Dog swallowed a sleeping pill...

Last night I hadn't slept in two days (and still haven't) so I was going to take a sleeping pill to help me get some rest before Thanksgiving. When i got the bottle out I was getting ready to take it but it slipped out of my hand and my dog got to it before I did. Now he has been stumbling around the house tripping over himself and falling against the walls. I'm pretty sure he needs to go to the vet but they probably aren't opening today due to the holiday (pretty sure they don't operate like a normal hospital but I don't know). What would you guys suggest doing?

take pictures.

Which sleeping pill was it? Was it a prescription sleeping pill or something you purchased over the counter?
If it was an over the counter sleep aid, the active ingredient is diphenydramine which is Benadryl. Benadryl is safe to use in animals. It will make him/her drowsy and sluggish, but one pill should not be a problem.
If it was a prescription sleeping pill I still do not think it would be a problem. It would make him/her drowsy and sluggish as well. The prescription sleeping pill's effects last around 4-8 hours in humans and will probably last less in your dog because a canine's metabolism is usually faster than a humans.
You should have tried to make him/her puke it up as soon as you realized what had happened.
Most vets will have a vet on call during the holiday, but you will probably have to pay $$ to have them come in and see your dog.
I would just keep an eye on him/her and make sure their breathing does not get too shallow.
Hope this helps ease your mind.

It was just an OTC pill. So hopefully you're right and it will be fine. Thanks for the information man.

it it continues there is animal pioson control, I'm not sure of the number, but 411 will have it. My dog ate a roach trap filled with poison when she was a puppy (8lbs) and she was fine, so I'm sure alittle benedryl will work it self out. In fact some vets perscribe sleeping pills for dogs before long car trips, so it may be much ado about nothing, but still keep an eye on him/her

I wouldn't worry too much, just keep an eye on him. I've had things like vicadin prescribed to my cats (and I know it's fine for dogs too, in very small amounts), so I think those kinds of things are fine. It might say on the package too.

If it gets worse or anything though, they do have emergency vets that are open 24/7. Or call poison control. Your vet will also probably have an emergency number posted on their front door, too.

[quote name='Wombat']iIn fact some vets perscribe sleeping pills for dogs before long car trips[/QUOTE]

I remember those we gave them to every dog we ever had. However we had this one bloodhound and when we gave her it was like speed. I think your dog will be fine. My dog ate 12 oz bar of bakers chocolate once and it did not even make him sick and 4oz is supposed to kill a dog.

Call your local animal hospital. They will tell you whether to bring it in or if its not a big deal. I can't imagine you are just going to shrug it off and assume he will be ok. That would be incredibly retarded if you did that.
I wish animal owners were given an intelligence test before being allowed to adopt.

Put him to sleep.

[quote name='Noodle Pirate!']Call your local animal hospital. They will tell you whether to bring it in or if its not a big deal. I can't imagine you are just going to shrug it off and assume he will be ok. That would be incredibly retarded if you did that.
I wish animal owners were given an intelligence test before being allowed to adopt.[/QUOTE]

Not shrugging it off. Gave the vet a call and they were open and they just said he should be fine based on the amount and to just keep an eye on him.

[quote name='Graystone']I remember those we gave them to every dog we ever had. However we had this one bloodhound and when we gave her it was like speed. I think your dog will be fine. My dog ate 12 oz bar of bakers chocolate once and it did not even make him sick and 4oz is supposed to kill a dog.[/QUOTE]

I remember that we had to give my bulldog downers when we moved. Needless to say, that was an incredibly hectic trip. Our other bulldog died the previous night and we were in a car for 7 hours. Next thing I know, she's blowing chunks all over the backyard. One of the movers (being the brain surgeon he was) said "whoa, that dog's shittin out ere mouth!".

Some medicine is poisnous to dogs and cats, such as advil. I have no idea if this is. There are a lot of 24 hour vets that would be open for emergency calls. I would assume that, unless you live in the middle of nowhere, there would be some vets open.

Reminds me of Rusty, the narcoleptic dog!

http://www.devilducky.com/media/8232/

Hope your dog is fine.

[quote name='Graystone']I remember those we gave them to every dog we ever had. However we had this one bloodhound and when we gave her it was like speed. I think your dog will be fine. My dog ate 12 oz bar of bakers chocolate once and it did not even make him sick and 4oz is supposed to kill a dog.[/QUOTE]

Has anyone heard of a dog actually dying from eating chocolate? My parent's old dog got into a POUND of See's chocolate once, and she just was sick for a couple of hours. I think I would have been too if I ate that much.