What is the danger of letting my dog drink whiskey?

Every now and then we’ll come across a seemingly humorous photo of a dog who has gotten into the alcohol.

There’s absolutely nothing funny about it, though, because alcohol poisoning can be fatal.

While dogs should never have any type of alcohol—or even a food that contains alcohol– whiskey is absolutely the worst!

Whisky’s alcohol content is over 50 percent per volume. And given the fact that dogs are significantly smaller than us, it takes far less to create a reaction.

When you give your dog alcohol, it depresses the central nervous system, affects coordination and changes the blood chemistry, creating excess acid that damages the kidney and liver. The dog will fall into a coma and eventually die.

Whiskey and other hard liquor is probably something that a dog (or cat) won’t intentionally drink, but the problem really occurs when it’s combined with sweet mixers like soda or fruit juice, because that will now make the drink appealing. Let’s remember, too, that some of those mixers just may include food items that are toxic to pets (ask your veterinarian or local ASPCA for a complete list of toxic foods.)

Just to help you understand just how dangerous alcohol is to a dog (or cat), here are some of the thing your dog can experience from alcohol poisoning.
• Behavioral Changes: Dogs will suffer from quickly impaired mental faculties, which will result in behavioral changes. Your dog may become aggressive, depressed or try eliminating around the house.
• Kidney Damage: Because alcohol is such a strong chemical poison the dog’s kidneys will work hard to filter it, resulting in an over-strained kidney and kidney damage.
• Respiratory Problems: Alcohol depresses the activities of the mind and body. Even small amounts of alcohol can affect your dogs breathing rate quickly.
• Heart Problems: Alcohol affects the heart of both humans and non-humans. Dogs ingesting even a minor amount of alcohol can experience heart murmurs and even heart attacks.
• Death: It can be sudden and quick death or a slow, painful one.