This Winter Staple Could Send Your Pet Straight to the Vet

Keeping our pets safe in winter is a lot tougher than other times of the year and one major hazard many pet owners overlook is anti-freeze poisoning. Pets getting exposed to this chemical is way more common than people realise and even a small amount can have a devastating effect if not treated quickly.

There are many innocent ways your pet could accidentally ingest anti-freeze; your pup sniffing at a small puddle after you’ve topped up your car, or your cat licking anti-freeze residue from their fur. You may even have a pet that seems determined to seek out this dangerous chemical (because unfortunately, to them, it smells and tastes delicious).

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Anti-freeze poisoning is a true veterinary emergency. The chemical is rapidly absorbed into the body and the opportunity window for treatment can be very short. The earlier treatment is started, the better chance your pet has of making it through.

In this guide, you’ll learn the early warning signs of anti-freeze poisoning, what to do if you suspect your pet has been exposed, and how to reduce the risk to your pet this winter.

What makes anti-freeze so dangerous? 

The toxic ingredient: ethylene glycol

The toxic component found in anti-freeze is ethylene glycol. This ingredient is concentrated in traditional anti-freeze so each bottle contains around 95–97 percent ethylene glycol. It is rapidly absorbed after ingestions and when metabolised it creates toxic compounds. Absorption into the bloodstream can occur within 30 minutes to an hour. These metabolites cause severe organ damage, and can cause early neurological effects and severe kidney damage.

Why pets are attracted to anti-freeze

Ethylene glycol has a sweet taste and smell which can make it appealing to pets. In some brands (particularly in the US) a bitter tasting ingredient is added to try to discourage accidental ingestion, but the majority of formulas still do not have this ingredient.

Dogs may seek out the taste, drinking from spills or puddles, whereas cats are at risk of topical exposure; licking it from themselves when grooming their paws or fur. As the anti-freeze liquid is usually colourless and odourless once diluted, exposure can easily go unnoticed until toxicity has already begun.

How little it takes to be lethal

Toxicity is time and dose dependent. As it is highly concentrated, even a small amount of anti-freeze can be dangerous for your pet. 

Minimum lethal dose per pet size:

• Cats: 1.4ml per kilogram of bodyweight

  • ~1–2 teaspoons for an average adult cat

• Dogs: 4.4–6.6ml per kilogram of bodyweight

  • ~1 tablespoon for a small dog

  • ~2–3 tablespoons for medium dog

  • ~4–5 tablespoons for a large dog

These doses are approximate as toxicity can be affected by many things such as the age and health of the individual pet and every animal can respond differently. If you suspect your pet has ingested any amount of anti-freeze, take immediate action.

Unexpected ways pets may be exposed to anti-freeze

Common sources

Ethylene glycol can hide as an ingredient in many products. The main one most people know about is the coolant or anti-freeze used for car radiators and windscreen washer fluid. Topping up your car is important during the cold weather but spills and leaks can easily go unnoticed, creating a risk for pets.

Public areas where someone may have topped up their car on the go, such as public car parks, service stations or roadside parking are particularly hazardous. Keep your dogs on leads in these areas so you can keep them safe from toxin ingestions and other hazards.

Inside the home, ethylene glycol can be found in other products, such as paints, varnishes and cleaning solutions. Some homes also use it in toilets to help prevent pipes from freezing. Check all household ingredients for ethylene glycol carefully to make sure they are pet safe. Keep any that are toxic out of reach.

Winter-specific risks

Winter is the most common time of the year for ethylene glycol poisoning in pets due to its increased use during this season. More frequent car maintenance and preparing for the cold weather leads to a higher risk of spills and leaks, making this one of the most serious and preventable winter pet safety hazards.

Pets are very good at being underfoot and trying to ‘help’ with all our day-to-day tasks and can easily walk through small, unnoticed spills. They then later ingest the anti-freeze while grooming their fur or paws. Cats in particular are vulnerable to this due to their meticulous grooming behaviour. In rare cases, cutaneous exposure to products containing ethylene glycol has been reported to cause toxicosis in cats.

