My dog drank alcohol — what do I do?
Dogs metabolize ethanol more slowly than humans on a per-bodyweight basis, and they are far smaller — meaning a beer left on the floor can produce serious toxicity in a medium-sized dog, and a sip of vodka can be a meaningful dose for a toy breed. The risks are central nervous system depression (drunken gait, stupor, coma in severe cases), hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and metabolic acidosis. Any amount is worth a vet call.
EmergencyASPCA Animal Poison Control (US, 24/7): (888) 426-4435
Signs to watch for
- Ataxia — drunken-walk staggering, stumbling
- Disorientation, depressed responses, dullness
- Vomiting
- Excessive drooling
- Hypothermia (low body temperature — peripheral vasodilation effect)
- Slow or shallow breathing
- Hypoglycemia signs: weakness, trembling, collapse
- Stupor, unresponsiveness, coma (severe cases)
Timeline
Why alcohol is toxic to dogs
Ethanol acts on the central nervous system the same way it does in humans — at low doses it causes disinhibition, at higher doses ataxia and stupor, at severe doses respiratory depression and coma. Dogs are NOT human-scale: a 10 kg dog metabolizing a single beer (roughly 14 g of ethanol) is roughly equivalent in dose-per-bodyweight to a 70 kg human drinking 7 beers.
On top of the dose-per-bodyweight problem, dogs metabolize ethanol more slowly than humans because the hepatic enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase is present at lower levels in canine liver tissue. The result is higher peak blood-ethanol concentrations from a given dose and longer time to clear.
Indirect alcohol sources are real and often surprising: raw bread dough (yeast fermenting in the stomach produces ethanol — see the raw-dough page), rum-soaked fruitcake, alcohol-infused desserts (tiramisu, rum balls), kombucha, kefir, and unsealed cooking wines used as 'water' replacements.
How much alcohol is toxic?
There is no published safe dose. Mild signs (ataxia, drowsiness) can appear at 0.5 ml of pure ethanol per kg of body weight — about 12 ml (a small splash) of vodka for a 10 kg dog. Severe signs (stupor, respiratory depression) at 4–8 ml/kg pure ethanol.
Practical examples for a 10 kg (22 lb) dog: half a can of beer (5% ABV, ~175 ml × 0.05 = 8.75 ml ethanol = 0.88 ml/kg) — about 1.8× the mild-signs threshold, mild intoxication likely. A glass of wine (12% ABV, 150 ml × 0.12 = 18 ml = 1.8 ml/kg) — about 3.6× threshold, significant intoxication, vet call. A double shot of spirits (40% ABV, 60 ml × 0.4 = 24 ml = 2.4 ml/kg) — about 5× threshold, significant intoxication approaching severe range. To reach severe (4+ ml/kg pure ethanol), a 10 kg dog would need roughly 100 ml of spirits, 350 ml of wine, or 4 full beers. Halve those numbers for a 5 kg toy breed, multiply by three for a 30 kg lab.
Two non-obvious sources to factor in: alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60–70% ABV — a single mouthful is a serious dose), and isopropyl alcohol rubbing alcohol (more toxic than ethanol per ml, especially for cats).
What to do right now
1. Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control ((888) 426-4435, 24/7) immediately. Have your dog's weight, what they drank (beer / wine / spirits / hand sanitizer / fermented food), the approximate amount, and the time of ingestion ready.
2. Do not induce vomiting at home unless your vet specifically tells you to. Ethanol absorbs rapidly, and inducing vomiting in a dog already ataxic raises aspiration risk substantially.
3. Keep your dog warm during transport. Hypothermia from alcohol is real and develops within the first few hours — peripheral vasodilation lets body heat dissipate faster than normal.
4. Do not feed your dog while heading to the vet — emesis risk plus full stomach makes gastric care harder. A small amount of water is fine.
5. Drive to the clinic. Severe-dose cases (stupor, respiratory depression, hypothermia) need IV fluids, warming, glucose support, and monitoring — none of which can happen at home.
Hidden alcohol sources to know
Beverages are the obvious source. Less obvious: raw bread dough (yeast fermenting in the warm stomach produces ethanol — separate emergency, see the raw-dough page), kombucha (up to 3% ABV in some commercial brands, more in homemade), kefir (small ABV, usually under 2%), rum-soaked fruitcake or tiramisu (the alcohol is not fully cooked off in many recipes), unsealed cooking wines used in casseroles.
Household products with high alcohol content: hand sanitizer (60–70% ethanol — a single mouthful is a major dose for a small dog), mouthwash with alcohol (up to 25%), some perfumes and aftershaves (40–80%), cough syrups with alcohol (5–10%). Treat any household chemical with 'alcohol', 'ethanol', or 'isopropyl' on the label as a potential exposure.
Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is roughly twice as toxic per ml as ethanol. Same symptom pattern but worse, with additional risk of metabolic acidosis. Treat exposure to isopropyl as a higher-acuity version of ethanol exposure.
