Help! My Dog Ate DayQuil

In this research you will know the answer to the query “Help! My Dog Ate DayQuil“.

Do your dogs symptoms get worse if he eats a DayQuil? Its like this Golden Retriever a 4-month-old pup. The dog probably thought he was getting a treat. Hes a puppy after all. How should you handle this? What should you do? Do you have any concerns about him getting queasy and then getting over it?

Would your dog get the flu if it got sick? Should you give him human flu medications or should you stick to those tried and trusted home remedies?

Come on lets find out.

What is DayQuil? What are the active ingredients?

It is a flu remedy that combats the symptoms of the flu without making you drowsy and incapacitated. It is important to be able to carry on with your normal daily activities while still recovering from a cold or flu.

DayQuil contains acetaminophen dextromethorphan and phenylephrine as active ingredients. Say what now? Lets take a look at what these complicated-sounding names do for us ordinary people: 

Pain and fever can be relieved with Acetaminophen. Even though it does not actually eliminate pain it interferes with how your body perceives it. It tells your brain that you are not experiencing pain and your brain believes it! Additionally it helps your body regulate its temperature so a fever can disappear.

In addition to suppressing the urge to cough dextromethorphan also stops the cough. While you still have all that slimy gunk in your system you’re not coughing it up so your lungs can rest.

Decongestant Phenylephrine does not cause drowsiness. You will be able to (literally) breathe a sigh of relief when this bad boy reduces the swelling within your nasal passage blood vessels.

What are other similar products to DayQuil?

Flu meds are readily available over-the-counter (OTC) so you would not have much trouble finding one. DayQuil is the closest one to NyQuil. The product is basically the same but the nasal decongestant is different. The difference between NyQuil and DayQuil is that NyQuil causes drowsiness while DayQuil does not.

Vicks Sinex is a non-drowsy alternative to OTC flu medicine. It works similarly to DayQuil and kicks in fairly quickly. Then there is Mucinex which can be taken during the day. Just so you do not doze off while you’re working. In spite of the fact that you’re sick enough for medication staying in bed is probably a good idea. Consequently you heal faster and you do not infect your co-workers or the lady at the corner store.

Is DayQuil toxic to dogs?

We should not give human medication to our four-legged children. Lets be honest.

Cats and dogs can be poisoned by the main ingredient in cold and flu medications acetaminophen. Even though this is a super-duper drug for humans our furry friends suffer from liver damage and red blood cell damage. Due to the fact that these are meant to carry oxygen destroying them causes severe complications for our pups.

When we take flu medicine we experience heart palpitations caused by phenylephrine the nasal decongestant. Our pets experience similar symptoms but worse. The result is high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia which can be life-threatening.

Dog ate DayQuil. What should you do?

In your flu-induced semi-coma your dog found the flu tablets you left on the counter. He is freaking out you are freaking out and no one knows what to do. You need to calm down. You can count on us.

You need to take your Yorkie dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible if he is ill. This will hopefully result in vomiting and limit any potential damage. His stomach cannot absorb any more of the harmful ingredients after he vomits out whatever he ate.

If your dog weighs more than 5kg (11 lbs) he should be fine unless he ate the entire container. He should be rushed to the vet if this happened.

Even though there is no specific antidote to the active ingredients in DayQuil there are certain things that your vet can administer to your dog to minimize its side effects. Mucomyst or Acetadote antioxidants such as Vitamin C and liver protectants such as milk thistle are some examples.

You can perform a clinical test to determine whether your dog ingested acetaminophen one of the active ingredients in DayQuil. This is rarely used because the test is usually only done at human hospitals and it takes too long. You need to treat your puppy right away so waiting for the test results would be inconvenient.

What are the side effects of Dayquil poisoning?

Acetaminophen can result in your dogs facial swelling vomiting and stopping eating as well as discoloration of his gums. Additionally he might show signs of lethargy have difficulty breathing collapse into a coma has dry eyes and have dark urine. Thats scary guys.

Decongestant phenylephrine accelerates your dogs heart rate into hyperdrive. You do not want that.

How quickly will Dayquil work?

Humans take about 30 minutes to start feeling the effects of DayQuil. We’re quite a bit bigger than our furry kids and their metabolisms tend to be a lot faster than ours. As a result DayQuil kicks in about 30 minutes after it is taken by your dog.

How long will the effects last?

DayQuil provides relief from cold and flu symptoms for 4 to 8 hours. At least in humans. The side effects of your dog chomping down on your DayQuil might go away in a matter of hours or they might linger for a long time depending on many factors.

If you have a large dog who has only eaten one DayQuil and you induced vomiting really quickly he will probably be fine within a few hours. However if your pup ingested a large dose of the stuff and did not cough it up in time he could suffer permanent liver damage. This is assuming that he survives the ordeal.

Therefore it depends. For your pups sake you should keep the stuff out of reach.

Is there a dog-safe or home remedy alternative to DayQuil?

Just like us dogs can also contract the flu and they require treatment to recover. What should we do now that we know that human flu medication is not safe for pups? There are a number of home remedies available to get your pup back up and running.

An additional note: if your dog exhibits flu-like symptoms it could indicate something more serious such as kennel cough. Whenever your dog seems to be feeling unwell have him checked out by a veterinarian. Be careful rather than sorry.

It was right what your grandmother told you. When it comes to the flu chicken soup is the best! The same applies to dogs as well. If your pup is feeling under the weather prepare him a bowl of lukewarm low sodium chicken soup.

Another way to help your pup stay healthy is to steam your home. Your pets breathing problems are eased by steam opening up his or her bronchial passages. In the absence of a humidifier run hot water in the shower or bath allowing the place to mist up properly. Spend about ten minutes in there soaking up the moisture. In a smaller room you could use a vaporizer such as the Vicks Warm Mist Humidifier. It wouldnot hurt to add some essential oils to the mix as well. Just be careful not to leave your pet alone with the oils. Dogs love to sniff and lick new things as we all know.

How to store Dayquil safely?

There is no question about this one. Keep the stuff in a place where dogs and children cannot access it. Medications are not toys or sweets and should not be placed in a place where children or dogs might mistake them for them. Keep the meds out of your coat pockets and handbag since your dog may come sniffing here for treats. 

Conclusion

Dogs are poisoned by DayQuil which is great for humans. If your dog gets his paws on the stuff take him to the vet immediately especially if hes a small dog. The smaller the dog the more serious the effects will be. To help your dog cope with the effects of vomiting your vet may administer vitamins. Its always safer to keep your medication in a place where your dog can not get to it. 

You should offer your dog some chicken soup or other home remedies if he is feeling under the weather and you suspect he has doggy flu.

If you want to read more about dog food tips read here: Dog Food Tips and Tricks.

Help! My Dog Ate DayQuil (Watch Video)