Can dogs smell rubbing alcohol? Here’s the Answer

Symptoms of Isopropyl Alcohol (Isopropanol) Poisoning in Dogs

If your dog has ingested large amounts of isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) based products the effects will begin to show almost immediately, usually within 30 minutes. These symptoms include:

Disorientation and loss of body control

Your dog may appear weak

He may begin to vomit violently

Diarrhea will occur as your dog’s body tries to rid itself of the poison

He may salivate excessively sometimes foaming at the mouth

Excitement gives way to lethargy and depression

Difficulty with breathing

If symptoms are severe, he may lose consciousness

He may have seizures and suffer heart rhythm problems

Types

Isopropanol poisoning works to depress the nervous system and is a highly potent poison to your dog

Your dog can get toxic effects just by inhaling vapors from it, or your pet can get poisoned by skin applications with sanitizers, cleaning products and skin lotions

Make sure you read the ingredient labels on any products you purchase for your pet

Isopropanol is twice as toxic as ethanol

Methanol poisoning is another alcohol that can produce similar symptoms and can be found in antifreeze

Ethanol poisoning comes from ingesting human alcoholic drinks such as beer and spirits; it is also in medications like cough syrup (for human consumption)

Can dogs get sick from smelling alcohol?

Signs of alcohol poisoning:

Alcohol smell on the breath, neurological depression, hypothermia (low body temperature), hypotension (low blood pressure), seizures and respiratory failure.

Inhaling large amounts of isopropyl alcohol can cause nausea, vomiting, irritation of the nose and mucous membranes, throat irritations, and even difficulty with breathing as coughing can occur making it difficult for you to catch your breath.

Treatment of Isopropyl Alcohol (Isopropanol) Poisoning in Dogs

The most important thing is to get your pet stabilised. The veterinary team may induce vomiting to clear the poison if it is within a few hours of when your dog was exposed to the alcohol. One of the effects of this poisoning is that your dog’s body temperature will drop to dangerously low levels and he may suffer from breathing difficulties and low blood sugar. It is important to address these issues as quickly as possible to bring your pet’s system back to normal. Depending on the dose and severity of symptoms, your veterinarian team may need to pump your dog’s stomach to remove the substance, and provide intubation to enable him to breathe clearly and to protect the airway.

Your dog will be treated with drugs to control the symptoms. Activated charcoal may be administered which absorbs the poisons, but a lot depends on the size of your dog, the amount of substance taken, and the time since the exposure occurred. If your dog suffered through dermal (skin) application, the team may gently wash your dog with a gentle product to remove the substance left on the skin. If your dog becomes very dehydrated, your veterinarian may treat with intravenous fluids to help to hydrate him. Isopropyl alcohol poisoning is very serious, and recovery depends on extent of the poisoning, the size of your dog, and the time lapse before treatment.

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Dog’s reaction to rubbing alcohol