My dog has eaten Tums what should I do? Tums tablets are a type of human antacid commonly sold over the counter in many countries and they are intended to treat mild conditions such as indigestion and heartburn. But they come in flavours which can be attractive to dogs and so given the chance many dogs will eat a great many of them in one go. 

My dog has eaten a lot of Tums, how dangerous is this?

When this happens many owners become concerned about possible toxicity and will then contact their local vets for advice. But what are the risks as far as toxicity goes? Well, these owners are usually very relieved to hear that Tums are mainly composed of calcium carbonate and so are very unlikely to do your dog any harm in terms of toxicity even when quite a number have been swallowed. What is good with Tums is that the sort of calcium they contain is not usually absorbed into the body but just harmlessly passes along the dog’s digestive tract.

However, where a dog has eaten a great number of Tums you might want to induce vomiting just to be on the safe side. Please follow this link for precise instructions on how this can be done: LINK

Another plus point plus point is that the sugar-free varieties generally do not contain Xylitol, the artificial sweetener which can be very toxic to dogs. But it is always best to check the ingredient list on the packaging in case the formulation has changed.

What symptoms might you expect to see where a dog has eaten Tums?

As I said they are non-toxic to dogs. But that said you do sometimes see minor symptoms such as a transient stomach upset or perhaps some mild constipation. But both of these symptoms will usually just pass on their own over a 24 to 48 hour period.

Can Tums be used to treat intestinal upsets in the dog?

Some owners give their dog Tums when they have symptoms such as diarrhoea, and though this can help a bit I have to say that there are better over the counter drugs such as Pepcid or Pepto-Bismol, and of course prescription drugs from your vet. Where tums are given to dogs on a treatment basis it would be safe to use a dose rate based on a pro-rata basis between your dog’s weight and an average human weight.

Can Tums be used as a calcium supplement in dogs?

Some owners also give their dog’s Tums on a regular basis as a calcium supplement, perhaps during pregnancy, for example, this is generally a bad idea and should be avoided. Your local vet or better pet store will supply a much more suitable calcium supplement if this may be of benefit to your dog.