My Dog Ate a Halls Cough Drop – What Should I Do?

You always need to be sure that your flu supplies and medications are well hidden in a place unreachable to dogs because Xylitol is sugar-based alcohol found in the flu drops and syrups, which is extremely poisonous for dogs. If you feel like your pet is sick and you see dog cough you never should give Halls as dog cough medicine.

With most dogs, it will be almost impossible to get it out of their mouth if they still have it in there.  With the small size of the cough drop, they either swallowed it whole or chomped it into small bits with their strong teeth. 

First of all stay calm, the situation needs you to think clearly. So what should you do if your dog ate a Halls cough drop?

What to Do If Your Dog Ate a Halls Cough Drop?

If your dog ate halls cough drops, try to figure out how many drops your dog ate and how long ago it happened. Check how your dog feels and behaves and immediately give this information to your veterinary doctor.

Follow his advice and take your canine friend to the hospital if your vet insists. Find the package again and look at the ingredients list of the cough drop to be 100% sure there are no other toxic ingredients.

Here’re some things you should consider if your dog ate halls cough drops:

• How many did they eat:  This may be hard to figure out so you need to try to remember if you accidentally dropped one or was the bag left within reach of your pets?  If the dog got into an open bag, you need to try to remember if it was a full or partial bag and how many they could have eaten is it just one or a whole bag. If your dog ate a lot it can cause intestinal blockage and your pup might need surgery.
• Unwrapped or Wrapped:  Did your dog eat them unwrapped or wrapped?  If they ate wrapped ones, the situation just became a bit more serious.  The wrappers can also cause a choking hazard.  The cough drops could also cause intestinal obstruction and would require surgery due to the undigested wrappers.  The undigested wrappers can cause a blockage that can kill the dog if they do not have immediate surgery to remove the blockage.
• Professional Help:  Do not try any home remedies or try to get your dog to vomit.  Do not try to pull out any wrappers you might see in the dog’s mouth.  Let your veterinarian handle this situation.  So many things can go wrong if your dog eats Halls Cough Drops so that is why it is important to take them to the veterinarian.  This is even more important if you do not know exactly how many they ate.

Taking Your Dog to the Veterinarian

When you take your dog to immediate veterinary assistance, have as much information as you can to help them figure out the right treatment.  They will want to know about how long ago the dog ate the Halls Cough Drops, how many, whether they were wrapped or not, and how your dog has been acting.  Any behavior or symptoms such as vomiting on their own, lethargy, dry mouth, etc should be noted and relayed to the veterinarian.

When your dog goes to the bathroom, keep an eye on its stool.  If there is a change in their pooping schedule, they have diarrhea, or constipation, you should let the veterinarian know.  The pet owner should also let them know any symptoms the dog may be experiencing no matter how big or small before or after the visit.  

If your dog ate drops a long time ago and you see a minor gastrointestinal upset you can keep a while bland diet like feeding your canine friend with white rice and boiled white chicken meat.

Toxicity of Halls Cough Drops

 The first thing that you need to do is look at the ingredients in the Halls Cough Drops. 

• Xylitol:  This is the first ingredient that you should check to see if it is in the cough drops.  This is a sugar alternative that you find in many candies and medicine.  Although it is safe for humans, it can be deadly for dogs to consume.  The major side effect is an instant drop in the dog’s blood sugar level.  This can lead to serious problems such as heart failure, brain damage, liver damage, and more.

• Menthol:  Most cough drops have a cooling, minty effect, which is what helps to soothe your sore throat.  The ingredient responsible for this is menthol.  It soothes a human’s throat but irritates the dog’s throat.  It can cause vomiting and diarrhea, suppresses their lungs, and if they get a high amount, it can kill them.  You will mostly see behavioral changes instantly.  They may have trouble walking or staying awake.  
• Benzocaine: This ingredient is often found in throat lozenges will cause gastrointestinal problems, from diarrhea to methemoglobinemia, which is a type of anemia.  It can make your dog miserable.  When it is used as a local anesthetic in your veterinarian’s office it will make their throat numb instantly.  This ingredient will only make your dog’s breathing worse if they are having trouble breathing.
• Sugar:  Sugar or sugar glucose is bad for dogs and will make them hyperactive immediately.  If they eat too much sugar, it can cause diarrhea and vomiting.  There is a high risk of your dog developing liver failure, diabetes, and tooth decay.
• Additives:  These include the colors and flavors that manufacturers use in cough drops.    Most are artificial ingredients that are used to enhance the taste and appearance of the Halls Cough Drops
• Eucalyptus Oil:  Almost all essential oils are bad for dogs and if inhaled, they can affect your dog.  When your dog ingests a Halls Cough Drop expect them to have eucalyptus poisoning. It will start with vomiting but will quickly turn into seizures, depression, and worse problems.

Conclusion

• If your dog eats a Halls Cough Drop or another drop like Vicks or Ricola cough drops, immediately take your dog to the veterinarian because they will most likely develop eucalyptus poisoning.
• Halls Cough Drops are not good for your dog as they contain many toxic or unhealthy ingredients.
• Most have xylitol in them, which is very dangerous to your dog’s health.
• Always keep Halls Cough Drops out of reach of your dog.
• If the Halls Cough Drop does not contain xylitol but regular sugar, one cough drop will not be that much of an issue but you should still take them to the veterinarian.  
• Smaller dogs and puppies can create a choking hazard.  Because of the hard consistency, it may be hard for them to chew because of their teeth so they just swallow it whole.
• If the Halls Cough Drop is not digested this could also cause intestinal obstruction so surgery might be necessary.

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