Tums make great aid for many of our health issues. But would it be the same for our pets? The purpose of such items is to relieve various health problems, but what if your dog sneaks in and eats a handful. Too much good stuff is nasty stuff, right?
So, you may ask: my dog ate a Tums, what should I do? Tums won’t harm your dog unless it takes in a lot. If your pet sneaked in and ate a bunch, that calls for immediate attention. As always, observe your pet for signs of adverse reaction towards the drug. To ensure your pet is safe, a vet’s help would be your best option.
Tums is an over-the-counter drug designed to relieve heartburn and indigestion. It’s also known as antacid, and many people have it stored in their homes.
For this reason, it is something that dogs can easily access. While a single Tums won’t hurt a dog, it’s still not a good idea for them to consume such.
Understanding more about this matter would be essential in case of unwanted incidents.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Contents
What should I do if my dog ate tums?
As I said earlier, Tums is a drug designed to relieve people from heartburn or indigestion. For this reason, we can say that it is harmless to our pets. However, it’s only as long as your pet takes a piece or two.
While Tums are harmless, it contains ingredients that can be toxic if taken in large amounts.
For instance, this drug consists mainly of Vitamin D and Calcium. Too much of both components can cause severe toxicity to your dog.
Of course, as pet owners, we want to ensure our pet’s safety, and that we need to ensure that nothing is wrong with them. Here are four simple tips you can do if your dog ate such an item.
Observe your dog.
You need to observe your dog and look for any signs of pain or reaction after eating this drug.
Some symptoms would mean danger, and if such happens, you may need to call or take your pet to the nearest vet.
If your pet seems alright and doesn’t show any signs of severe symptoms, you may proceed with the next one.
Clean the area and remove the remnants.
The last thing you’ll want is for your pet to eat more of this drug. Thus, you should remove any remnants from the area.
Dogs usually find such things in your bathrooms and medicine cabinets. More likely, they may find it lying around in a table or something.
Wherever the medicine came from, make sure the area is secure and no more remnants of this drug.
Understand what happened.
Tums are harmless in small amounts. However, it can turn into quite a danger if ingested in large quantities.
For this reason, understanding the situation will give you an idea of how you should deal with it.
It would be best to take note of every detail you can gather regarding the incident.
Here are a few questions that you need to answer and understand from the scene.
- How much Tums did your pet eat?
- How long has it been since it happened? (the sooner you knew, the better)
- Did your dog consume other items aside from the drug? (perhaps it ate different kinds)
Getting such information would make you understand how worse the incident is.
Moreover, it will help you report what happened if you visit the vet and ask about what happened.
Take your pet to your vet.
Tums may not pose that much of a threat. However, nothing beats the assurance coming from your vet.
An immediate call to your vet upon learning about the situation would give you an expert’s advice on what to do.
As long as you give every piece of information you can gather, it will help diagnose your pet’s condition.
Moreover, your vet will give you some directions on what to do and what to observe with your dog.
Even if your dog shows no adverse reaction upon taking the drug, a visit to the vet will help you ensure it is alright.
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What happens if my dog ate a Tums?
A dog that eats tums isn’t likely to suffer, but that’s only as long as it takes only a little. If it eats a handful of such, that would be a completely different thing.
If your dog eats a Tums, it will likely pass through the gut without causing any harm.
However, overeating of such can lead to some complications. It can be worse depending on the amount it takes and the size of its body.
The key to deal with this issue is to understand how much your pet takes and how long it has been since it happened.
Moreover, you need to observe your pet for symptoms that show problems brought by the drug.
Tums overdose symptoms in dogs
Taking in too many Tums would be unhealthy and dangerous for us, and the same principle applies to our dogs.
Getting overdosed with such drugs can cause more harm if left unchecked. For this reason, it would be best to understand and learn these symptoms.
If your pet overeats Tums, observe your pet in the following hours for these symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Weakness
- Increase in thirst and urination
As I said earlier, Tums consists mainly of Vitamin D and Calcium. While both components are safe, they can be toxic if taken in large amounts.
Now, would it be enough to kill a dog? Let’s find out.
Can Tums kill a dog?
It’s not likely that Tums would be enough to kill a dog. However, it may be possible if your pet eats a lot and gets left behind unchecked.
Tums is a drug that can relieve heartburn and indigestion, so it’s not a toxic item. However, the components can turn into poisonous things if taken in large amounts.
Tums can kill a dog if it eats a lot and while having another health issue. The complication brought by overdosage can make matters worse for your pet’s body.
As always, keep such things away from your dog’s reach to avoid unwanted incidents.
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How many Tums can I give my dog safely?
In general, Tums are safe for dogs, but only in small amounts, and not all the time. If you plan on giving your pet a Tums, it would be best to limit it to one or two.
Giving too many Tums can lead to overdose, which can be bad for your pet’s health. Moreover, it would be best to seek your vet’s approval first before giving such.
As always, if your pet suffers from complications, there are better ways to solve it rather than with Tums.
What can you give a dog with an upset stomach as an alternative to Tums?
Nothing beats a natural remedy for an upset stomach for dogs, not even a Tums. As always, you can ask your vet for recommendations.
Still, here’s a rundown of natural food you can offer to your pet if it suffers from an upset stomach.
Rice and Chicken (or only chicken)
Many dog foods have rice and chicken as their main ingredients. Such foods are ideal for your pet if it suffers from an upset stomach.
To serve such, all you need is a boneless chicken and rice. Make sure it doesn’t have any additional seasonings.
You can also offer only chicken if you don’t have rice available. You can shred it and boil it. Make sure that you don’t add any other seasoning.
Chicken is rich in nutrients that can help your pet regain its health as it suffers from an upset stomach.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a fiber-rich food, making it an ideal solution to your pet’s stomach issue.
Make sure you cook it thoroughly and offer it peeled, unsalted, and unseasoned.
Broth
Broth (can be any bone broth) is a mild and liquid meal that works well on your pet’s stomach, especially if it’s having some issues.
Moreover, it adds moisture to food and flavor to dry food, in case you plan to give it as an extra.
The broth will give your pet some appetite since it suffers from stomach issues.
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Summary
Tums may be an ordinary relief for heartburn and indigestion. Thus, you can’t help but have one available in your house. However, it would be best to keep it out of your dog’s reach since it can cause your pet’s health if eaten.
Now, if your pet already ate such, you can do some things to deal with it. First, observe your pet for signs of poisoning. If it has no issues, you may watch for a few more days before calling it okay.
However, if your pet shows signs of poisoning or overdose, it would be best to take it to the vet.
As always, the best way to solve such issues is by preventing them from happening. Thus, always keep your Tums out of your dog’s reach.
If you plan to give it to your pet as a relief for an upset stomach, limit it to one or two, and you may want to ask your vet’s approval. Aside from Tums, there’s plenty of natural options you can offer.
Resources
Image credits – Canva, Wikimedia
