Dermatologists caution: Minoxidil can be toxic to cats and dogs
Minoxidil can help regrow your hair, but you need to keep it away from your pets. If your pet licks minoxidil from your scalp or finds an empty bottle of this medication in the trash, emergency veterinary care may be necessary.
This fact deeply concerns dermatologists, who include minoxidil in treatment plans for patients with hair loss. To keep pets safe, dermatologists scoured the medical literature to answer these questions:
What can happen if a cat or dog comes into contact with minoxidil?
How can patients keep their pets safe?
Here’s what they learned, along with some facts to help fully inform you.
Think your pet has swallowed minoxidil? Immediately call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline at (888) 426-4435.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says its hotline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think your pet may have come into contact with a poisonous substance, it can be your best resource. A small fee may be charged.
What is minoxidil?
Minoxidil is a medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You apply it to the scalp to help regrow hair, and it’s safe for people when used as directed. You can buy it without a prescription as a liquid (solution) or foam (aerosol).
Brand name: Rogaine
Minoxidil is also available in pill form. This form must be prescribed.
How do cats and dogs get into minoxidil?
In looking at the medical literature, dermatologists have found that most cats and dogs come into contact with minoxidil in the following ways:
Lick your scalp or something your head has rested on, such as a pillowcase, after you apply minoxidil
Chew or lick something with minoxidil on it, such as a tissue, cotton swab, or minoxidil bottle
Get splashed while you’re using minoxidil
Have minoxidil applied to their thinning fur
Find a bottle of minoxidil pills and eat them
What can happen if a cat or dog gets into minoxidil?
Any time a pet licks or chews something with minoxidil on it, the pet can get sick. In looking at the medical literature, dermatologists found that:
In studies, nearly all (97.8%) cats and dogs that came into contact with minoxidil were hospitalized.
A few drops can make a cat so sick that it requires life-saving veterinary care.
Can I continue to use minoxidil and keep my cat or dog safe?
Yes, you can continue to use minoxidil by preventing your pet from coming into contact with it. Based on their research, dermatologists give their patients who have pets and use minoxidil these recommendations:
Store minoxidil out of your pet’s reach. Cats and dogs can open doors, including cabinet doors. Cats instinctively jump and climb. If your pet can reach minoxidil, it can get sick. To prevent this, lock the cabinet or store minoxidil where you know your pet cannot get to it.
Keep your pet out of the room while applying minoxidil and cleaning up. Cats can jump onto a countertop to see what you have, or minoxidil may splash while you’re applying it. Keeping your pet out of the room helps keep them safe.
Throw away items with minoxidil on them and prevent your pet from getting into the trash. Pets often become sick when they find something with minoxidil on it, such as a tissue or cotton swab. After applying minoxidil, make sure you throw away everything you have used. Anything with minoxidil on it, including a tissue or empty bottle, can be toxic to your pet.
To prevent trash raiding, use a trash container that’s too heavy for your pet to knock over and also has a lid that your pet cannot open.
If that’s not possible, place everything that has minoxidil on it in a plastic bag and immediately take that bag to your outside trash container.
Clean surfaces after applying minoxidil. If this medication drips onto a countertop, the floor, or any other surface, it can make your pet sick if they lick the surface, or they get the medication on their paws.
To clean surfaces, wash them with soap and water. Then rinse well.
Wash your hands immediately after applying minoxidil. Even a small amount of minoxidil on your hands can be toxic to your pet if you touch them or they lick you.
When washing your hands, wash for at least 20 seconds. Use soap to wash every part of your hands, including between your fingers and around (and under) your nails.
Stop your pet from licking or snuggling against your head and lying on your pillow or bed. If your pet licks or snuggles against your head, they can come into contact with minoxidil. Even lying on your pillow can be toxic, as the minoxidil on your head can spread to the pillow and onto your pet’s fur.
If your pet is accustomed to licking your head, snuggling against your head, or lying on your bed, ask your veterinarian for tips to prevent your pet from becoming sick.
Never treat a pet’s thinning fur with minoxidil sold to treat thinning hair in people. If necessary, your veterinarian can prescribe a treatment made for animals.
When do pets start to show signs of sickness after coming into contact with minoxidil?
After coming into contact with minoxidil, a pet can become sick in 30 minutes. However, most pets become noticeably sick within one to 67 hours after licking or chewing something that contains minoxidil, according to the research.
What should I watch for if my pet comes into contact with minoxidil?
If minoxidil makes your pet sick, you may notice one or more of the following:
No interest in eating
Vomiting
Difficulty breathing
Has less energy than usual
Can a cat or dog be treated if it gets into minoxidil?
Yes, your veterinarian can treat your pet. Treatment ranges from providing relief for discomfort, such as vomiting, to intensive care for a life-threatening dose.
While treatment can often restore your pet’s health, it’s not always possible to save a pet. In a study,10 of the 68 cats who came into contact with minoxidil died, usually within days.
What dermatologists tell their patients
If you have a pet, you don’t have to choose between your pet and using minoxidil to regrow your hair. By following the above recommendations, you can keep your pet safe and regrow your hair.
If you are still worried about your pet’s safety, talk with your board-certified dermatologist. Another treatment for regrowing your hair may be an option.
Images
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References
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “ASPCA Poison Control.” Last accessed Jul 24, 2026.
Ma TA, Van Rooij N. “Response to McMullen et al, ‘Minoxidil toxicosis in cats and dogs: A scoping review and call to action’.” J Am Acad Dermatol. 2026 Apr;94(4):e313-4.
McMullen E, Xiong G, et al. “Minoxidil toxicosis in cats and dogs: A scoping review and call to action.” J Am Acad Dermatol. 2025 Aug;93(2):522-4.
Swirski AL, Pearl DL, et al. “Companion animal exposures to potentially poisonous substances reported to a national poison control center in the United States in 2005 through 2014.” J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2020 Sep 1;257(5):517-30.
Tater KC, Gwaltney-Brant S, et al. “Topical minoxidil exposures and toxicoses in dogs and cats: 211 cases (2001-2019).” J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2021 Sep 1;57(5):225-31.
Written by:
Paula Ludmann, MS
Reviewed by:
Lisa Akintilo, MD, MPH, FAAD
DiAnne Davis, MD, FAAD
Samantha Karlin, MD, FAAD
William Warren Kwan, MD, FAAD
Temitayo Ogunleye, MD, FAAD
Last updated: 8/17/26