My dog ate 1 cough drop. Do I need to take her to the emergency vet? I attached a photo with the ingredients. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 10 years and 4 months old | 15.4 lbs

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While menthol can definitely be irritating to dogs, and cause them to vomit or have diarrhea, the main concern with cough drops is an ingredient known as xylitol. This is a sugar substitute that can cause dogs to become hypoglycemic, or have low blood sugar. This can result in tremors, weakness, or even seizures. The onset of the signs depends on the dog size as well as the amount of xylitol ingested. If you notice Eliana exhibiting any of these symptoms, she should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

There isn't enough menthol in the cough drops to cause a problem, and while ingesting a large number of cough drops could lead to vomiting or diarrhea I doubt you would see any problems from ingesting 1-2 cough drops. As long as there is no xylitol or benzocaine you have nothing to worry about!

At this point, it is too late to induce vomiting. It would be unusual for 1 cough drop to cause a problem but monitor her for any vomiting and/or diarrhea and have her examined by a vet if you notice anything abnormal.

My dog ate a cough drop. Do I need to take her to the emergency vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My dog ate 1 cough drop. Do I need to take her to the emergency vet? I attached a photo with the ingredients.

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Answered By Lotus Altholtz 215

Veterinarian, Board-Certified Lab Animal Medicine Specialist

Published on February 18th, 2022

One of those cough drops in a 15 lb dog is likely not an issue. The symptoms to look for if it were an issue would be GI upset (vomiting and diarrhea). The important thing is to make sure that they are not sugar free as xylitol is toxic to dogs. These do not seem to be sugar free from the label. . If you notice any lethargy, inappetance, vomiting or diarrhea, bring your dog to your vet for fluids, anti nausea medication, anti-diarrheal medication etc. as indicated. There will likely will be no symptoms. Inducing vomiting for one menthol cough drop would not be worth the risk of aspiration. Offer plenty of water in the meantime and put the rest of the cough drops in a safe place! Good luck!

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My dog ate a cough drop. Do I need to take her to the emergency vet?

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