My dog ate children's Claritin. Is it safe or should I call the vet?

Oh no, Toffee! First of all, determine if Toffee ingested Claritin (loratadine alone) or Claritin-D (loratadine with pseudoephedrine). If she consumed Claritin-D, she should go to the vet immediately so that vomiting can be induced and so that she can be monitored, as this can cause significant heart rate elevations and neurologic signs. Also closely read the packaging material to assure that xylitol is not present in this particular tablet. It is used in some tablet forms of loratadine and is a bigger concern than the loratadine itself, as it is highly toxic to dogs (liver damage, low blood sugar, etc.). If you are unsure if xylitol is present, I recommend calling the company on the packaging or the ASPCA animal poison control center (888-426-4435). If xylitol is present, she will need to go the vet immediately to have vomiting induced and supportive therapy started. After ruling out ingestion of a pseudoephedrine-containg product and the absence of xylitol, there are likely no major concerns about ingesting 1 tablet of loratadine. There is a chance that Toffee may exhibit slightly excitable behavior, but if she seems overly agitated, you may need to take her to the vet for supportive medications. I hope that all goes well!

While a pill or two may not cause any harm other than increased drowsiness, if your dog got into a large or unknown amount it is best to seek veterinary care immediately or contact your local Animal Poison Control (if you are in the US you can call 888-426-4435 however there is a fee to use this service). They can provide treatment or let you know if the dose ingested is harmful. You may see signs like extreme drowsiness, or paradoxical reactions such as an increase in activity such as drooling, vomiting, etc. If you are seeing these signs, seek care immediately.

You didn't state what mg each Claritin was; however in a worse case scenario they were 10mg each, so Scooby consumed 100mg of Claritin, this is 1.8mg/kg dosage. And there is a wide range of safety with this medication. At 0.25mg/kg can cause clinical signs such as tachycardia, vomiting and lethargy. And doses as high as 72mg/kg were even tolerated without serious effects or death. Since Scooby only consumed 1.8mg/kg he should be fine. The effects of the drug can begin 30 minutes after ingestion and can last up to 2 days. Just continue monitor him for the next 12-24 hrs until the drug is completely excreted out of his body. If you notice any concerning symptoms then a vet visit is recommended to have him evaluated. However, he should be fine based on this dosage, because he is a large dog and can tolerate a lot more of this medication that smaller dogs can. Best wishes with Scooby and I hope everything works out well for him. Take care.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Desloratidine is an antihistamine or allergy medication. It is typically safe for dogs, especially at such a low dose. However, other contents of the pill may be harmful and can cause sedation or other aide effects. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any questions you have!

Hello. While this is not a reported lethal dose, it can result in very serious clinical signs. I would strongly encourage you to take Dobby to the nearest veterinary clinic where the pills can be safely removed & Dobby monitored if this is needed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm so sorry that Moet is having this problem. We most commonly see some GI upset (vomiting or diarrhea) and/or sedation with overdoses of Loratidine, but we also have a form of Loratidine that also has a decongestant in it (pseudoephedrine) which is VERY toxic to dogs. If the pills contained anything other than loraditine, please try to get Moet veterinary care immediately. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Yes, Claritin is among several over-the-counter antihistamine options that may be given for allergies. Frankly, they all offer only mediocre relief but can be helpful for very mild symptoms. I would still recommend touching base with your vet to make sure Claritin would be appropriate for Bruno with his medical history and any other medications he might be taking. If Bruno's allergies do not improve on an over-the-counter option like Claritin, there are much more effective options available by prescription from your vet. Hope this helps!