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Giving Over-the-Counter Drugs Not Intended for Companion Animals
Some human medications work for pets, but unless you’ve talked to your vet first, you’re inviting trouble. “A person and a dog have different physiologies, a person and a cat have different physiologies, and all that needs to be taken into account,” says Dr. John Gicking, a veterinarian with BluePearl Veterinary Specialists in Tampa, Florida.
Sometimes the same medicine can benefit both pets and people, he says, “but there are a lot of differences.” That’s why a vet should always be consulted.
Take over-the-counter pain relievers, for example. Pet parents might be tempted to reach for their own old standbys like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, but Stoneham says that in dogs “their use is rarely recommended because side effects (kidney failure, liver failure, stomach ulcers) are seen so frequently.” And Stoneham warns, “Both of these medications are very toxic for cats—even low doses are life-threatening.”
Other over-the-counter medications can be just as dangerous. Gicking, who is board-certified in veterinary emergency and critical care, has treated dogs with severe gastrointestinal problems, including perforations in the stomach, and kidney failure, after their owners gave them naproxen (Aleve).
Aspirin falls in the same category. “We see so many owners who give pets aspirin. It can cause gastric or intestinal ulceration. Just don’t do it,” says Dr. Susan Jeffrey, a veterinarian with Truesdell Animal Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. “Instead, talk to your vet about pain control designed for pets.”
Even if a drug is deemed safe for animals, you also need to consider additives, which Jeffrey says can be toxic to animals. “An example of this is the additive xylitol. It’s used as a sweetener, but can cause low blood sugar levels and liver toxicity in dogs.”
