Has your dog swallowed your birth control pills, and are you worried about the health consequences for your dog? Rest assured, in most cases, the ingestion of birth control pills is not severe for the dog.
My dog swallowed my birth control pills: is it toxic?
Human birth control pills contain:
- Ethinylestradiol (EE).
- A synthetic derivative of estradiol.
- A hormone in the estrogen family.
This substance is potentially toxic to dogs when they swallow birth control pills stolen from their owner’s belongings.
But, fortunately, most current contraceptive pills are said to be microdose and contain less than 0.04 mg of EE per tablet when the toxic dose of estrogen cited in the literature is 0.8 mg/kg of body weight.
There is, therefore, a risk of proven poisoning in dogs if the animal is tiny (dogs weighing less than 1 kg) or if the ingestion of pills is massive: more than 40 pills in a small dog weighing 2 kg or more than 600 tablets in a dog weighing 30 kg.
My dog swallowed my birth control pills: what are the risks?
The toxic dose of Ethinyl estradiol may be responsible for aplastic anaemia in dogs. It is damage to the bone marrow that interferes with the production of blood cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Pale mucous membranes manifest anorexia (refusal to eat) and depression, and the onset of abnormal bleeding from the nose, vagina or gastrointestinal system.
Below the toxic dose, mild disorders such as vomiting may appear and disturbances in the bitch’s cycle.
My dog swallowed my birth control pills: what to do?
Although cases of poisoning following the ingestion of birth control pills are rare, it is still advisable to place your dog under supervision if he has swallowed any and call your veterinarian if in doubt.
On the other hand, if your dog is small, whether it is a puppy or a pregnant bitch, it is safer to call your vet or a veterinary poison control centre right away.
