Charcoal tablets can save your dog’s life in case of poisoning. They also help with diarrhea. The important thing is the correct dosage.

Charcoal tablets are used in dogs in two situations: poisoning and diarrhea. The activated charcoal can save your pet’s life if, for example, he ate something poisonous.
However, if the charcoal is not dosed correctly, it will be ineffective. Therefore, it is important that you calculate the dosage exactly.
In the following guide, you will learn under which circumstances you can give your dog charcoal tablets and when veterinarians advise against it. You will also learn how to correctly dose the charcoal tablets for your dog and how to ensure that the dog takes the tablet.

What Are Charcoal Tablets?

Charcoal tablets consist of pressed, medicinal charcoal. The charcoal is usually made on a plant basis, for example, from coconut shells. The plant material is completely charred during the manufacturing process. The carbon atoms in the charcoal have the property of binding other chemical substances, for example toxins.
Charcoal tablets bind water and toxins in your dog’s intestine. In the event of poisoning, this results in fewer toxins entering the bloodstream.

Note: Charcoal also binds medications or supplements, which then cannot work properly.

Charcoal Tablets For The Dog As Part Of The Emergency Pharmacy

Charcoal tablets belong in the emergency first aid kit for your dog, because they can even save his life in case of poisoning. It is best to always have them handy. As a mild diarrhea remedy they can help, but you should be careful. Because if the cause is not known, charcoal can also do harm in gastrointestinal disorders.

How Can I Recognize Poisoning In A Dog?

If your dog has eaten something poisonous, you should always act quickly. The most important thing is that you immediately consult a veterinarian.
Often we do not even notice when the dog eats something poisonous. You can recognize poisoning by various symptoms. It is important to know that poisoning can have only one symptom or several symptoms at the same time or one after the other.

Symptoms of poisoning:

• Increased pulse, rapid breathing, heavy panting.
• Panic behavior.
• Muscle cramps and signs of paralysis.
• Trembling.
• Unconsciousness.
• Increased salivation.
• Sluggishness.
• Anemia, recognizable by pale oral mucosa (beige to white).
• Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
• Black feces or blood in the feces.
• Fever.
• Urinary disorders.
• Constricted pupils.

Charcoal tablets in dogs work by poisoning through the gastrointestinal tract. Common sources of poison are:

• Rat poison (see note).
• Mineral fertilizers like blue grain.
• Slug pellets.
• Poison bait.
• poisonous food such as chocolate, onions or grapes or heavily moldy food.

Note: If your dog has eaten something poisonous, he must immediately go to the vet. If rat poison is suspected, the vet can save your dog with a high-dose vitamin K shot.

Dosage Of Charcoal Tablets For The Dog In Case Of Poisoning

In case of poisoning, you should always consult a veterinarian. Charcoal tablets are sometimes helpful in an emergency to tide you over, but they are most helpful in very mild poisonings, such as when the dog has eaten rowan berries in the woods or something moldy.

Charcoal tablets only help through the gastrointestinal tract. If the dog has ingested poison through other routes, such as the bite of a snake, they will not help.

Note: In case of acute and life-threatening symptoms of poisoning or if the dog has eaten something highly poisonous, always take it to the vet as soon as possible. Before giving charcoal tablets to the dog, you should always try to make the dog vomit. Only when it is already too late for that, because the poison has already passed from the stomach into the intestine, you can try it with charcoal.
It is best to discuss the dosage with your veterinarian, the following recommendations are rules of thumb. In individual cases the dosage can be higher or lower.

Rule Of Thumb Dosage Of Charcoal Tablets For Dog In Case Of Poisoning

1 g of activated charcoal per kilogram of body weight.

Note: In charcoal tablets, the activated charcoal content is often given in milligrams. Charcoal tablets then contain, for example, 250 mg of activated charcoal. in this case, 1 g corresponds to four tablets.

You can see that the dosage is very high. With tablets containing 250 mg of activated charcoal, you need twelve charcoal tablets for a small dog weighing 3 kg.
For a large dog, you may even need several packs. In practice, it can be difficult to get this amount into the dog. You can find tips on this further down in this article.

Attention: Activated charcoal is not an antidote! Poisoning is always an emergency, you should immediately consult a veterinarian. Activated charcoal can only reduce the amount of toxins absorbed by your dog’s body via absorption of the toxins in the gastrointestinal tract or only delay the absorption.

Charcoal Tablets For Dogs With Diarrhea

Another field of application of charcoal tablets are diarrhea. For this purpose, activated charcoal is also recommended for humans. The charcoal binds water in the intestine and thus strengthens the stool. Charcoal can actually help with acute diarrhea. The dosage is not as high as for poisoning. A few charcoal tablets in the dog is usually enough.

However, veterinarians point out that diarrhea is often a defensive and cleansing reaction of the body. If the dog has eaten something harmful, these substances must get out of the body as soon as possible. Through diarrhea, the dog quickly excretes incompatible food. If you then give him coal, this is counterproductive. The coal leads to the fact that the incompatible food remains even longer in the body of your dog.

Charcoal is a remedy for diarrhea caused, for example, by a chronic disease. If you do not know the cause of the diarrhea, you should not treat with charcoal tablets on your own. It could be that your dog has eaten something that is better excreted quickly.
If in doubt, as always, first contact a veterinarian and ask for advice. If the vet recommends giving activated charcoal for diarrhea, you can use this natural remedy.

How Do I Make Charcoal Tablets Palatable To My Dog?

If the dosage is small, for example, for diarrhea, the administration is simple. You can coat the tablets with liverwurst or hide them in a piece of dog food. You can also place a charcoal tablet in a soft dog treat and feed it that way.
If you need a larger dosage, you can crush the charcoal tablets or use ready-made activated charcoal powder. The charcoal powder can be mixed with wet food.

Important: In an emergency, it can be dangerous to force the charcoal tablets into the dog’s mouth or throat. He can then choke on them.

Possible Side Effects Of Charcoal Tablets

Activated charcoal is basically a well-tolerated natural remedy. Too high a dose can cause constipation or even intestinal obstruction. If you give the charcoal tablets in case of diarrhea, in the worst case they can prevent incompatible or toxic foods from being excreted quickly. Charcoal tablets are indicated for diarrhea when the veterinarian recommends them and the cause is known.

Charcoal Tablets For Dogs: FAQ

Are There Special Charcoal Tablets For Dogs?

Normally, for dogs, one uses normal charcoal tablets from the pharmacy, which are sold for humans. However, for a dog it may be useful to resort to a product in powder form. The powder can be more easily mixed into the food.

How Many Charcoal Tablets For Diarrhea?

The dosage of charcoal tablets in case of diarrhea is always done after consultation with the veterinarian. In no case does the dog now need the dosage recommended for poisoning! One to two charcoal tablets mixed with the food will probably be enough to relieve the discomfort.

When the diarrhea subsides, it’s best to give your dog a light diet. For example, rice with low-fat chicken, plus some cooked, digestible vegetables such as potatoes, carrots or pumpkin has proven to be effective. There is also special food for dogs that suffer from gastrointestinal problems.

How Do I Administer The Tablets To My Dog?

If you can’t hide the tablet in a piece of liverwurst or food, try the following method: Calm your dog and grasp his head with one hand. Pull the head back slightly. Make sure your dog stays calm, otherwise he may choke. Now pull his lower jaw down slightly with your index or middle finger. With the other hand or an input aid, you can now place the tablet in his mouth.