Dogs are the most popular pets in North America and Europe by far and due to their popularity as well as many dogs often trying to eat things that they really shouldn’t, we see countless questions each month from the community about their dogs eating range of different things.
This often results in the owner of the dog reaching out worried that their dog may end up with some serious health issues due to eating random things with some of the owners being really worried about their dog’s health.
One question that we have noticed people asking on a regular basis recently is what to do if their dog ate Imodium so we wanted to publish our own article going over the topic.
It can be difficult to deal with a dog that has eaten Imodium though as different dogs will reach differently to the medication with some having no side effects at all where as others can potentially have some serious issues.
If you do see any strange behaviors in your dog after it eats Imodium, we would highly recommend that you book a video call with a veterinarian to get some professional advice.
The vet will assess your dog and ask you some questions and then offer you a treatment plan to move forward with while these video calls with vets are often much cheaper than a trip to your local vets.
Is Imodium Dangerous For Dogs?
Although most dogs who eat a small amount of Imodium will usually be fine, Imodium can cause some problems with other dogs such as constipation, sedation, bloat and pancreatitis.
This tends to be more common in older dogs or dogs with a pre-existing health condition but there is a small chance of these issues developing in dogs of all ages after eating Imodium.
Due to the nature of Imodium, the constipation is to be expected as well as the bloat to some degree but the sedation and pancreatitis are usually rarer side effects of a dog eating Imodium.
Still, you should check for all three of them in your dog and take note of any signs of them or any other issues developing. Although rare, symptoms such as vomiting and lethargy can also develop in some dogs after taking Imodium.
You should also try to work out exactly how much Imodium your dog has been able to consume too as the more Imodium your dog eats, the higher the chances of side effects are.
In addition to this, the smaller your dog is, the less Imodium it will require to experience the various side effects that Imodium is able to cause in dogs too.
What To Do If Their Dog Ate Imodium?
If your dog has eaten Imodium, we would highly recommend that you look out for signs of constipation, lethargy, sedation, bloat, vomiting, and pancreatitis in your dog.
They will usually develop within a day or two of the dog taking Imodium and if you get to the three day point without noticing any of these symptoms, there is a good chance that they won’t develop and that your dog will be fine.
If you do notice any of these potential Imodium side effects in your dog then we would recommend that you book a video call with a veterinarian to get professional advice on the situation if possible.
Although constipation and bloating will usually quickly fade as the Imodium works its way out of your dog’s system, the other symptoms can end up developing into other issues if they are not treated with the Imodium sometimes just being a trigger for them and the symptom persisting in the dog after the Imodium has left their system.
Please note that the majority of healthy dogs will usually not have any serious symptoms if they eat a single Imodium and even the chances of constipation and bloating will be minimal.
We are just trying to stress the severity of the other symptoms in your dog and how you should get a vet involved as soon as possible if you notice anything like lethargy, vomiting, and sedation in your dog.
How Long Does Imodium Stay In A Dog’s System?
Imodium will usually stay in your dog’s system for around twenty four hours after consuming it but most medium and large dogs will often have the Imodium worked out of their system much sooner than that.
The more Imodium your dog eats the longer it can stay in their system too so it is important to try and workout exactly how much Imodium your dog has been able to consume as early as possible.
This is due to additional issues such as impaction being able to develop in your dog if it has constipation for an extended period of time and this can result in a potential blockage although the chances of this happening are minimal.
With the constipation in your dog being able to last longer the more Imodium it consumes, you may need the advice of a vet to prescribe a suitable laxative for your dog who has consumed large amounts of Imodium to get things moving again.
For the most part, your dog should be back to its normal self within a day or two of consuming Imodium though and all symptoms should have faded within that timeframe.
If for whatever reason they haven’t, had their symptoms fade within a maximum of two days then get in touch with a vet as soon as possible for professional advice on your dog’s situation after eating Imodium.
Conclusion
That concludes our article going over what to do if your dog ate Imodium. We hope that we have been able to help you better understand the symptoms to watch out for in your dog that are usually the side effects of a dog consuming Imodium as well as the severity of the various side effects. As we touched on above, the majority of dogs who do eat Imodium will usually be totally fine but you do have to keep in mind that a small number of dogs will display side effects with an even smaller number having potentially serious issues due to eating Imodium.
