My dog ate nicotine – what should I do?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 4 sources

Based on: US FDA – Center for Veterinary Medicine, Animal PoisonLine (UK, VPIS), Pet Poison Helpline

Call a vet now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. Nicotine is a rapidly acting toxin with a narrow safety margin for pet animals.

What to do now

What to do right now

  1. Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
  2. Note what your dog ate, how much and when.
  3. Bring the packaging.
  4. Keep your dog calm.
  5. Remove what is left.

Don't

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

Why it can be dangerous

It only takes 0.5 to 1.0 mg of nicotine per pound of body weight to cause problems in dogs.[1] Fatal doses in dogs and cats have been reported at 20 to 100 mg.[1] Clinical signs have been reported at doses as low as 1 mg/kg in dogs.[4]

Signs to watch for

  • Vomiting
  • Unsteadiness
  • Drooling
  • Tiredness
  • Fast heart rate
  • Shaking
  • Weakness
  • Seizures

Where it is found

  • Cigarettes
  • Cigarette butts
  • E-liquid
  • Snus
  • Nicotine pouches
  • Vape pens

What the experts say

“Signs of nicotine poisoning in pets include: vomiting unsteadiness drooling tiredness fast heart rate shaking weakness seizures death.”

— US FDA – Center for Veterinary Medicine [1]

“the maximum quantity of nicotine allowed is 20mg in every ml of liquid”

— Animal PoisonLine (UK, VPIS) [2]
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.

Get it on Google Play

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

Common questions

How much nicotine is dangerous for a dog?

The FDA says 0.5 to 1.0 mg of nicotine per pound of body weight can cause problems in dogs; fatal doses have been reported at 20 to 100 mg.[1]

Which signs should I watch for?

Signs can include vomiting, unsteadiness, drooling, tiredness, a fast heart rate, shaking, weakness and seizures.[1]

How soon can signs start?

The source describes nicotine as rapidly acting, but it does not give a specific time for signs to start.[3]

Sources

  1. US FDA – Center for Veterinary Medicine
  2. Animal PoisonLine (UK, VPIS)
  3. Pet Poison Helpline
  4. Novotny et al., Tobacco and cigarette butt consumption in humans and animals, Tob Control 2011

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

The same page for cats →

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