Can Dogs Drink Alcohol?

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Other than babies and cute cats, the only other subject of photos guaranteed to get maximum “likes” on social media will be of dogs drinking “alcohol” or a dog sitting with a can of beer by its side. Before you rush to give your dog your choice of alcoholic drink and take photos, do know the reality first.

All poison

The principal ingredient of all fermented or processed alcohol is mostly those which are poison to canines. Grapes, to cite an example, are fermented to make wine. It is a sweet and delicious fruit. It is a mystery as to how grapes are toxic to dogs. Forget wines, you should not offer anything made of grape or its byproducts to your dog.

Then comes beer, arguably the most popular alcoholic drink on the planet. This alcohol is made of grain, yeast, and water. Similar to grapes and wine, it is still a mystery as to why hops are toxic to dogs. If your dog drinks even a few drops of beer, then it will suffer from violent physical reactions. There will be not only immediate physical symptoms like vomiting, labored breathing, and body temperature fluctuations, but also probable kidney damage. If you home-brew, remember to keep your curious dog away from both the alcohol and the equipment.

Different physiology

A bored dog will eat anything. It may eat a new food out of curiosity. Remember that dog physiology is different from that of humans. One reason for alcohol being toxic to dogs is their body size. It requires much lesser quantities of alcohol to make a dog drunk. The amount of toxic substance needed to poison a dog is also much less than a human due to the animal's smaller size. Dogs cannot drink beer. The alcohol can be poisonous to the animal even if it is present in other forms like beer batter made chops. Poisoning will occur even if the animal licks the floor where a few drops of beer mistakenly fell. The kidneys of dogs are not compatible with alcohol. You should not bring beer near your dog under any circumstance. Dogs are thus highly susceptible to ethanol toxicosis or alcohol poisoning. Since dogs have a smaller stature, alcohol poisoning will lead to more dangerous results. Your dog's suffering will increase with greater alcohol content. The nervous system, like humans, is the first to go. The dog will be confused, weakened, or disorientated. Degradation of motor functions is one of the primary symptoms of any dog suffering from ethanol toxicosis. A dog which drank alcohol will invariably suffer from a number of digestive upsets like vomiting and diarrhea. There could also be kidney failures, or the animal could drop into a coma.