You are probably aware that there are many medications and treatments that can be used both for people and animals. But, did you know there are many human medications that could endanger or even cause death in animals? Here is a list of some of those medications:
- NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or naproxen are the most common cause of pet poisoning in small animals, and can cause serious problems even in minimal doses. Pets are extremely sensitive to their effects, and may experience stomach and intestinal ulcers and—in the case of cats—kidney damage.
- Antidepressants can cause vomiting and lethargy and certain types can lead to serotonin syndrome—a condition marked by agitation, elevated body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, disorientation, vocalization, tremors and seizures.
- Acetaminophen can damage red blood cells and interfere with their ability to transport oxygen. Cats are especially sensitive to acetaminophen; in dogs, it can cause liver damage and, at higher doses, red blood cell damage.
- Medications used to treat ADHD in people act as stimulants in pets and can dangerously elevate heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature, as well as cause seizures.
- Fluorouracil, an anti-cancer drug used topically to treat minor skin cancers and solar keratitis in humans, has proven to be rapidly fatal to dogs, causing severe vomiting, seizures and cardiac arrest; this has occurred in dogs that have chewed on discarded cotton swabs used to apply the medication.
- Isoniazid, a drug used to fight tuberculosis, is toxic for dogs because they don’t metabolize it as well as other species.
- Pseudoephedrine, a popular decongestant in many cold and sinus products, acts like a stimulant if accidentally ingested by pets; it causes elevated heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature, as well as seizures.
- Oral diabetes treatments, including glipizide and glyburide, can cause a major drop in blood-sugar levels in pets.
- Small exposures to Vitamin D analogues, like calcipotriene and calcitriol, can cause life-threatening spikes in blood calcium levels in pets.
- Baclofen, a muscle relaxant, can impair the central nervous systems of cats and dogs.
