When your pet is in pain it is tempting to reach for something in our medicine cabinet but if it hasn’t been prescribed by a veterinarian it could be toxic to your pets. Two of the most common medications that cause toxicities in our animals are Ibuprofuen and Tylenol.
Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), a class of drug that is commonly used for pain relief in humans. It is also known as Motrin or Advil.
When pets ingest small doses of ibuprofen, it may result in severe stomach ulcers causing signs of vomiting, bloody vomitus, diarrhea, black-tarry stool, weakness, pale gums (a sign of anemia), abdominal pain, lethargy, and loss of appetite. With larger ingestions, kidney failure, liver failure and neurological problems (e.g., tremors, seizures) can develop.
Tyelnol
Tylenol is also commonly used in people however with animals even one regular sized tablet ingested in a cat of any size can cause damage to their red blood cells. Additionally, in dogs large doses can cause liver failure and damage to their red blood cells as well.
If you think your animal has ingested either of these medications please call us or Pet Poison Hotline ASAP. Do not induce vomiting unless approved by either our hospital or Pet Poison Hotline first.
When your pet is appearing to be in pain please call us to further discuss what we can do together to provide relief. Don’t take the chance on any medication you have at home.
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