Can a dog die if it drinks alcohol?

Answer 1

Can dogs get drunk? I've had to treat a few dogs that were very sedate from alcohol toxicity. Luckily, they were mostly from atypical sources - in other words, most owners are smart enough to realize that they shouldn't give their dog alcohol. My last two dogs were thoroughly intoxicated because they lived with bakers (not that kind!). One dog ingested a rum-soaked fruit cake. This was bizarre for two reasons. 1) Who still makes or eats fruit cake these days? And 2) Isn't the rum supposed to bake off? That's some boozer baker! The other dog had ingested an un-risen loaf of bread, and due to the yeast in the dough, became quite drunk (or the fancier scientific word, "ataxic") from it.

Regardless of the situation, ethanol poisoning can result in severe sedation and lethargy which may result in your dog not being able to adequately protect his airway thus predisposing him to aspiration pneumonia. If you notice clinical signs, or happen to catch your pooch eating yeast dough or some alcohol-soaked product, bring him to a vet immediately. His alcohol buzz won't be as cool as yours - he'll go straight from eating it to being heavily sedated. Boring! Material from It's a Dog's Life... but It's Your Carpet: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Your Four-Legged Friend, available at Amazon.com. More information available at www.drjustinelee.com

Copyright © 2008 Justine Lee Veterinary Consulting, LLC.

Answer 2

Depends a bit on the amount and the size of the dog.

In larger amounts it causes the liver and kidneys to fail, and can lead to a painful and agonizing death. If you suspect your dog has had antifreeze, take him to your vet immediately.

There are some newer brands that do not have the same ingredients as traditional anti freeze and do not kill dogs. You should still take your dog do your veterinarian to make sure.

Answer 3

they get drunk, but it's a lot easier for them to get alcohol poisoning. one shot is probably enough to get a normal sized dog hammered.

Answer 4

One way to tell if your dog is drunk is if they cannot stand up correctly. A dog should never get drunk.

Answer 5

It depends of how much you give it, if you give it a little bit it will make a dog sick, if you give the dog allot, it'll most likely kill the dog.

Answer 6

liquor is extremely bad for dogs. they cannot metabolize it the way we can. in an isolatated incident, it shouldn't be a problem, but do not intentionally give any dog alcohol.