the gin and tonic, one should never drink something that glows under black light i think personally, and if it was from just licking the ice cube I feel sorry for the dog but would have to say is a slim chance to happen without other variables. It sounds like most of these dogs however plain and simply got Drunk! Pucking, not being able to walk straight, hold them selfves up, shivering, i’m sure i’ve seen all those symptoms before. I don’t know maybe when people drink, it’s the same thing and like with humans if they have to much yes they can die. So in moderation is the key. Personally I give my dog the occational sips of beer and rye n cokes, never anything straight, he’s a bigger dog so I don’t worry as much, just don’t be stupid about it.
I am scared to death….my Bichon Frise dranked some of my vodka and grapefruit last night….I left the drink on the counter and she got into it…she was staggering and she could barely walk this morning. She kept falling over and she urined on herself. Is there anything I can do to help her? I am afraid for her.
Please help
My dog likes port..He is always beggging for it when I drink it.
He never got sick, but after that..No more Port for him!
Believe it or not I never knew it was so dangerous… Never gave my dogs booze before. but i was trying this hard pear cider one friday. and decided to let my small dogs have a little, I thought it would be ok. one wouldn’t drink it the other which is about 23lbs, lapped some. I ended up throwing the rest down the sink. I only had what was left, just one bottle. i kinda dont drink much anymore but felt like a beer. the guy at the liquar store suggested the pear cider. so i tried it. and oh my god that little bit. made me feel like crap. 6 asparins and couch potato all saturday. now sunday feeling better. but my jack russel/bichon frise is still feeling the effects. I feel so bad. never again. I just wish i knew what to give her. still cant keep anything down. I can tell she has lost weight. I’m glad she was hefty to begin with. I am glad there was this site I was really getting scared. I’m not too crazy about vets. alot just want your money.but thats another story
update. oct.18,2008 my little dog died on oct.14th. but it wasn’t from the pear cider. she got parvo. i am so upset. she was 7mths old. i had her since 8weeks took her to get all her shots so i thought according to this one vet. had, had her spayed too. thought she was taken care of , for that. but the other vet where she died said after verifying her shot records said she needed to have it at 4 months. she had had her 3rd at 3 mths which is too young they dont have enough antibodies or something. another vet in the same office says with some dogs such as rottweilers(she was not a rott) that she gives them 5 shots up to 21 weeks. if i had only known. i am so upset and disgusted with my old vet office. i spent alot of money trying to save her. i thought they could. but i wish i would have just put her down i feel she suffered. i am so so upset.my other 9mth old jack russell is fine so far i got her a booster shot. within a day…so everybody pass the word about their age bracket give them an extra if you have to.i miss her so much. she slept next to me.