My Dog Ate Sleeping Pills What Should I Do?

Do you keep sleeping aids at home? If so, you’re not alone! Many of us use sleeping pills, either prescription or over the counter, to help get a good night’s sleep. If you have a dog, however, sleeping pills can be dangerous for them.

How Do Dogs Gain Access to Sleeping Pills?

Because of the prevalence of sleeping pills, it can be easy for a dog to accidentally find and swallow a pill. If you drop a pill on the floor and can’t find it, your fur baby’s excellent nose will be sure to lead him to it. A dog that finds the dropped pill may think this is some kind of treat and quickly snarf it up.

Another way that dogs can gain access to sleeping pills is if they happen to find the pill bottle. The bottle may have fallen on the floor, or it may be on a countertop or table. A curious dog will do whatever they can to chew and open the bottle, and then have access to the pills inside.

Whether your canine companion eats one or more pills by accident or out of curiosity, sleeping pills can be very dangerous for him. In fact, sleeping pills can lead to death in some cases.

Symptoms of Sleeping Pill Poisoning in Dogs

If your fur baby has swallowed one or more pills, you may notice these symptoms:

• Lethargy or sedation
• Agitation, hyperactivity
• Rapid heart rate
• Low body temperature
• Low blood pressure
• Vomiting
• Excessive salivation
• Diarrhea
• Tremors
• Collapse

What to Do If Your Dog Has Ingested Sleeping Pills

If you know for sure that your fur baby has swallowed one or more sleeping pills, then call the vet right away. Also, look for the empty pill bottle and see if you can determine how many pills your dog has swallowed. Take your dog and the pill bottle to the clinic—this is a medical emergency.

The vet will conduct an examination and begin treatment right away. The goal is to stabilize your dog’s condition and treat symptoms. If the medication was recently swallowed, the vet may be able to pump your dog’s stomach or use other methods to get the medication out of his system.

Getting your dog to the vet as soon as possible is key. The sooner he’s treated, the higher the probability he will come out of this OK.

To avoid these types of problems, be sure to keep all medications stored where your dog isn’t able to access them. Even so, accidents can happen. Quick treatment is the key to a happy outcome for your dog.