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Urgent care is for pets who are unwell, in discomfort, are in urgent situation or are not acting like themselves and should be assessed within 24 hours.
Wellness, routine, or general care is for pets needing vaccines, preventive care, or ongoing monitoring who can safely wait at least 24 hours.
This page focuses on urgent assessment. Routine wellness exams, preventive care, and monitoring of stable conditions are provided through scheduled general wellness appointments.
Dog or Cat Ate Antifreeze (Ethylene Glycol)
Ethylene glycol toxicosis (antifreeze poisoning, coolant ingestion) can progress from mild “drunk-like” behavior to irreversible kidney failure and death within hours, depending on timing and species.
Cats are extremely sensitive, and dogs may appear to improve briefly before life-threatening organ injury develops.
Definition
Ethylene glycol toxicosis is a toxin-induced clinical syndrome, not a diagnosis.
Ethylene glycol is a sweet-tasting chemical found most commonly in automotive antifreeze and engine coolant. After ingestion, it is rapidly absorbed and converted by the body into acids and crystals that damage the brain, heart, and kidneys.
The most dangerous aspect is that early signs may look mild while severe internal injury is already developing.
With widespread vehicle use, winterized plumbing, and garage access, ethylene glycol exposure remains one of the most time-sensitive toxic emergencies seen in veterinary urgent care.
Pet owners may search for dog drank antifreeze, cat antifreeze poisoning, dog acting drunk after antifreeze, ethylene glycol poisoning timeline, antifreeze toxicity symptoms, green liquid poisoning dog, dog kidney failure antifreeze, or how long after antifreeze ingestion do symptoms appear. These situations are often unwitnessed, especially in cats, and early signs may be mistaken for simple lethargy or stomach upset.
Who This Page Is For
Dogs or cats with possible access to antifreeze, coolant, garages, driveways, or winterized plumbing
Pets showing sudden ataxia, wobbliness, vomiting, excessive thirst, or unusual lethargy
Cats found depressed, weak, or not eating with no clear cause
Any pet with neurologic signs plus a potential toxin exposure history
Owners unsure whether a small lick, spill, or puddle exposure matters
Who This Page Is Not For
Pets with no access history and no neurologic, gastrointestinal, or urinary changes
If you are unsure whether exposure occurred, that uncertainty itself warrants veterinary assessment.
Related Urgent Symptoms
Toxin Exposure in Dogs and Cats
Dog Walking Drunk or Uncoordinated
Seizures or Convulsions
Dog Lethargic and Weak
Cat Lethargic and Weak
Vomiting And Diarrhea
Increased Thirst and Urination
Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)
What This Can Look Like at Home
Early ethylene glycol poisoning often looks deceptively mild.
Owners may notice stumbling, acting “drunk,” vomiting, drooling, increased thirst, or frequent urination.
Cats may simply appear quiet, withdrawn, or not eating.
These signs can begin within 1–2 hours of ingestion and may fade before worsening again.
Why This Can Be Hard to Judge
Ethylene glycol toxicosis has a dangerous “false improvement” phase.
The initial intoxication stage may subside, leading owners to believe the pet is recovering. Meanwhile, toxic metabolites continue damaging the kidneys and causing severe metabolic acidosis.
Pets often hide illness, and apparent normal behavior does not reliably reflect internal stability.
The Improvement Trap
Temporary improvement does not equal resolution.
Dogs may seem steadier or more alert hours after exposure, and cats may remain quietly depressed without obvious distress.
By the time kidney failure signs appear, damage is often advanced and prognosis worsens significantly.
What Is Easy to Miss at Home
Early metabolic acidosis without obvious outward signs
False improvement after the intoxication stage
Silent kidney injury developing over 24–72 hours
Subtle hypothermia or dehydration
Cats hiding, sleeping, or isolating instead of showing pain
These subtle changes are why timing matters more than appearance with antifreeze exposure.
When This Can Be an Emergency
Ethylene glycol exposure should be treated as urgent immediately if:
Antifreeze ingestion is witnessed or suspected
The pet shows ataxia, vomiting, tremors, or seizures
There is sudden lethargy, weakness, or collapse
Increased thirst and urination occur after possible exposure
A cat is depressed with no clear explanation
Any delay beyond a few hours is occurring after possible ingestion
How Veterinarians Assess This
Clinical signs alone cannot reliably determine severity.
Symptoms from ethylene glycol poisoning can resemble alcohol intoxication, neurologic disease, or other toxic exposures. Diagnostic testing is the only way to identify internal acidosis, kidney injury, and life-threatening metabolic changes before they become irreversible.
