My puppy ate laxatives. Is she okay? What if I can't afford a vet?

Poor pup! Depending on how big your dog is, it's hard to say whether toxicity from the chocolate in the medication will be a problem. As far as the laxative itself, this will probably cause diarrhea but would not be expected to cause any serious toxicity issues. The safest bet would be to have your dog seen by a vet right away, but if this isn't possible, you will need to monitor her closely for the next 24-48 hours. If you see symptoms such as tremors, seizures, or repeated episodes of vomiting, then this would be an emergency and there would be no other option except getting her to a vet immediately.

This probably won’t cause any issues. You should monitor for diarrhea and contact your vet if it is severe. It can take several hours to see the effects, but at this low dose I doubt Milo will be affected.

I'm sorry to hear that Lola isn't feeling well. Obviously, taking her to the vet for an exam would be the ideal scenario, but given your current circumstances, I understand that that might not be possible. Diarrhea can be caused by a multitude of different issues, including parasites, an upset stomach from a virus, eating something unusual, or other internal diseases. Since Lola is still drinking some water, I would encourage her to drink a bit more by putting a small amount of low sodium chicken broth in her water. Just be sure to change the bowl every few hours so that it doesn't spoil. You can also give her a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice to try to help settle her stomach. At only 5 pounds, she should eat a total of 1/2 cup of this mixture per day, so divide that into 3-4 smaller meals. However, if she refuses to eat or drink, begins to vomit, or becomes more lethargic, you'll have to seek emergency veterinary care. I hope that the bland diet helps her and that she's feeling better soon!

Without knowing how much she ate or the ingredients in it, it would be hard to say. If you can't bring Lucy to the vet, it is a good idea to keep an eye on her to watch for any signs of toxicity or obstruction which would be a medical emergency. These signs include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, blood in the stool or vomit, attempting to vomit or defecate without success, bloated abdomen or painful abdomen. If you see these or any other concerning signs it would be best to take Lucy to the vet ASAP. If you can't afford veterinary care this site may help you find some ideas to make it more affordable so Lucy can get the help she needs: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear that CoCo seems “off.” If you have not noticed her straining to pass stool, it is unlikely that she, as a young dog, is constipated. Most commonly whining will be due to pain/discomfort, stress, or boredom. Since she is eating and it doesn’t sound like she’s vomited, as long as her attitude seems normal (not dumpy) it is reasonable to give her some time and see how she is in the morning. However if she seems dumpy/lethargic, if she is limping noticeably or is not wanting to walk, or is having any vomiting, I would recommend you take her to a vet tonight. As far as a laxative, for future reference, hold off on giving any laxative until a vet has evaluated her and given specific instructions. A laxative could make another underlying problem worse due to its potential to cause dehydration. I hope you can both get some rest this evening! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, I am sorry for your concerns. I do not think you need to rush to the emergency clinic as the side effects from overindulging in Ex Lax are not really too serious. The ingredient, Senna, can take up to 8 hours for it to have an effect, so there may be a delay in the possible development of diarrhea if this happens. You did not indicate how much Darby ate, but I generally recommend a wait & see approach with this. It amazes me how many dogs manage to not develop much in the way of GI upset from these laxatives. Hope this helps. Take care.

That was naughty of your dog to eat the sample size baby lotion! The good news is that baby lotion typically isn't toxic to dogs, but it could cause some GI upset in the form of vomiting or diarrhea. The concern is the package that the lotion came in. If it came in a plastic bottle, I would be concerned about the bottle getting stuck in her GI tract. In this case, yes I think taking her to the vet would be the best option. The vet can induce vomiting to get the bottle out so there is no chance of obstruction. I would take her into a vet now. If she didn't eat a plastic bottle and you do see some GI signs, I can give you a home remedy that may help. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the vomiting continues in the absence of food, she vomits the bland diet, she has diarrhea in the absence of food or on the bland diet, she stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away. Good luck, I hope this helps and thank you for contacting Pet Coach!