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Poisons and dangerous products for dogs
Health & preventionPart of · Health & prevention

Poisons and dangerous products for dogs

8 min read

What matters first: calling quickly

If you're reading this with your stomach in knots, you can still act. Many poisons work without showing anything. Your dog may seem perfectly normal for hours while antifreeze or rat poison is already doing damage. That's why you call before the symptoms appear: that's when treatment works best, and that window closes fast. His liver doesn't filter the way ours does: products that are harmless to us, like a tablet dropped on the floor or the last square of dark chocolate, can poison him.

These simple steps are worth more than any home remedy.

1

Move your dog away from the product

Collect whatever is left (box, sachet, puddle) and put it out of reach, without panicking.

2

Call without waiting

Your vet, the emergency clinic, or one of France's two animal poison centres, the CNITV and the CAPAE-Ouest. These are phone numbers, reachable from anywhere.

3

Keep the packaging to hand

The label gives the exact molecule and guides the whole treatment. A photo of the product or the plant helps too.

4

Note the time and the amount

When, how much, what: those three pieces of information guide the professional on the phone.

5

Describe honestly what happened

Even if it involves a medicine or cannabis: nobody is judging you, only your dog's care matters, and hiding a detail costs him precious time.

The dangers, room by room

The right habit is to store these products up high AND locked away, somewhere your dog never goes. Not just "left on the worktop".

Kitchen, bathroom, handbag

Human medicinesParacetamol (Doliprane, Efferalgan), ibuprofen (Advil, Nurofen), aspirin (Aspégic) and antidepressants are designed for a human adult: their safety margin is far narrower in a dog, and a single tablet dropped on the floor can be enough to poison him.
Sugar-free chewing gum and sweetsXylitol (also called "birch sugar") is dangerous even in very small amounts; some peanut butters contain it too.
Dark chocolate, coffee, coffee groundsDogs clear theobromine and caffeine very slowly, so they build up; dark chocolate contains far more of them than milk chocolate.

Garage, cellar, workshop

Antifreeze and coolantEthylene glycol has a sweet, very appealing taste and a small puddle is enough: an absolute emergency, it attacks the kidneys.
Rat poison (anticoagulant rodenticides)They stop the blood clotting; a dog can bleed internally several days later, with no visible wound.
Petrol, white spirit, solventsHydrocarbons: never make him vomit, they get into the lungs on the way back up.

Garden and terrace

Metaldehyde slug pelletsCauses tremors and seizures, sometimes shortly after he has swallowed some. Go for metaldehyde-free alternatives.
Insecticides, weedkillers, rodenticidesOften in the form of granules or tasty-smelling sachets, easy to swallow in the grass: keep them locked away, including while you're spreading them.
Bulbs and toxic plantsA dug-up bulb looks like an onion; you'll find the detail in the guide devoted to plants.

The cleaning products cupboard

Drain unblockers, concentrated bleach, detergentsCaustic products: they burn the mouth and the oesophagus. Above all, never make him vomit.
Laundry capsules and toilet tabletsColourful and appealing to a curious dog: the concentrated product can burn the mouth and throat in an instant, and makes him vomit profusely.

Many of these products taste of nothing off-putting, some are even sweet and appealing: you can't rely on your dog to avoid them.

Spotting a poisoning

The signs vary with the product and can be delayed. At the slightest doubt, you call, you don't wait for them to get worse.

Keep a close eye

  • Vomiting, diarrhoea, unusual drooling
  • Restlessness, panting, abnormal thirst
  • Loss of appetite, listlessness

Worrying: you call

  • Staggering, "drunken" walk
  • Tremors, weakness in the hindquarters
  • Pale or very red gums
  • Unexplained bleeding (nose, gums, stools)

Life-threatening emergency

  • Seizures
  • Blue gums, very laboured breathing
  • Collapse, loss of consciousness

Seizures, blue gums, very laboured breathing, collapse or loss of consciousness: this is a life-threatening emergency. Get to the vet, don't think about it any longer.

Preventing poisonings

The best emergency is the one you've planned for. Five calm minutes today can change everything on a day of panic.

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On walks, a well-learned "leave it" cue, and the habit of picking nothing up off the ground, taught with a marker word (a "yes!" at the right moment, followed by a reward), protect your dog from baits and scraps found on the floor. It's a valuable help, never a replacement for storing things away: a dangerous product always stays physically out of reach.

  1. Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), ASPCA
  2. Pet Poison Helpline
  3. Merck Veterinary Manual
  4. Centre National d'Informations Toxicologiques Vétérinaires (CNITV, Lyon)
  5. CAPAE-Ouest (Nantes / Oniris)

Going further

guideFoods that are toxic to dogsChocolate, grapes, xylitol, onion: the precise list of toxic foods to keep out of reach.Read the guideguidePoisonous plants and flowers for dogsThe other big everyday risk: the house and garden plants that are dangerous for him.Read the guideguideSpotting a life-threatening emergency in your dogThe signs that mean calling the vet straight away, poison or not.Read the guideguideThe first aid kit for your dogWhat you need to react fast at home while waiting for the consultation, without improvising.Read the guideguideMy dog is vomiting or has diarrhoea: what to do, when to call the vetVomiting or diarrhoea after a suspect mouthful: how to judge how serious it is.Read the guideguideWhat foods can my dog eat? Yes / In moderation / DangerThe go-to yes/no/danger guide, so you never hesitate again over the bowl or the table.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take for a poisoned dog to die?

There's no countdown: it all depends on the product, the amount, and above all how quickly your dog is seen by a vet. It's precisely because some poisons work in silence that you don't wait: at the slightest doubt, even with no symptoms, call your vet or an animal poison centre right away. Acting early changes everything.

How do I know if my dog has been poisoned?

The possible signs: vomiting, drooling, a staggering walk, tremors, listlessness, abnormal gums, sometimes bleeding. But they're often delayed. It isn't for you to make the diagnosis: if you have a doubt, call and describe what he might have swallowed, the time and the estimated amount.

Rat poison: my dog has eaten some, what do I do?

Call your vet or an animal poison centre immediately, even if he seems fine: anticoagulant rodenticides can make him bleed internally several days later, and the earlier you react, the more effective the care. Take the packaging with you: knowing the exact molecule changes the treatment. Don't make him vomit.

My dog has drunk antifreeze, is it serious?

Yes, this is an absolute emergency: ethylene glycol, sweet and appealing, attacks the kidneys very fast and a small amount is enough. Get to the vet or the emergency clinic without waiting for the slightest symptom. Every hour counts.

My dog has swallowed a human medicine, what do I do?

Keep the box in front of you, whether it's a painkiller such as paracetamol (Doliprane, Efferalgan), ibuprofen (Advil, Nurofen), aspirin (Aspégic), or another medicine: the exact molecule completely changes what needs doing. Call the vet or a poison centre right away, give him nothing else, and don't make him vomit off your own bat.

Should you make a poisoned dog vomit?

No, never off your own bat. With a caustic product, vomiting burns a second time on the way back up; with petrol or a solvent, it can get into the lungs. In every case, it's better to let the vet decide: only he knows whether it's appropriate, and he does it safely.

Which number do I call if my dog is poisoned?

Your vet, the nearest emergency clinic, or an animal poison centre. France has two animal poison centres, the CNITV and the CAPAE-Ouest. These are phone numbers: wherever you live, you can call them. Write these numbers down in advance, away from your phone, so you're not hunting for them on the day.

Updated on Sources

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