Daily Paws

Pet news, tips, entertainment and opinions from VetLocator.com

Important! Human Medicines can be poison to pets

Here is an excellent article on how medications that we humans take to help with health challenges can sometimes help but can often harm our own pets health.  We have received questions from pet owners over the years asking if it is ok to give their pet *** or *** and we always say “DON’T”  not until you talk to your vet first.

Below has good information on what some of the more common medicines found in our homes can do when our pets get them:

Dr. Dorothy Black, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM), shared suggestions for keeping cats and dogs safe from potentially toxic human foods. This week she discusses some common over-the-counter and prescription medications that are toxic to pets.

“Many homes have these medications, and it can be surprisingly easy for pets to get a hold of them,” Black said. “Whether pets open bottles, chew on tubes, lick topical medication, or just pick up dropped pills off the floor, these medications pose particularly dangerous threats.”

Even the most common over-the-counter medications can be dangerous. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as naproxen, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and aspirin can be highly toxic to dogs and cats.

These human medications can have profound effects on the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver, and hemoglobin in red blood cells. Unfortunately, there is no specific antidote and an overdose often requires hospitalization and supportive care.

Most cases of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories toxicity have a prognosis of “good” to “guarded” depending on clinical signs.

“It is best not to give any NSAIDs to pets, unless under the direct supervision of your veterinarian,” Black said. “And keep medications out of the reach of pets. Pets are naturally drawn to objects that we touch often and pill bottles are regularly handled, so they carry our scent.”

From:  http://bdtonline.com/pettalk/x1962241690/Human-medicines-can-be-poison-to-pets

Tags: , ,

One Response to “Important! Human Medicines can be poison to pets”

  1. […] Read more … Like this:LikeBe the first to like this. Daily Paws […]

Leave a Reply