Dolly Parton, the dog, ingests vitamin pill

To honor National Dolly Parton Day, Pet Poison Helpline shared the story of Dolly Parton, a West Highland white terrier from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who helped herself to a pill that her owner, Mary Jo Coltin, accidentally dropped on the floor. Because of her size, Coltin called Pet Poison Helpline to see what she should do next, because she knows even 1 pill could be dangerous to her pet. After consulting with the team, they let Coltin know that Dolly Parton was safe and did not need a trip to her veterinarian. Their advice was to watch and monitor her at home to be safe.

Although Dolly Parton was fine, the Pet Poison Helpline team is using her story to shed light on the dangers that over-the-counter (OTC) medications can have on pets.

Dolly Parton, the dog, recently ingested a vitamin D₃ pill off the floor, sparking a conversation on the safety of over the counter medications to pets. (Image courtesy of Pet Poison Helpline)

"Dolly and her family were very lucky that the pill she ingested was not enough to be a concern," said Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of veterinary medicine at Pet Poison Helpline. "Many people assume that [OTC] medications and supplements are safe, but the effects on pets can be dramatically different than in humans. You also must factor in the size difference. Just 1 pill of the right medication or supplement can be dangerous depending on a pet's size and health status."

In Dolly Parton’s case she was able to get the pill off the floor quickly before her owner could grab it, but not all pets ingesting OTC medications are getting them on the floor. Each year, Pet Poison Helpline receives calls after a pet gains access to cabinets or drawers, chews into a container, or climbs on the counter, just like Tucker, a 2-year-old terrier mix from Fort Worth, Texas, who recently ingested 30 vitamin D₃ soft capsules.

"Tucker was from Texas, so of course he went big," Schmid joked in the release. "Because of his size, an ingestion of that many capsules resulted in a severe toxic exposure, resulting in diarrhea, vomiting, decreased appetite, and hypercalcemia, or high levels of calcium in the blood. The team was also concerned with renal impairment that can occur due to negative effects of high calcium on the kidneys."

Tucker's owners were not concerned about the supplement ingestion at first, so he did not receive treatment until he became ill days later. After his owners consulted with Pet Poison Helpline and understood the danger Tucker was in from the ingestion, they took him right to the hospital and he began treatment. The team administered intravenous fluids, corticosteroid medication, gastrointestinal protectants, and medications to decrease the amount of calcium in his system. For vitamin D₃, the negative effects are often long-lasting and difficult to manage, which proved to be true in Tucker's case. He needed frequent lab work monitoring and adjustments to his medication throughout the treatment he needed, lasting longer than a week.

"Both of these cases," Schmid said, "illustrate the need to keep all medications, including [OTC] drugs and supplements, out of the reach of pets and children. It's also a good reminder not to take a wait-and-see approach if a pet gets into medication or supplements. We encourage a few extra minutes of vigilance to keep your loved ones safe from a toxic accident. If one does happen, we're here to help."

Reference

Dog named Dolly Parton ingests potentially poisonous pill. News release. Pet Poison Helpline. August 5, 2025. Accessed August 5, 2025. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dog-named-dolly-parton-ingests-potentially-poisonous-pill-302520460.html