Dogs are regularly poisoned by the medications we keep in our homes. Almost 170,000 pets are poisoned each year, with most of these being accidental. One of the most common drugs that poison dogs are heart medications, such as Amiodarone. But what happens if a dog eats Amiodarone?
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Has your dog eaten Amiodarone? Are you worried that Amiodarone will make your dog sick? If so, you’ve come to the right place. We understand it can be scary when your dog eats something like this.
We’ve gathered information about Amiodarone and whether it can make a dog sick. Let’s get started!
What is Amiodarone?
Amiodarone is a prescription medication used to treat and prevent certain types of serious, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias (a certain kind of abnormal heart rhythm. This medication works by relaxing overactive heart muscles.
While Amiodarone is considered safe for humans (when used as directed), what about dogs? Can Amiodarone make a dog sick?
Amiodarone & Dogs
Unfortunately, Amiodarone can make a dog very sick. It can cause arrhythmia, hypotension, GI issues, and more in dogs. This is not a medication that’s used in veterinary medicine.
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Ask a Vet Live NowSymptoms of Amiodarone Ingestion in Dogs
You may notice these symptoms if your dog has eaten Amiodarone:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats)
- Hypotension
- And more
If you notice these symptoms in your dog, call the vet immediately. This is an emergency.
Treatment of Amiodarone Ingestion in Dogs
If your dog has eaten Amiodarone and is having a major reaction, the vet may empty your dog’s stomach (through gastric lavage) and use activated charcoal. These methods remove the toxins from your dog’s system. In most cases, your fur baby will need to be hospitalized and given medication to control the effects of this medication.
The vet may use medications that stop the reaction, such as lidocaine, to stop the ventricular arrhythmia. They will also treat other symptoms as they arise.
The prognosis depends on the severity of the dog’s condition. In dogs where treatment was started soon after ingestion, the effects of the damage were stopped before becoming irreversible.
On the other hand, for dogs where the damage cannot be stopped or reversed, the damage that was done will continue to progress, and the dog will need to be treated for the rest of his life. It’s possible he could develop a condition such as congestive heart failure. In some cases, dogs may live for a few weeks or up to a year after ingesting Amiodarone.
In the future, it’s best to keep Amiodarone out of the reach of all the pets in your home. You’ll all be much happier for it.
Connect with a verified veterinarian in minutes. Licensed vets are available 24/7 to answer your questions. No need to worry about your furry family member.
Kim
Kim is a talented author, who loves animals especially dogs. She engaged in writing books and articles relating to animals a decade ago. Kim resides in Chicago with her husband and son. The family is the proud owner of a dog and a parrot (Jack and Lily). Kim wanted more than these two pets, but her husband put his foot down... She often visits elementary schools to talk to the kids about what she learned about pets and how they could learn from them.
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