My dog ate hops – what should I do?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: Pet Poison Helpline

Call a vet now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. Used hops can cause rapid-onset, life-threatening high fever in dogs.

What to do now

What to do right now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
Note what was eaten, how much, and when.
Bring the packaging.
Keep your pet calm.
Remove what is left.

Don't

Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.
Do not give any human medicine.

Why it can be dangerous

Used hops can cause rapid-onset, life-threatening high fever in dogs, with panting, racing heart rate, vomiting, seizure, and death reported as clinical signs.^[1] Hops flowers are used in brewing beer, and used hops are discarded after fermentation.^[1]

Signs to watch for

High fever
Panting
Racing heart rate
Vomiting
Seizure
Death

Signs can start rapidly after a dog ingests used hops.

Where it is found

Beer brewing

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

OkPaw is on Android now – an iPhone version is on its way.

Common questions

How much hops is dangerous?

Tell your vet how much was eaten.

What signs can happen?

Panting, a racing heart rate, vomiting, seizure, and high fever can occur; death is also reported.^[1]

How soon can signs start?

Signs can start rapidly after ingestion of used hops.^[1]

Sources

Pet Poison Helpline

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages