My dog ate phenylpropanolamine – 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. An overdose may lead to gastrointestinal distress, including vomiting and anorexia, and cardiovascular disturbance.

What to do now

What to do right now

Note what was eaten, how much and when.
Bring the packaging.
Keep your dog calm.
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

Phenylpropanolamine is a veterinary prescription drug used in dogs to control urinary incontinence due to weak urinary sphincter muscle activity.^[1] An overdose may lead to gastrointestinal distress, including vomiting and anorexia, and cardiovascular disturbance.^[1]

Signs to watch for

vomiting
kidney failure
anorexia
agitation
high blood pressure
urinary incontinence

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

What signs should I watch for?

An overdose may lead to gastrointestinal distress, including vomiting and anorexia, and cardiovascular disturbance.^[1]

What should I do now?

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now; note what, how much and when, and bring the packaging.

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