Can Dogs Drink Alcohol?
No. Alcohol is toxic to dogs in much smaller amounts than for us: it can cause hypoglycemia, hypothermia, slowed breathing and coma. It's also found in boozy desserts, raw yeast dough and mouthwash.
Why it's dangerous
Ethanol is absorbed very quickly and depresses the nervous system. In a dog, because of their size and metabolism, a small amount is enough: it causes wobbling, vomiting, disorientation and drowsiness, and at higher doses drops in blood sugar, body temperature and breathing, seizures and coma. As a reference, 100 ml (about 3.4 fl oz) of wine contains about 10 g of alcohol, which for a 5 kg (11 lb) dog is 2 g per kg, already a dangerous amount; the lethal dose is around 5.5-6.5 g/kg.
The source isn't always a glass. Desserts and chocolates with liquor, rum-soaked raisins, eggnog, raw yeast dough (which produces alcohol in the stomach), mouthwash, hand sanitizer, perfume and cologne, and fallen fermented fruit all count. Hops are a separate issue: if you brew beer at home, the plant, the pellets or the spent hops left after boiling are toxic to dogs in their own right and can send body temperature soaring (hyperthermia). In beer that's already poured, the risk is the alcohol, not the hops.
Is any amount safe?
None, not a shot “to help them sleep” or beer “for a shiny coat”. What's a sip for a person can be poisoning for a small dog.
Risks
- Depression of the nervous and respiratory systems
- Hypoglycemia and hypothermia
- Boozy desserts and chocolates, rum-soaked raisins, eggnog
- Raw yeast dough
- Mouthwash, hand sanitizer and cologne
- Home-brewing hops (plant, pellets or spent hops): hyperthermia
Frequently asked questions
What happens if my dog drinks a little beer?
A lick doesn't usually have consequences, but a small dog that drinks a glass can get alcohol poisoning: wobbling, vomiting, drowsiness and a drop in temperature. The hops that can send temperature soaring are home-brewing hops (plant, pellets or spent hops), not those in poured beer. Call your vet with your dog's weight and the amount, and don't leave them alone in the meantime.
Is hand sanitizer dangerous for dogs?
Licking a little off your hands isn't usually a problem, but hand sanitizer is around 70% alcohol, so if your dog chews the bottle and swallows some, they can be poisoned quickly, especially if they're small. Keep it out of reach and call your vet if they drank part of the bottle.
General information reviewed against veterinary sources. If your dog has eaten something that worries you, call your vet or a 24-hour emergency vet right away, without waiting for symptoms.