What the vet will do
Initial: physical exam, vital signs (especially body temperature and blood-glucose check at admission). Severity assessment by ataxia level, mentation, breathing, blood pressure.
Supportive care: IV fluids (correct dehydration, support kidneys, dilute blood ethanol indirectly via increased urine output), warming if hypothermic (blankets, warm-air blanket, heated IV fluids), glucose supplementation if hypoglycemic.
Monitoring: blood gas and electrolytes for metabolic acidosis; cardiac monitoring for arrhythmias in severe cases; mentation checks (most reliable severity gauge — improving alertness over hours is reassuring).
Hospitalization is usually 12–24 hours for moderate cases, longer for severe cases or large-dose ingestions. There is no antidote for ethanol — supportive care is the entire treatment. Activated charcoal is generally not useful (alcohol absorbs too fast for charcoal to bind).
What not to do
- Do not assume 'just a sip' is fine. Dogs are far smaller than humans, dose-per-bodyweight escalates fast, and dogs metabolize alcohol about three times slower than humans.
- Do not induce vomiting at home if your dog is already ataxic or drowsy. Aspiration risk is high once mentation is depressed.
- Do not give black coffee or anything to 'wake them up'. Caffeine on top of ethanol is two CNS stimulants competing, and the heart-rate effect of caffeine is dangerous when combined with the cardiovascular effects of alcohol.
- Do not put your dog in a cold space to 'sober them up' — alcohol already causes hypothermia. Cold accelerates the problem. Keep them warm.
- Do not leave alcohol-based hand sanitizer or mouthwash where a dog can reach. 60–70% ethanol in a 100 ml bottle is a life-threatening dose for a small dog if drunk down.
Frequently asked
Will my dog die from drinking alcohol?
It depends on dose and time-to-vet. Mild cases (a sip of beer for a medium dog) usually self-resolve uneventfully. Severe cases (a large dog finishing a glass of spirits, or a small dog drinking hand sanitizer) can be life-threatening from respiratory depression, hypothermia, or hypoglycemia. Time-to-vet and severity at presentation are the biggest predictors.
Is beer worse than wine or spirits for dogs?
On a per-mL basis, spirits are most concentrated (40%+ ethanol), then wine (12–14%), then beer (4–6%). On a per-serving basis they tend to even out because typical serving sizes scale inversely. For a 10 kg dog: a finished beer (~12 oz of 5% ABV) is roughly similar dose to a glass of wine (~5 oz of 13% ABV). Spirits at typical sips are usually worse per volume.
My dog ate raw bread dough — is the alcohol risk the same?
It is one of two simultaneous emergencies. Raw bread dough produces ethanol AND expanding CO2 gas in the warm stomach (a gas-distension risk on top of the alcohol toxicity). The combined picture is worse than ethanol alone. See the raw-dough emergency guide for the full first aid.
My dog licked hand sanitizer — should I worry?
Yes, and the size of the dog matters. Hand sanitizer is 60–70% ethanol. A few licks for a large dog is usually mild; multiple mouthfuls for a small dog can reach severe toxicity. Call the ASPCA APCC ((888) 426-4435) for dose-specific triage. The packaging matters — many sanitizers also contain isopropyl alcohol or methanol, which are MORE toxic than ethanol.
Can I give my dog black coffee to "sober them up"?
No — and it is actively dangerous. Caffeine and ethanol are two CNS-active drugs that interact unpredictably. Caffeine raises heart rate, ethanol can cause cardiac arrhythmia. Stacking them in a stressed dog can produce serious cardiovascular events. Just keep them warm, comfortable, and head to the vet.
How long does alcohol stay in a dog's system?
Ethanol clears at a roughly constant rate in dogs (zero-order kinetics, not a clean half-life) — a 10 kg dog clears about 5–10 ml of ethanol per hour. Most dogs are visibly improving within 4–8 hours of ingestion and clear within 12–24 hours. Mild residual incoordination or sleepiness can persist into the second day. Bloodwork (electrolytes, glucose) usually returns to normal by 24 hours.
What about non-alcoholic beer or wine?
"Non-alcoholic" labels can mean up to 0.5% ABV in many countries — meaningfully less than regular beer but not zero. A small dog drinking a full can of "NA beer" is getting a real but mild ethanol dose. Plus most NA beers and wines still have hops, grape compounds, or other ingredients that have separate canine concerns. Best practice: keep away from dogs as a category.
Primary sources
This guide draws on the following authorities. Specific clinical decisions for your pet should always be made with your vet.
Double-check another food, get a personalised follow-up, or talk to CRO about your pet’s specific situation.
This guide is educational and based on US veterinary sources (ASPCA APCC, AVMA, and peer-reviewed literature). It is not a substitute for a vet call. When in doubt, phone your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control — the fee is far cheaper than a delayed case.