Diagnostic testing may include:
Blood gas analysis to evaluate acid–base status and ventilation
Serum chemistry profile to assess kidney values, electrolytes, and calcium
Blood glucose testing to detect hypo- or hyperglycemia
Urinalysis to evaluate urine concentration and crystal formation
Serum osmolar gap and anion gap calculations when available
Imaging if kidney injury or complications are suspected
Additional disease-specific testing (such as ethylene glycol assays, advanced toxicology testing, or renal imaging) may be considered based on the overall clinical picture.
Veterinary Differentials - Serious / Must-Rule-Out First
Ethylene glycol toxicosis. Antifreeze ingestion causes early intoxication-like signs followed by severe metabolic acidosis and kidney failure.
Tests may include blood gas analysis, serum chemistry profile, urinalysis, serum osmolar gap calculation.
Methanol or other toxic alcohol ingestion. Other alcohols can cause neurologic signs and metabolic acidosis that resemble antifreeze poisoning.
Tests may include blood gas analysis, serum chemistry profile, osmolar gap calculation.
Diabetic ketoacidosis. Severe diabetes-related acid–base disturbances can cause lethargy, vomiting, and neurologic changes.
Tests may include blood glucose testing, blood gas analysis, serum chemistry profile, urinalysis.
Acute kidney injury from other toxins. Several toxins cause rapid kidney failure without early warning signs.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, urinalysis, abdominal imaging.
Leptospirosis. This infection can cause acute kidney failure and systemic illness.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, urinalysis, infectious disease testing.
Severe neurologic disease or head trauma. Brain injury can cause acute ataxia, seizures, or collapse.
Tests may include blood glucose testing, advanced imaging, blood pressure measurement.
Veterinary Differentials - Common / More Typical
Alcohol intoxication (ethanol). Exposure to alcoholic beverages or products may cause transient incoordination and depression.
Tests may include blood glucose testing, blood gas analysis.
Cannabis toxicosis. THC ingestion can cause ataxia and lethargy without severe metabolic acidosis.
Tests may include blood glucose testing, serum chemistry profile, urinalysis.
Dietary indiscretion. Ingestion of unusual substances may cause vomiting and lethargy.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, abdominal imaging.
Mild gastrointestinal disease. Some GI conditions cause vomiting and weakness without toxin exposure.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, blood glucose testing.
Dehydration with electrolyte imbalance. Fluid loss alone can cause weakness and neurologic signs.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, electrolyte testing.
Medication-related adverse effects. Certain drugs may cause neurologic or renal changes.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, urinalysis.
Safety, Psychology, & Peace of Mind
Ethylene glycol poisoning is dangerous because it moves faster than most owners expect.
Early signs may look mild or even improve, creating a false sense of safety.
Veterinary assessment removes uncertainty by identifying internal damage before it becomes irreversible.
Testing clarifies whether kidneys are still protected or already compromised, which directly affects outcome.
Owners often report relief after evaluation because they no longer have to guess whether waiting caused harm.
Decisive, same-day urgent care improves survival and reduces long-term kidney damage risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ethylene glycol toxicosis an emergency?
Ethylene glycol toxicosis can range from mild intoxication-like signs to rapid, life-threatening kidney failure, depending on timing and species. Because outward appearance does not reliably indicate severity, antifreeze exposure is treated as urgent. Same-day urgent care is recommended even if symptoms are mild, unclear, or seem to be improving.
My pet seems normal now — can this still be serious?
Yes. Pets often hide illness, and ethylene glycol toxicosis may temporarily improve during the early “intoxication” phase. Apparent normal behavior does not reliably reflect internal stability, especially while toxic metabolites continue damaging the kidneys.
What if it only happened once or seemed mild?
Even a single exposure to ethylene glycol can be clinically meaningful. Temporary improvement does not equal resolution, and waiting to see if signs return can allow irreversible kidney injury to develop. Early assessment helps determine whether the exposure is still reversible or already progressing.
Why are tests needed if we already know antifreeze was involved?
Clinical signs alone cannot determine severity or predict kidney damage. Diagnostic testing is how veterinarians identify metabolic acidosis, early renal injury, and electrolyte abnormalities that are not visible at home. Testing replaces guesswork with clarity and guides appropriate care decisions.
What should I do right now?
Do not rely on watchful waiting. Suspected ethylene glycol toxicosis warrants immediate veterinary assessment, even if signs are mild or have improved. Same-day urgent care helps determine risk and the safest next steps.