Tobacco Products

Tobacco products contain varying amounts of nicotine with cigarettes containing 13-30 mg and cigars containing 15-40 mg.¹² Butts contain about 25% of the total nicotine content. The minimum lethal dose in dogs and cats is reported as 20-100 mg.⁸ Signs often develop quickly (usually within 15-45 minutes) and include excitation, tachypnea, salivation, emesis, and diarrhea.¹² Muscle weakness, twitching, depression, tachycardia, shallow respiration, collapse, coma, and cardiac arrest can follow the period of excitation. Death occurs secondary to respiratory paralysis.¹²

Treatment with recent ingestion in asymptomatic animals involves inducing emesis. Never attempt emesis in stimulated animals as it may trigger a seizure. Activated charcoal has been shown to be helpful in adsorbing nicotine.¹² Patients should be monitored closely and treated symptomatically. Artificial respiration is indicated in patients with respiratory paralysis.