As these exposures are usually accidental and go unnoticed, anti-freeze poisoning may not be recognised until clinical signs develop. Unfortunately, by this point, significant internal damage may have already occurred and urgent treatment is needed.

Recognising the symptoms: a timeline 

The timeline of toxicity can be split into acute symptoms caused by the ethylene glycol and then later on reactions to the toxic metabolites as it is broken down.

Stage 1: 30 minutes–12 hours after ingestion

Acute symptoms that can start shortly after ingestion are similar to what are seen and mimic ethanol (alcohol) intoxication in animals, they include:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms such as drooling or vomiting.

• Excessive thirst and increased urination.

• Central nervous system issues such as:

  • Lethargy

  • Stupor

  • Ataxia (wobbliness)

  • Feet knuckling over

  • Decreased proprioception (body awareness, co-ordination and balance)

• Your pet may seem to initially improve approximately 12 hours after ingestion.

Stage 2: 12–24 hours after ingestion

Cats are more likely to show the next stages of symptoms sooner at 12–24 hours after ingestion, whereas dogs tend to show these 36–72 hours after ingestion.

Second stage symptoms then return after a brief recovery and can include:

• Cardiopulmonary signs: elevated heart rate, breathing more quickly.

• Gastrointestinal signs: refusing food, vomiting, diarrhoea, oral ulcers and drooling.

• Central nervous system issues: lethargy, potential seizures, coma.

• Rapid dehydration.

Stage 3: 36–72 hours after ingestion

The third stage of ethylene glycol toxicity involves the metabolites causing kidney failure. Symptoms of this are:

• Painful abdomen (enlarged kidneys can be seen with diagnostic imaging).

• Severe dehydration.

• Inability to urinate.

Unfortunately ethylene glycol toxicity is commonly fatal. Prognosis is improved through quick action and immediate treatment before organ damage has occurred. 

Emergency response: what to do immediately

If you witness ingestion or suspect it:

If you suspect your pet has ingested some anti-freeze, take action quickly. 

Step 1: stop any more from being consumed. Take your pet away from the source and rinse any areas that could have been in contact, paying extra attention to their paws.

Step 2: call your vet. Even in the middle of the night, emergency treatment will be needed, never wait for symptoms to start if you only suspect ingestion. The quicker they start treatment, the better their chance of survival. If possible, have the brand name or packaging label to relay to your vet or take the container with you so ingredients can be checked and appropriate treatment given.

Step 3: treatment at your vets. Your vets will be able to diagnose and treat your pets, and support them through their recovery.

As first signs of toxicity can occur within 30 minutes to an hour after ingestion, there is only a small window of opportunity to induce vomiting at your vets.

Have your veterinary practice number saved on your phone or readily available so contact is not delayed.

What NOT to do

Do not wait for symptoms to start, if ingestion is suspected, then take action immediately. It is not advised to try to treat your pets at home, as they need specific medical support for the best chance of survival.

What your vet will do

Your vet can give dogs and cats a medication to make them vomit up as much of the liquid as possible before it is absorbed. This can only be done in the very early stages. 

Then, a specific medication is given as an antidote to try to stop the effects of the anti-freeze. This medicine blocks the channels the ethylene glycol uses to break down, slowing the creation of the toxic metabolites. This medicine can only be used before kidney damage takes place.

Essential kidney support will be provided through an IV fluid drip, along with supportive care for any gastrointestinal issues or other clinical signs.

Contact information 

Your vets and out-of-hours vets can contact Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) for specialist advice on toxic exposures.

If you need immediate guidance yourself, you can also call VPIS Animal Poison Line on 01202 509000. This is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for members of the public and the veterinary profession. This is a paid telephone triage service for the public, the fee is £35–45 per phone call and can be refunded if your veterinary practice follows up directly with VPIS for further support. 

