Melatonin is a normally occurring neurohormone that can naturally help humans and animals to go to sleep. However, just like with anything else in nature, melatonin can also be toxic in certain doses. If you are franticly googling “My dog ate 10 mg of Melatonin, what to do” after your dog ate more than the recommended dose, we have some guides on what to do!
First of all, check how much Melatonin your dog actually ate. How many pills and how strong was the melatonin.
The bad news is that it is indeed possible to overdose on Melatonin, however, the good news — it’s pretty rare.
Let’s go over the basics of Melatonin, how it works, what’s the right dose and how to recognize an overdose.
Melatonin — What is it used for?
Just recently, some evidence suggested that melatonin can help for different canine conditions. As melatonin also has some sedative properties, it can help treat separation anxiety in dogs, general anxiety and depression. It can be especially helpful in high stress situations for dogs triggered by things such as fireworks, thunderstorms or separation from a loved one.
Melatonin can also be helpful to treat other conditions, such as alopecia or general hair loss in canines.
Is melatonin generally considered safe for dogs?
As natural as melatonin is, you still shouldn’t prescribe it to your dog yourself. Always discuss it with your vet before giving your dog any melatonin. There isn’t much testing done on the effects of melatonin on animals and the exact effects are still unknown.
The same goes for the possible side effects of melatonin. Although rare, the known side-effects of melatonin in dogs include:
- Itchiness
- Tummy upset
- Increased heart rate
- Confusion
- Decreased fertility
While this side effects don’t occur often, you still need to take them into consideration. Even an overdose on melatonin is possible. If you notice any of the above listed symptoms, contact your vet immediately.
What’s the right dosage of melatonin for dogs?
Melatonin is widely available as an over-the-counter medication. However, that doesn’t mean that any type and dosage of melatonin will do the job. The one deciding on the right dosage and strength of Melatonin will be your vet.
The right dosage is prescribed by the weight of your canine and his health concerns. It’s crucial to always follow the guidelines your vet gave you.
However, sometimes accidents can happen and your dog may eat the whole bottle while you aren’t looking. But what to do if that actually happens? So if you are asking yourself “My dog ate 10 mg of Melatonin — What should I do?!” keep reading to
My dog ate 10 mg of Melatonin — What to do?!
If your dog accidentally ate 10 mg of melatonin, it would be best to contact a vet right away. Depending on the size of your dog, the side effects can be different.
But even if your dog is of a larger dog breed, 10 mg of any medication, even melatonin, can already be a bit overboard.
Your pet may tolerate such an amount if it gets divided into three parts and taken the whole day with intervals. However, if your dog takes 10 mg all at the same time, it can cause severe side effects.
If you notice symptoms such as confusion, dizziness, sleepiness, excessive drooling or nausea in your canine, contact your vet or take your dog to the emergency.
Vets say that a dose as low as 6mg of melatonin is already enough for dogs weighing more than 25 lbs to be efficient. That means that 10 mg is almost double the recommended dose.
If you still have some unanswered questions about the effects of Melatonin in dogs, here’s some additional content:
- Melatonin For Dogs: Is It Safe?
- Melatonin Side Effects In Dogs
- Can you give dogs melatonin? Benefits and side effects