- A tiny amount is deadly — tastes sweet
- 30 min–12 h
- Affects: Kidneys
Why this verdict for dogs
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol) tastes sweet but is one of the deadliest poisons for dogs — even a small amount causes fatal kidney failure. Speed is everything.
Warning signs to watch for
- Wobbly, drunk-like walk
- Excessive thirst & urination
- Vomiting
- Later: not urinating
⚠ If your dog ate antifreeze
Act immediately — don't wait for symptoms.
- Call your vet or a pet poison helpline right away.
- Note how much was eaten and when.
- Do not induce vomiting unless a professional tells you to.
Antifreeze poisoning is the cruellest of the common household poisonings: ethylene glycol tastes sweet, so pets drink it willingly from a garage floor or a puddle in a driveway, and the damage it does is silent until it is close to irreversible. It is also one where hours genuinely decide the outcome.
How much is safe?
The lethal amounts are frighteningly small. For a cat, as little as a teaspoon or two — barely more than what clings to a paw walked through a spill and then groomed off — can be fatal. For a medium-sized dog, a few tablespoons is enough. Ethylene glycol is also present in some brake fluids, and in a few windshield and radiator products, so the source is not always a bright green jug.
What happens if a dog eats too much?
It unfolds in three stages, and the middle one is a trap. In the first half-day the pet appears drunk: wobbly, disoriented, drinking and urinating heavily, sometimes vomiting. Then, for roughly a day, it seems to recover — many owners relax at exactly this point. Finally the kidneys shut down: severe lethargy, vomiting, no urine production, and by then treatment is often too late. Cats deteriorate faster than dogs.
⚠ What to do if your dog ate antifreeze
Do not wait, do not watch, do not call in the morning. Go to a veterinary hospital immediately and call on the way (ASPCA 888-426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661). There is an antidote — fomepizole, or in some cases ethanol — but it must block the metabolism before the toxic breakdown products damage the kidneys, which for a cat can mean within about three hours of drinking. If you even suspect exposure, treat it as confirmed until a vet says otherwise.
⚠️ Worried your pet got into this?
Frequently asked questions
How would my pet even find antifreeze?
Usually a small leak or drip under a parked car, a spill in a garage, or a container stored at floor level. Cats often ingest it grooming their paws rather than by drinking a puddle.
Is there a safer type of antifreeze?
Propylene glycol formulations are far less toxic than ethylene glycol and are worth choosing if you keep any in the house or garage — but they still are not something a pet should drink.
My pet just seemed a bit drunk and is normal now — is it over?
That apparent recovery is a documented stage of this poisoning, not a cure. Go in regardless.
More household items for dogs
By the CanMyPet Editorial Team · Reviewed against ASPCA Animal Poison Control, the American Kennel Club (AKC) and Pet Poison Helpline · Last updated July 31, 2026.
Sources
- ASPCA — People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets
- American Kennel Club — Dog Nutrition
- Pet Poison Helpline — Poison List