Is Antifreeze (ethylene glycol) toxic to dogs & cats?
Also known as: coolant / windshield washer fluid
🚑 What to do right after ingestion
The golden window is 8-12 hours — emergency immediately for the antidote (fomepizole/ethanol) plus fluids.
Toxicity notes
Ethylene glycol tastes sweet, so animals drink it willingly. Tiny amounts cause acute kidney failure (1-2 teaspoons can kill a cat); garage floor drips are the main source.
Poisoning symptoms
- • Drunken wobbling
- • Vomiting
- • Increased drinking
- • Later: no urine, profound collapse
Symptoms can be delayed (e.g. onion/garlic-induced hemolysis may take days) — a pet looking fine right now is no reason to relax.
FAQ
How much causes poisoning?
Ethylene glycol tastes sweet, so animals drink it willingly. Tiny amounts cause acute kidney failure (1-2 teaspoons can kill a cat); garage floor drips are the main source.
Can I make my pet vomit at home?
Home-induced vomiting is not advised: corrosive cleaners, sharp bones or existing neurological signs make it dangerous, and improper technique risks aspiration pneumonia. Vomiting should be induced by a vet with proper drugs at the right moment — most effective within 1-2 hours. So “head to the clinic as soon as you know” beats “try to induce vomiting first”.
Even without symptoms, use the symptom checker to review what to watch for
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