Can dogs have tums for upset stomach?

Last update:

can dogs eat tums?

My dog has an upset stomach– can I give him tums? Will tums help my dog‘s upset stomach? Is it safe for dogs to eat tums? Can dogs eat antacids?

Our standard answer for any kind of medication is “ask your vet“.

The short answer is that Tums are fine for your dog in very small doses. If you must self-diagnose and treat, and we understand this can be the case, then yes you can give your dog Tums. It’s as good for an upset stomach or acid reflux for Fido as it is for you.

Tums as an antacid for your dog

There are better remedies for dogs with upset stomachs though. Think pumpkin…even canned pumpkin…or something along those lines. But it’s more likely you have a package of Tums laying around than a spare can of pumpkin when the dog needs quick relief.

If you decide to treat it with Tums, you may want to crush and sprinkle it into a dish with bland food such as chicken and rice.

On the surface, Tums is fine. It’s made from mined calcium carbonate rather than calcium obtained from shellfish. This is practically pure and there is very little chance of any kind of allergy. Of course, this is important for people with shellfish allergies. Perhaps not so well known is that shellfish allergies are very real for dogs so this may be a consideration.

Be wary of ever feeding your dog anything that is advertised as “sugar-free”. We don’t want to give our dogs sweets, but even worse is foods with Xylitol in place of sugar as Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs. So if you have sugar-free Tums, ensure there is no Xylitol. We’d rather give sugary Tums than Tums with Xylitol.

There is a discussion of if Tums is a good calcium supplement for dogs. If the intent is to use it in this fashion, we advise not to unless directed by your vet.

How many Tums can my dog eat – dosing recommendations

If you do decide to give your dog Tum for an upset stomach, the below dosing should be observed. Note that if you do some research, you’ll often find dosing with Tums as a calcium supplement vs. dosing as an antacid as being switched around or just entirely incorrect. Please proceed with caution and, as mentioned, talk to your veterinarian if you have any questions.

The dose most commonly used in dogs as an antacid is 0.5 grams and up to 5 grams total dose orally every 4 hours as needed

  • Small dogs: 500mg
  • Medium-sized dogs: 750-1000 mg
  • Larger dogs: 2000mg

Can dogs eat tums – conclusion

Yes, dogs can eat tums but as with any medication, we strongly recommend you work with your vet.  If not, do your research, start with small doses, and watch for any signs of adverse reactions.

We often hear “can dogs eat [fill in the blank]” so we are working on a series of articles to discuss these topics. Please see our additional articles on our your dog’s health page.

Also for a more informative overview about what your dog should and should not eat, be sure to take a look at our “Can dogs eat…” article where we cover over 80 different items.

Leave a Comment