Is Sleep Aids (Ambien, benzodiazepines) toxic to dogs or cats?

Sleep aids often have a paradoxical effect in pets: instead of sleep they can cause agitation, hyperactivity, vocalising and disorientation, or heavy sedation, depending on the animal. Because of the wide safety margin of these drugs, fatalities are uncommon, but ingestion still needs veterinary monitoring. Combination products that pair a sleep aid with acetaminophen (some night-time cold remedies) are far more dangerous.

Toxicity is dose-dependent. Your dog's weight and the quantity consumed are both important - include these when you call poison control.

Cats show the same unpredictable mix of sedation and paradoxical excitement. The greater danger for cats is any combination product containing acetaminophen, which is catastrophically toxic to them.