Tobacco
ToxicTobacco is toxic to dogs. Nicotine acts fast and has a narrow safety margin, and the classic pattern is hyperexcitability followed by depression, incoordination and, in severe cases, paralysis or death.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Do not offer as a treat
There is no recommended treat portion for this hazardous item. If swallowed, contact a vet with the amount, time and product details. Do not induce vomiting yourself.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Excessive salivation
- Vomiting
- Excessive excitability
- Reduced activity and responsiveness
- Poor coordination or balance
- Tremors
- Fast heartbeat
- Difficulty breathing
- Weakness
- Seizures
- Paralysis
- Collapse
More about this food
The hazard in tobacco is nicotine. The ASPCA lists nicotine as the toxic principle of the tobacco plant (Nicotiana) and describes the clinical picture as "hyperexcitability then depression, vomiting, incoordination, paralysis, death is possible." Pet Poison Helpline calls nicotine "a rapidly acting toxin with a narrow safety margin for pet animals." A narrow margin means there is not much daylight between an amount that does nothing and an amount that hurts.
In US households the exposures repeat themselves: a butt-filled ashtray, a dropped cigarette, a pack left in a purse or a backpack a puppy can open, chewing tobacco or dip, nicotine gum and lozenges, and used nicotine patches pulled out of the bathroom trash. Butts still contain nicotine. The worst version is butt water, a beer can or cup used as an ashtray on a porch, because nicotine is water-soluble and a dog can drink that dose in one go.
Signs come on quickly. Nicotine is absorbed fast, so drooling and vomiting typically show up soon after ingestion. Expect restlessness or agitation first, then the opposite: lethargy, a wobbly gait, weakness. Heart rate and breathing can change in either direction, tremors and seizures are possible, and severe cases progress to muscle paralysis. That swing from wound-up to flat is progression, not recovery.
Call your veterinarian, an emergency clinic, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right now, and keep the product. Tell them the brand, how many cigarettes or pouches, whether the filter or the whole cigarette went down, whether butt water was involved, and the time. Nicotine content varies by product, so showing the package beats guessing. Do not induce vomiting at home with hydrogen peroxide or salt: nicotine toxicosis moves fast and a dog that is already trembling or sedated can aspirate. Decontamination, activated charcoal, IV fluids and cardiac and respiratory monitoring are veterinary calls.
Frequently asked questions
- My dog picked up a cigarette butt on a walk. Only the filter, I think.
- Filters trap nicotine during smoking, so a butt is not a safe part, and a filter can also act as a foreign body in a small dog. Note how many and when, then call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435, and go in immediately if you see drooling, vomiting or wobbliness.
- He drank out of a can someone used as an ashtray.
- That is the higher-risk version, not the lower one. Nicotine dissolves into the water, and a liquid dose goes down fast and completely. Call now even if you cannot tell how much he swallowed.
- She vomited and now she is lying quietly. Is it over?
- Nicotine toxicosis typically runs hyperexcitability first and depression second, so quiet can be the next stage rather than the end of it. Do not use calm as a reason to wait at home; call your veterinarian.