What Happens When Dogs Drink Alcohol?

It is not uncommon for people to question which food and drink their dogs can eat safely. There are certain things that we eat or drink that are very harmful to dogs and any type of alcohol definitely comes under this category. You should take great care to keep any alcoholic beverage that you are drinking away from your dog so they can not take a drink without you knowing. There are three main reasons why you should not give alcohol to your dog.

The Main Ingredients In Alcohol Are Toxic For Dogs

There are some ingredients of alcoholic drinks such as wine and beer that are used at the beginning of the fermentation process that is extremely toxic for dogs. Grapes are one of the most toxic foods that a dog can eat and there are still traces of these in drinks such as wine and champagne. The reason why grapes are so toxic to dogs is a mystery to veterinary science but the fact remains that dogs should avoid them at all costs.

One of the main ingredients in beer is hops. This is another food, like grapes, that are extremely toxic to dogs but it is not really known why. If you brew your own beer at home then you should take care to make sure that there are no hops left anywhere that your dog could get to them.

If your dog has consumed alcohol without you knowing then you may start to see the physical effects such as vomiting or stomach cramps. However, sometimes they may not be showing any physical symptoms but could have internal problems such as kidney damage. It can not be overestimated how important it is that your dog does not consume any alcohol. It certainly should not be given to them intentionally and you should also take care to make sure that they can’t consume it accidentally.

Dogs Are Not Built To Drink Alcohol

It sometimes does not take many alcoholic drinks to make humans feel a little bit tipsy. This will happen even quicker for dogs because they do not have the build to cope with large amounts of alcohol in their system. Dogs are very curious and will drink anything that they find in front of them just to see what it tastes like. If they like the taste they will keep drinking because they have no way of knowing that they may be doing themselves harm. There have even been cases of a dog getting alcohol poisoning after absorbing it through their skin if they have laid down where a drink has been spilled. Dogs kidneys are not made to process alcohol and so they can become very damaged when it is consumed. Kidney failure is one of the major problems that can occur if a dog were to drink too much alcohol.

There Is A Big Risk Of Alcohol Poisoning

The biggest risk to your dog consuming alcohol is that they will develop alcohol poisoning. This is more of a concern if the alcohol is consumed on a regular basis but it has been known to occur from something as simple as eating cake that has been made with rum. Any effects that humans feel from drinking too much alcohol will be felt much quicker and to a greater extent by dogs. The first signs of alcohol poisoning in dogs would be confusion along with stomach cramps and vomiting. If the condition progresses then the dog may go on to suffer from kidney failure. In extreme cases, they can also suffer from heart failure and if this happens then the condition could be fatal. It can take as little as one hour between the dog consuming alcohol to the symptoms of alcohol poisoning to begin to show.

When you are next drinking anything alcoholic then you should take some extra precautions to ensure that your dog is not able to take a drink from your glass. The easiest way to do this it to make sure that your drink is out of reach of your dog when it is not in your hand. You should also ensure that any spillages are dealt with straight away. With a little care and common sense, there should be no reason why your dog will be in any danger from consuming any alcohol.

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