Also sold as Xylocaine, Lidoderm patch, Solarcaine, Aspercreme with lidocaine, found in many OTC creams and sprays
This drug does have veterinary uses, but the product and the amount have to be chosen by a vet who knows your dog. There is no at-home dose.
Lidocaine is used in veterinary medicine as a local anesthetic and to control heart rhythm, but the over-the-counter creams, sprays and patches are the household hazard. Absorbed in quantity it causes tremors and seizures.
Call a vet or poison control now. Do not wait for symptoms.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661. A consultation fee may apply.
Educational reference. Not individualized veterinary advice.(more)
See this page's cited references for supporting information and our Sources page for the reference organizations we use. Citations do not imply that those organizations reviewed or endorsed DogSafe.
Part of Steroids, immunosuppressants and skin treatments on our medication safety hub.
Do not wait for symptoms and do not wait until you have filled in the form below. Call first, then use the checklist while you are on the phone.
Available 24/7. A consultation fee may apply.
Exposure details to have ready
These are the questions a veterinarian or poison-control operator will ask. Fill in what you know and leave the rest blank. This tool does not estimate a dose or a risk score: medication risk depends on the exact ingredient, strength, and formulation, so the assessment has to come from the clinician on the call.
- Keep the package, blister pack, or prescription bottle. The strength and the full ingredient list are what make the advice specific.
- Do not induce vomiting unless a veterinarian or poison-control professional tells you to. It is the wrong move for several medications and can cause harm on its own.
- Do not give milk, food, salt, hydrogen peroxide, or any home remedy on your own.
- Do not give a second dose of anything to make up for one you think was missed.
- Count what is left in the packet, so the number missing can be worked out.
Your exposure summary
Read this down the phone or paste it into a message to your vet. It stays on your device; nothing here is sent to DogSafe.
Why Lidocaine is dangerous
Lidocaine blocks sodium channels, which is how it numbs tissue and steadies an irregular heartbeat. Swallowed or absorbed in quantity, the same action affects the brain and the heart: drowsiness, vomiting, tremors, seizures, a slow heart rate and low blood pressure. The everyday sources are the ones owners overlook, because a sunburn spray or an anti-itch cream does not feel like a drug, and a patch retains a substantial amount after use. Products combining it with other anesthetics are more concentrated again.
Part of the Buprenorphine guide
For related dog-safety questions and product-by-product answers, see the complete buprenorphine guide.
Signs to watch for
Sedation, wobbliness, weakness, vomiting, slowed or labored breathing, or a heart rate that seems unusually fast or slow
Related items
Check the exact item or ingredient before assuming two similar exposures carry the same risk.
What to do next
Move the container out of reach, count what is missing, note the strength and the time, and call with the packet in front of you.
🚨Step-by-step: what to do in the first 10 minutes →Available 24/7. A consultation fee may apply.
A closer look at lidocaine
Lidocaine blocks sodium channels, which is how it numbs tissue and steadies an irregular heartbeat. Swallowed or absorbed in quantity, the same action affects the brain and the heart: drowsiness, vomiting, tremors, seizures, a slow heart rate and low blood pressure. The everyday sources are the ones owners overlook, because a sunburn spray or an anti-itch cream does not feel like a drug, and a patch retains a substantial amount after use. Products combining it with other anesthetics are more concentrated again. The details below use the specific facts for this exposure, rather than treating it like every other medication question.
1. Start with the exact exposure
For a closely related comparison, read Fluorouracil Cream (5-FU). There is no at-home dose for this drug, including where a vet has prescribed it before. The right amount depends on your dog's weight, the exact product, and what else your dog takes, and it has to be set by a vet who knows the case.
2. Use the facts to decide whether to monitor or call
Another helpful reference is Minoxidil (Rogaine). Prevent any further access and call for advice. Do not give a dose of your own, and do not induce vomiting unless a veterinary professional directs you to. Call for any exposure that was not the dose your vet set, for a chewed container, or for sedation, weakness, unsteadiness, vomiting, or changes in breathing or heart rate.
3. If the details are uncertain
Follow the first 10 minutes guide. Move the container out of reach, count what is missing, note the strength and the time, and call with the packet in front of you.
FAQ
There is no at-home dose for this drug, including where a vet has prescribed it before. The right amount depends on your dog's weight, the exact product, and what else your dog takes, and it has to be set by a vet who knows the case.
Prevent any further access and call for advice. Do not give a dose of your own, and do not induce vomiting unless a veterinary professional directs you to.
Call for any exposure that was not the dose your vet set, for a chewed container, or for sedation, weakness, unsteadiness, vomiting, or changes in breathing or heart rate.
- Merck Veterinary Manual — toxicoses from human analgesics in animals
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — human medications
- Pet Poison Helpline — top 10 human medications poisonous to pets
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Toxicoses from human analgesics in animals
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Pet Poison Helpline: Top 10 human medications poisonous to pets