Can Dogs Drink Alcohol?

A dog's body cannot metabolize alcohol, so for a dog, any alcoholic drink is poison. Whether baijiu or beer, the active agent is ethanol; if ethanol is the main threat to a dog's health, the other ingredients are accomplices—the enzymes in wine, for example. Dogs do not 'like' alcohol; from a dog's view these liquids that help humans forget their worries are just odd-smelling substances. After ingestion a dog quickly shows drunkenness: loss of coordination, drooling, racing heart, low temperature, dropping blood sugar, weakness, even coma. Unlike humans (who often die from aspirating vomit), 99% of dogs die from respiratory failure as the body mobilizes everything to break down ethanol, then breathing slows and stops. The best rescue window is 20–40 minutes—get to a vet, do not induce vomiting at home. Even survivors can suffer kidney, liver, or heart failure. Spirits, wine (grapes are toxic to dogs), and beer (most dogs are allergic to hops) are all dangerous.