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My dog ate cough drops. Should I worry about xylitol or call the vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 13 years and 11 months old | 50 lbs

My dog got into a bag of Luden’s cough drops and we believe he ate the whole bag and the paper wrappings... do you think he will throw up and that will be it or should we take him to the vet?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 12th, 2018

Oh no, that's not good that Spencer ate a whole bag of Luden's cough drops! I would take him into a vet immediately. If they were sugar free, they could contain xylitol, which is highly toxic to dogs and can be fatal. Many cough drops contain ingredients that may cause GI upset in dogs, such as sugar, methol, and eucalyptus oil. The best thing to do is having him seen by a vet right away, and bring the bag with you so the vet can check the ingredients and treat him as needed. I would find an ER vet in your area to bring him into now; if there isn't one, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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