Dose Form
For maximum effectiveness, it’s best to use activated charcoal products that come in a powdered form. This way, you can mix it with water (or any other liquid) to create a drinkable solution your dog can easily consume.
On the other hand, activated charcoal in the form of tablets and capsules may not be as effective. That’s because these pills are usually designed for the slow release of activated charcoal within the body. If you’re feeding your dog activated charcoal to neutralize food poisoning, you’re probably hoping for the supplement to work fast rather than slow. This is why activated charcoal powder will be more effective, as there is no barrier to break down before the charcoal adsorbs the toxins circulating your dog’s system.
It’s also worthy to note that not all dogs are good at swallowing pills. This complicates matters when it’s literally a life-or-death situation for your beloved pet. Having activated charcoal powder on hand makes it easier for your dog to ingest the supplement completely, leading to adequate symptom relief.
ADMINISTRATION
Activated charcoal should only be administered to asymptomatic patients to prevent secondary complications from its administration. If the patient is symptomatic, care should be taken to protect the airway with an inflated endotracheal tube to prevent aspiration of vomitus or activated charcoal.
Before activated charcoal is administered, the patients hydration status should be assessed to determine if fluid therapy is warranted. There have been published human case reports6,7 and anecdotal clinical reports in veterinary medicine of severe hypernatremia occurring secondary to administration of activated charcoal with a cathartic (e.g. sorbitol); thus, patients should be adequately hydrated when given activated charcoal.
Dosage: 0.5 – 1.5 grams per pound of body weight (0.5 – 1.5 gm/lb); therefore a 5 lb dog would need 2.5 to 7.5 grams of activated charcoal. A 10 lb dog would need 5 – 15 grams. A 100 lb dog would need 50 to 150 grams. Based on these amounts you do not want to use products, such as tablets or capsules which are dosed in milligrams (mg).
Activated charcoal adsorbs a chemical or toxicant and facilitates its excretion via the feces. It basically acts like a magnet, attracting and holding the toxicant to its surface so that it passes through the gastrointestinal tract without being absorbed by the body.
Disclaimer: Please note that this content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Do not delay treatment based on this content, and when in doubt, seek veterinary professional advice!
In order to give the activated charcoal the dog needs to be able to swallow. The activated charcoal can comes as a suspension, granules, in capsules, tablets and a gel as seen in the video. Giving a suspension, such as Toxiban, can be very messy and the charcoal will stain. Both a suspension and granules can be added to some food and some dogs will eat it, but many won’t or feel ill to eat. Within a veterinary hospital, commonly, a suspension is given orally, slowly via the side of the mouth or by a stomach tube. Using a stomach tube at home is not recommended and needs to be done at a veterinary facility. Using the gel, as shown in the video looks like a method that could be done in a home environment.
Usually after inducing vomiting, activated charcoal is given to help absorb some of the remaining poison or toxin in the gastrointestinal tract. Some products have Sorbitol added to act as a cathartic and move things more quickly through the intestinal tract, so less toxin is absorbed.
How to Administer Activated Charcoal
If the veterinarian has prescribed activated charcoal for your dog, it likely has diarrhea, stomach problems, or has ingested poison, and you want to know more about this medication. In this short guide, we will take an in-depth look at this medication to help you understand how it works and what it will do for your dog.
Activated charcoal is a special form of carbon with small, microscopic holes over the surface, creating more surface area that makes it highly absorbent. A single gram of activated charcoal has more than 32,000 square feet of surface area. As the name suggests, scientists derive it from charcoal, and it may undergo other treatments to make it more absorbent.