Alcohol Poisoning in Dogs: What To Do
Alcohol hits a dog far harder than it hits you, and it hides in more than the obvious glass. Here is what to do if your dog gets into it.
A dog that has had a drink is not funny. Alcohol is absorbed fast, hits small dogs hardest, and hides in more than the obvious glass.
A dog that has had a drink is not funny, though it is often treated that way.
Ethanol is absorbed fast and hits a dog harder than it hits us, simply because there is less of the dog to absorb it into. Small breeds feel it worse again, weight for weight. It can run from wobbliness and vomiting through to laboured breathing and, at the severe end, coma.
What to do
- Ring your vet or a poison line now, saying what your dog got into and roughly how much.
- Go in if your dog is wobbly, drowsy or struggling to stand. Do not wait at home to see if it sleeps it off.
In the US, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center or the Pet Poison Helpline. In the UK, the Animal PoisonLine.
Where it hides
The awkward part is how many ordinary things contain alcohol. Not just the obvious glass left on a low table, but:
- Liqueurs and cocktails
- Mouthwash
- Hand sanitiser
- Beer-battered food
- Windfall fruit, fermenting quietly under a tree in late summer
Two of these catch owners out more than the rest. Fallen apples and plums under a garden tree ferment where they lie, and a dog that grazes on windfalls over an afternoon can get quietly drunk in its own garden. And alcohol gel dispensers now sit at dog height in a great many public buildings and hotel lobbies, dripping onto a floor a dog will lick.
Three things not to do
Do not try to make your dog sick unless you have been told to, and never if it is wobbly, drowsy or struggling to stand up. A dog in that state can inhale what comes back up, and pneumonia is a worse problem than the one you started with.
Do not leave a drunk dog unattended, even briefly. It can stumble, fall, or choke on its own vomit.
Do not try to sober your dog up with coffee, food or milk. None of it works, and the time is better spent on the road.
What to watch for
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Wobbliness and poor coordination
- Drowsiness and flatness
- Laboured breathing
- Tremors
- Coma at the severe end
The small-dog problem
Alcohol is dosed by body weight whether anyone intends it or not, and a spaniel that finishes an abandoned pint has taken a very different dose from a Labrador doing the same thing.
For small breeds and puppies, quantities that sound trivial in conversation are not trivial at all. A splash of cream liqueur left in a glass at a party is a genuine exposure for a terrier.
Terraces, hampers and parties
Alcohol reaches dogs when people relax and stop watching the table. A pint left on a low table on a hotel terrace, a cocktail knocked over, brandy butter on a mince pie, a hand sanitiser dispenser bolted to the wall at dog height.
Keep drinks up high when you travel, and at parties, assume any glass left within reach will be investigated.
Sources
This article was written using guidance from ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, a leading 24/7 animal poison control resource in the United States. This guidance is for general information and does not replace a consultation with your own veterinarian. In an emergency, always contact a vet. Read [how we write our health guidance](https://rochsociety.com/how-we-write-our-health-guidance/). Last reviewed July 2026.
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