It can be troublesome to have a hyperactive dog and you may be thinking about giving them the same medications that work for us, but you shouldn’t, because drugs like Adderall are meant for humans only and they are harmful to your pet.
If your dog ate Adderall, contact your veterinarian immediately because severe cases of Adderall intoxication will need hospitalization, in fact, this medication can even be lethal for dogs in some situations.
What Should You Do If Your Dog Eats Adderall?
The first thing you should do is remove the remaining pills and clean up those that fell on the floor.
It’s important to check both the dosage and the number of pills your dog may have eaten.
Call your veterinarian, the Pet Poison Helpline 800-213-6680 or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888) 426-4435.
You will be asked questions such as:
- How much does your dog weigh?
- How many pills did they eat?
- How many mg in each pill?
- How long ago did they ingest the pills?
- Are they acting weird or showing signs of discomfort?
In this case, it’s already been a while since your dog ingested Adderall when you find out what they did, and they’re showing symptoms of sickness, we recommend bringing your dog directly to the nearest animal hospital and bring with it you the medication they ate.
Even if your dog seemingly only chewed on the bottle, make sure there aren’t any pills missing and call your veterinarian just in case.
When your dog eats Adderall, they will need to be hospitalized for treatment until they’re out of danger.
If treated in time, many dogs recover already after just 24 hours, however, each case of Adderall intoxication in dogs is unique.
In the case it hasn’t been two hours since your dog swallowed Adderall, the veterinarian may suggest inducing vomiting in your dog at home to try and get the pills out as soon as possible.
How To Induce Vomiting In Your Dog
Inducing vomiting is a procedure that cannot be done with all dangerous ingestions because in some cases, for example with sharp objects, there’s a risk the item may hurt your dog coming back up or that they may aspirate the vomit.
It is also a procedure that it’s better left to professionals, however, when it’s an emergency, it can be attempted at home.
You will need 2 teaspoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10lbs of body weight and a shot glass.
Make sure the hydrogen peroxide was sealed, because if you had it opened for some time, it may have lost its effect.
Some dogs do not like the idea of swallowing this liquid, but you can mix it in a 50:50 ratio with milk or ice cream to make it appetizing.
Kneel down on the floor and hold your dog between your legs, making them face the opposite direction from you.
You might benefit from the help of a second person to keep your dog still, especially if they bite because you’re going to need to force their mouth open.
Push their chin up and make them point the muzzle at the ceiling. Open their mouth and pour the shot glass down their throat quickly.
Your dog should vomit within minutes and when they do, check if the Adderall pills are there.
If they aren’t they may have passed through the stomach already, so call your veterinarian again.
To help your dog vomit, it’s better to make them move around in order to stimulate the hydrogen peroxide, so go for a short walk or make them run outside in the yard.
If your dog doesn’t vomit within 15 minutes, give another dose of hydrogen peroxide. If they don’t vomit after the second time, do not give them anything else and contact your vet.
What Happens If a Dog Eats Adderall?
Adderall will over-stimulate your dog in a similar way that it does to humans, except for your dog it turns into a life-threatening situation.
Adderall is a drug found in human medicine and made for human consumption and treatment of human conditions such as ADHD.
It belongs in the same family as amphetamines, which also contains illegal drugs like crystal meth.
This medication stimulates the central nervous system and speeds up your brain in a way that forces you to stay focused on the task at hand.
In dogs, it has the same effect, and it can also affect the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems, causing a variety of symptoms and health issues.
If your dog ate Adderall, it won’t take long before they start showing symptoms.
Depending on the dosage, a single pill can be enough to provoke a severe reaction.
There is also a different type of Adderall called XR. This kind of Adderall has a slower effect and is taken only once per day instead of several times as the normal Adderall.
While the slower effect may sound safer, there is no proof this kind of Adderall works any differently in dogs.
There might be a delay in the appearance of symptoms, but it will hurt your pet all the same, so if you know that your dog ate Adderall XR, do not wait for signs of sickness and bring them to the vet.
Symptoms Of Adderall Toxicity In Dogs
Symptoms of Adderall toxicity will start showing very early, around 15 minutes after the ingestion.
They’re impossible to hide and difficult not to notice because most dogs become suddenly hyperactive or start moving parts of their body repeatedly.
Symptoms of Adderall toxicity in dogs include:
- Vomiting
- Drooling
- Diarrhea
- Restlessness
- Panting
- Aggressive behavior
- Increased heart rate
- Irritability
- Muscle tremors
- Shaking head from one side to the other
- High blood pressure
- Sedation
- Agitation
- Dilated pupils
- Seizures
Symptoms may vary based on the amount of Adderall ingested and on the type of intoxication, which can go from moderate to severe.
In order to make a diagnosis, your veterinarian will proceed with a complete medical examination.
If you’re positive that your dog ate Adderall, bring the pills with you so it will be quicker and easier to identify the components, and start the treatment.
If, however, you’re not sure what kind of medication your dog may have eaten, bring with you the most probable, but your veterinarian will need to run all necessary tests before a diagnosis can be made.
In the case Adderall intoxication is confirmed, your dog will be hospitalized to begin decontamination.
At first, if it hasn’t been too long since the ingestion, your vet may try to induce vomiting.
Another option would be to administer activated carbon to avoid the drug from spreading.
After that, IV fluids are usually employed to wash the medication out of your dog’s system and also to keep the levels of electrolytes balanced and to support the kidneys.
Recovery heavily relies on how severe the intoxication was and how quickly the treatment was started.
How To Prevent Your Dog From Eating Adderall Again
Dogs do not look for Adderall on their own initiative because it’s not food and doesn’t have an alluring smell they can follow.
Therefore, there are only two ways your dog had access to Adderall:
- You gave it to them in the hope it would treat their hyperactivity
- They found it by chance and were curious enough to try it
In the first case, you probably had to rush to the veterinarian and are now aware of how wrong that decision was.
If, however, your dog found your medication by chance, it’s time to make sure they can never gain access to this kind of product again.
Apart from keeping your medication somewhere, your dog can’t reach, training your dog will also be fundamental.
As dogs explore the world with their nose and mouth, they encounter many things they will be tempted to try, both at home and when outside.
Whether it’s pills, dead animals, or food leftovers, not everything is safe for your dog to taste.
Your dog should be trained since their puppy days to obey certain commands, otherwise, your life with them can turn very difficult.
At the very least, your dog should recognize simple commands like “no” and “leave it”, because they could literally save their life.
Even if your dog knows these commands, it isn’t a bad idea to forbid them access to certain areas or rooms in the house, where you can store everything that it’s dangerous for them like your medications.
Puppies are easier to train, but adult dogs can be trained to, with a little more patience. If it doesn’t seem to work or you don’t have time to train your dog properly, you can consult a professional animal trainer.
Can Dogs Eat Adderall?
When you have a hyperactive dog, you may be tempted to give them the same medications that we use to cure ADHD, but you must not do so because these pills are harmful to your pet.
Adderall is the result of human medicine and it’s made for humans only.
There is no proof dogs benefit from using Adderall and instead, there’s plenty of cases of dogs that fell ill after ingesting these pills.
Adderall can have severe consequences for your dog, including tremors, seizures, and death, when left untreated.
You don’t want to risk your dog’s life just because they run around too much.
If your dog has behavioral problems, you should go through the proper channels, which means starting with your veterinarian’s advice, who can provide the proper diagnosis and treatments, or redirect you to an animal behaviorist, if necessary.
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