My dog ate a whole tube of dog toothpaste — how worried should I be?

Question

This morning I turned my back for 30 seconds and my 2-year-old Beagle Olive somehow got the enzymatic toothpaste off the bathroom counter and ate the whole tube. It was a Virbac CET toothpaste, poultry flavored, about 2.5 oz remaining.

She seems completely fine — eating, drinking, normal behavior. I called the vet and they said to watch her but it wasn't an emergency. I just want a second opinion because she ate SO much of it.

dr_yamada · Accepted Answer

Good news: Virbac CET toothpaste is specifically formulated to be safe if swallowed — it's designed for dogs who can't rinse. The enzymatic formula (glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase) has no toxic components at these doses. The main thing you might see is some soft stools or mild GI upset from eating 2.5 oz of anything unusual. As long as she's acting normal, eating, and not vomiting repeatedly, you're fine. The one toothpaste that IS dangerous for dogs is any human paste containing xylitol — always check for that.

vet_tech_alex · Answer

Confirmed — we see this in clinic fairly often. Dog toothpaste is safe to ingest. You might get one bout of loose stools tonight but that's it. The flavor is the real culprit for these counter-surfing incidents — if it smells like chicken, Beagles will find it.

My dog ate a whole tube of dog toothpaste — how worried should I be?

2 replies

My dog ate a whole tube of dog toothpaste — how worried should I be?

2 replies