Wine
ToxicWine is an ethanol poisoning risk, not a grape poisoning risk. At 12-15% ABV it is three times the strength of beer, no safe dose exists for dogs, and signs typically begin within 30-60 minutes.
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.
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Poor coordination or balance
- Disorientation
- Lethargy
- Tremors
- Low body temperature
- Low blood sugar
- Slow heartbeat
- Seizures
- Reduced breathing
More about this food
The first thing to get straight is which hazard you are dealing with. VCA states that while grapes, raisins and Zante currants cause acute kidney injury in dogs, grape juice, wine, jellies made from grape juice concentrate, grape seed extract and grape vine leaves do not appear to cause that toxicity. That does not make wine safe. Wine's hazard is the ethanol in it, and ethanol alone makes this an emergency call.
Per the Merck Veterinary Manual, alcohol is rapidly absorbed from the GI tract and produces hypoglycemia by blocking gluconeogenesis, metabolic acidosis from acidic metabolites, and hypothermia from vasodilation and CNS depression. Signs usually start 30-60 minutes after ingestion: vomiting, diarrhea, ataxia, disorientation, lethargy, tremors and dyspnea, progressing in severe cases to coma, seizures, bradycardia and respiratory depression.
By volume, wine is a far bigger dose than beer. A 5 oz pour at 13% ABV holds roughly 15 grams of pure ethanol, against about 14 grams in a full 12 oz beer. A 10 lb dog that laps up half a knocked-over glass has taken a meaningful dose. No ethanol dose is established as safe in dogs. And the glass is not the only exposure on the table. Sangria contains real wine-soaked grapes, and those grapes cross Merck's risk threshold of more than one grape per 10 lb of body weight, so a sangria pitcher is both poisonings at once. Coq au vin and beef bourguignon carry residual alcohol plus onion and garlic, mulled wine adds nutmeg and cloves, and a chewed cork is a foreign-body risk.
Call your veterinarian or an emergency clinic now, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. Have the ABV, roughly how much was swallowed, the time and your dog's weight ready, and say whether any actual grapes were involved. Do not induce vomiting at home; an ataxic dog can aspirate. Do not try to sober the dog up with coffee, food or a cold shower.
Frequently asked questions
- Wine is made from grapes. Should I worry about kidney failure too?
- VCA reports that wine and grape juice do not appear to cause the kidney injury that whole grapes and raisins do. That is not reassurance to act on, because the ethanol in wine is an emergency by itself. If your dog also ate grapes from a sangria pitcher, both problems apply.
- My dog licked up some spilled red wine. How bad is that?
- It depends on weight and volume, but wine is three times the strength of beer, so the same puddle delivers far more ethanol. There is no dose proven safe in dogs, so call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 with the time, the amount and your dog's weight.
- Doesn't the alcohol cook off in wine-braised dishes?
- Not completely. A meaningful fraction of the alcohol survives, and braises are usually built on onion, shallot and garlic, all of which are toxic to dogs on their own. Do not share the sauce, the braising liquid or the meat that soaked in it.