My dog ate cough medicine. Is it dangerous? What should I do right now?

It really depends on the type of cough drops eaten, because some can be harmful, while others would be safe. Please post this question again with more information, so we can better help you. If you can take pictures of the cough drop packaging, that would be great. Specifically, we need to know the name of the cough drop and the ingredients.

Hi, and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This particular medication has two medications that should be fairly well tolerated by dogs but can cause mild sedation as it contains an antihistamine and dextromethorphan. Phenylephrine, however, could be toxic due to cardiac side effects. Also, there may be sweeteners such as xylitol which is highly toxic to dogs. My recommendation would be to call the ASPCA poison control at (888) 426-4435 and make a visit to the vet as soon as you can with Happy this evening as he could be experiencing side effects of the medication or have a different problem entirely. Coughing in the first place is worrisome as older dogs are highly prone to heart problems which can lead to both the cough and the lethargy. I hope this helps, and I hope Happy gets better soon!

No need to be concerned about this amount being ingested. At much higher doses, this can cause a blood toxicity, but he would probably have to eat much more (30-100x more) than this in order for there to be a concern. I hope that helps and all is well with Wolverine.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Sugar Bear. I have looked up the ingredients of this cough drop, and luckily it doesn't contain xylitol, which is highly toxic to dogs. The rest of the ingredients like menthol, eucalyptus oil, colors and flavors cause GI upset. I'd keep a close eye on her for now. If you see vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or a loss of appetite, please take her into an ER vet immediately. I hope this helps!

One of those cough drops in a 15 lb dog is likely not an issue. The symptoms to look for if it were an issue would be GI upset (vomiting and diarrhea). The important thing is to make sure that they are not sugar free as xylitol is toxic to dogs. These do not seem to be sugar free from the label. . If you notice any lethargy, inappetance, vomiting or diarrhea, bring your dog to your vet for fluids, anti nausea medication, anti-diarrheal medication etc. as indicated. There will likely will be no symptoms. Inducing vomiting for one menthol cough drop would not be worth the risk of aspiration. Offer plenty of water in the meantime and put the rest of the cough drops in a safe place! Good luck!

Oh no, that's not good that Spencer ate a whole bag of Luden's cough drops! I would take him into a vet immediately. If they were sugar free, they could contain xylitol, which is highly toxic to dogs and can be fatal. Many cough drops contain ingredients that may cause GI upset in dogs, such as sugar, methol, and eucalyptus oil. The best thing to do is having him seen by a vet right away, and bring the bag with you so the vet can check the ingredients and treat him as needed. I would find an ER vet in your area to bring him into now; if there isn't one, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Good luck, I hope this helps!

I’m sorry to hear about Tanner. This sounds like it could be collapsing trachea which is a chronic disease. I would avoid human cough syrup as the dosing is unknown and if it contains decongestants it can be potentially toxic. Finally, some of the sweeteners used in medicines can be toxic to dogs. Take one more trip to the vet and discuss the pros and cons of a more long-term prescription for a dog-safe cough suppressant. Best of luck to you and Tanner!