Prevention: keeping your pet safe from anti-freeze

Luckily, there are multiple ways we can prevent or reduce risk of this winter hazard:

• At home, check all household product packaging (in particular car maintenance solutions like anti-freeze/coolant and windscreen washer fluid) to see if ethylene glycol is included in the ingredient list. 

• Collect and keep these products safely away from pets, in secure areas or in containers and out of reach of curious pets.

• Clean up spills, even the really small ones, as soon as possible. Keep pets away when doing vehicle maintenance at home so unnoticed spills don’t put them at risk.

• Traditional anti-freeze usually contains ethylene glycol but there are pet-safer alternatives that exist and have lower toxicity.

• Even pet-safer products are not necessarily harmless.

• Any suspected exposure still requires veterinary advice.

• Choose products with clear labelling.

• Avoid decanting anti-freeze into unlabelled containers so the risks are clearly visible on the products.

Outdoor safety

Anti-freeze leaks can occur anywhere vehicles are parked, especially over winter. Make sure to keep your pets under control and monitored when near:

• Public car parks.

• Service stations.

• Roadside parking.

• Shared garages.

• Visitor parking areas.

Keep dogs on leads in areas where leaks can occur and avoid letting them drink from roadside or car park puddles. Wipe paws after walks during winter as this will limit contact with winter hazard contaminates such as anti-freeze and also rock salt grit.

Pet-safe(r) anti-freeze alternatives

There are products available that are pet safe(r) than regular anti-freeze. These contain ingredients which have lower toxicity. One such ingredient is propylene glycol, which has less toxicity for dogs if ingested and still works to prevent freezing and overheating in vehicle engines.

Propylene glycol does not break down into the same kidney-damaging components and accidental ingestion by pets is less likely to cause severe poisoning. A large ingestion (>9ml/kg) can still be fatal in dogs so it’s worth remembering that ‘pet-safe’ is not necessarily ‘non-toxic’. Propylene glycol should be avoided with cats who are more sensitive to the chemical than dogs.

Some newer brands of anti-freeze contain a non-toxic, bio-based anti-freeze fluid from highly-refined glycerin.

The bottom line

Anti-freeze is one of winter’s most serious pet hazards, and prevention is the best treatment. Make sure you and your family know what the symptoms of pet ethylene glycol poisoning look like and everyone knows who and when to call for help.

Due to the shortness of time to onset of symptoms, immediate action is needed if exposure is suspected. Every second counts so do not wait until symptoms begin before taking action. Be prepared for these unexpected emergencies.

Inspect your garage today and routinely tidy away all products and keep them in a secure location well away from curious noses. Consider too, switching to pet-safer or non toxic products. Save your vet’s emergency number on your phone to have it readily available in these situations, and use it if you have any reason to believe your pet has had exposure to anti-freeze.

If you suspect a pet has been deliberately poisoned, report it to the police and the relevant animal welfare charity. Deliberately administering poison (or causing an animal to take poison) is a criminal offence under animal welfare legislation, including the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in England and Wales, the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 in Scotland, and the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 in Northern Ireland.

References

“Anti-Freeze Products (Protection of Animals) - Hansard - UK Parliament.” Parliament.uk, 2 Apr. 2026. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

Regehr, Tabatha. “Ethylene Glycol Toxicosis in Animals.” MSD Veterinary Manual, 12 Jan. 2022. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

VPIS Webmaster, and VPIS Webmaster. “Antifreeze and Ethylene Glycol» Veterinary Poisons Information Service.” Veterinary Poisons Information Service, 3 Feb. 2022. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

‌“Winter Hazards for Your Pet | BSAVA.” BSAVA, 2023. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

GOV.UK. “Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.” Legislation.gov.uk, 2019. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026

“Animal Welfare Act 2006.” Legislation.gov.uk, 2006. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

“Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.” Legislation.gov.uk, 2011.