Dogs eat the strangest things. It seems like anything that fits in their mouths, goes in their mouths. And often gets swallowed! But what can you do at home if your dog ingests something toxic, like ibuprofen, rodenticide bait, chocolate, or grapes?
The first thing you should do at home is contact a pet poison control helpline, such as ASPCA Poison Control or Pet Poison Helpline. These helplines are staffed 24/7 by veterinary toxicologists who can help you determine the best course of action for your dog.
It may be tempting to administer a dose of activated charcoal to your dog after he has ingested something toxic. Activated charcoal is used to bind certain toxins and prevent them from being absorbed by your dog’s gastrointestinal system. But activated charcoal is not the best option for every scenario and may do more harm to your dog than good.
Activated charcoal is made from natural, carbon-based materials, such as coconut shells, wood, coal, and bamboo. These raw materials are first cleaned to remove as many impurities as possible. Then the materials are dried at low heat in a kiln. Once dry, the materials are crushed into small pieces.
The crushed materials are heated at a high temperature in the absence of oxygen. This step is called carbonization. It converts the crushed materials into raw charcoal.
The raw charcoal is then activated by either steam or chemical process. Steam activation involves heating the raw charcoal in the presence of oxygen. Chemical activation involves washing the raw charcoal in a chemical, such as an acid. Activation creates microscopic pores in the charcoal. The presence of pores increases the surface area of the charcoal.
Activated charcoal has a large surface area that attracts and traps certain toxins and chemicals. One ounce of activated charcoal has an average surface area of nine football fields. That’s a huge adsorptive capacity!
Activated charcoal is available in two varieties—with and without a laxative. Sorbitol is a laxative added to activated charcoal to speed up its excretion from the body. Activated charcoal with sorbitol will draw more water into the intestines than activated charcoal alone. This increases the risk of developing hypernatremia. Activated charcoal products containing sorbitol should only be given once and always under the supervision of a veterinarian.
If activated charcoal is recommended for your dog’s specific situation, the toxicologists at ASPCA Poison Control and Pet Poison Helpline can provide guidance on the amount required to adsorb the ingested toxin. The dose of activated charcoal will depend on the size of your dog and the type and amount of toxin ingested. Activated charcoal is effective for about 4 to 6 hours after administration. Your dog will have black stool for 24 to 48 hours following administration of activated charcoal.
Available forms of activated charcoal include suspension (gel), tablets, capsules, and powder. Activated charcoal suspension is more effective at adsorbing toxins than tablets, capsules, and powders.
Here are the facts about activated charcoal for dogs:
1. Activated charcoal doesn’t adsorb everything
Activated charcoal can be effective at adsorbing certain toxins, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications, chocolate, rodenticides (mouse bait), and marijuana.
Activated charcoal is NOT able to adsorb caustic substances (such as battery acid), hydrocarbons (such as gasoline and other petroleum products), xylitol, alcohol, ethylene glycol (automotive anti-freeze), and heavy metals (such as iron or lithium). It is also not effective in treating salt toxicity, like that which occurs with ingestion of paintballs or homemade playdough.
Activated charcoal should not be used for food poisoning. Dogs who have food poisoning are typically vomiting and dehydrated, both of which are contraindications for using activated charcoal (see below).
2. Activated charcoal could increase risk of aspiration pneumonia in dogs
Activated charcoal can cause dogs to vomit. As a dog vomits, they may inhale some of the activated charcoal that they are bringing up. Inhaling activated charcoal will cause aspiration pneumonia and has been known to cause severe inflammation and rupture of affected lung lobes.
Activated charcoal should never be administered by mouth to a dog who is sleepy, sedate, cannot hold up his head without assistance, or cannot swallow. These symptoms can occur with ingestion of marijuana or sedatives. These dogs are likely to inhale some of the activated charcoal and develop aspiration pneumonia with the potential for other complications.
If your dog ingested a toxin that has made him sleepy, sedate, or impaired his ability to swallow, your veterinarian may administer activated charcoal through a nasogastric tube. A nasogastric tube is a thin tube that is passed into one of your dog’s nostrils, down the back of the throat into the esophagus and ending in the stomach. A radiograph (x-ray) of your dog’s chest and stomach is taken to ensure that the nasogastric tube is in the correct location. Then the correct dose of activated charcoal is administered directly into your dog’s stomach via the nasogastric tube.
3. Activated charcoal can cause elevated sodium levels in dogs
Activated charcoal draws fluid into the small and large intestine as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract. This may create a water imbalance in the body that leads to a condition called hypernatremia. Hypernatremia is when there is too much sodium relative to fluid in your dog’s blood.
Dogs that were dehydrated prior to receiving activated charcoal are at increased risk of developing hypernatremia.
Symptoms of hypernatremia include lethargy, weakness, a wobbly gait when walking, disorientation, and seizures. If what your dog ingested also causes these symptoms, then you will not know if the symptoms your dog is exhibiting are being caused by the toxin or the activated charcoal.
Dogs that develop acute hypernatremia will need to be hospitalized and treated with intravenous fluids. Their sodium and other electrolytes will need to be closely monitored over the next 24 to 48 hours. This is in addition to treating them for the toxin they ingested.
4. Activated charcoal has a limited window of effectiveness
Activated charcoal is most effective if given within one hour of ingesting a toxin. Activated charcoal will have limited efficacy—if any at all—in adsorbing toxins ingested more than one hour prior to administration.
There are exceptions to this one-hour window. Modified release medications are designed to slowly release medication in the body over an extended period of time. These medications are slowly absorbed, allowing a greater time period for which activated charcoal can be effective.
Toxins that undergo enterohepatic circulation may require multiple doses of activated charcoal given over 24 to 48 hours. Enterohepatic circulation is when something is absorbed by the small intestine, goes to the liver and then the gallbladder, and then re-enters the small intestine unchanged, only to be absorbed again. Bromethalin, the neurotoxin found in some forms of rodenticide, is a classic example of a toxin that undergoes enterohepatic circulation.
5. Activated charcoal should not be used in dogs with certain conditions
Activated charcoal should not be given to dogs who have recently undergone gastrointestinal surgery. Dogs that have gastric ulcers should not receive activated charcoal. Do not give your dog activated charcoal if you suspect he may have an intestinal blockage.
Activated charcoal should be used with caution in dogs that have kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease), and hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease). These diseases are known to cause changes in water intake and sodium levels.
Using Activated Charcoal for Dogs
Activated charcoal can be a powerful decontamination tool for removing certain toxins from your dog’s body. But it may also be harmful or ineffective if used incorrectly. Call ASPCA Poison Control or Pet Poison Helpline and then seek immediate veterinary attention if your dog has ingested a toxin.
