Signs of Poisoning in Dogs

In this guide

Poisoning in dogs can look like a dozen different things depending on what was ingested, which makes it one of the trickier emergencies to recognise quickly. Knowing the broad categories of symptoms, and understanding that a sudden, unexplained change in your dog's behaviour or condition deserves prompt attention, can save valuable time.

Digestive signs

• Sudden vomiting, sometimes repeated
• Diarrhoea, which may contain blood
• Drooling more than usual
• Loss of appetite
• Abdominal pain, often shown as a hunched posture or reluctance to be touched on the belly

Neurological signs

• Wobbliness, disorientation or stumbling
• Tremors or muscle twitching
• Seizures
• Unusual agitation, restlessness or, at the other extreme, sudden lethargy
• Dilated pupils

Breathing and heart signs

• Rapid or laboured breathing
• Coughing
• An unusually fast, slow or irregular heartbeat
• Pale, bluish or yellowish (jaundiced) gums

Other signs to watch for

• Excessive thirst and urination, or conversely, little to no urination
• Bruising or unexplained bleeding from the gums, nose or in urine or stool
• Skin redness, burns or irritation, especially around the mouth
• Sudden collapse

Why the timeline matters

Some poisons, like chocolate or many household chemicals, cause symptoms within a couple of hours. Others, like rat poison or grapes, can take a day or more to show visible signs while serious internal damage is already underway. This is why any known or strongly suspected ingestion of something toxic warrants a call to the vet immediately, rather than waiting to see whether symptoms develop.

What to do if you notice these signs

Try to work out what your dog may have got into in the hour or so before symptoms started, walking back through the house, garden or the route of a recent walk. Note the time symptoms began and how they have progressed. Call your vet with this information rather than searching for reassurance online, since an accurate picture of timing and possible exposure often matters more to treatment than the specific symptom itself. When in doubt, especially with dogs that roam gardens, terraces or streets where they may access unknown substances, it is always safer to have them checked than to wait and hope it passes.

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