Human pain relievers are toxic to dogs and cats

This past week we saw a couple cases of ibuprofen toxicity in dogs- one was an intentional dosing of the dog by the owner, and the other was a case of the dog finding the bottle of pills and ingesting them. While these are two very different situations, the end result is the same: two very sick animals. Cats and dogs that ingest ibuprofen (the active ingredient in Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol) or aspirin experience a wide range of negative effects such as severe vomiting, gastric ulcers, kidney failure, liver failure and, if the animal is not treated medically, death.

The dog we treated that accidentally ingested the ibuprofen pills arrived at CUVS comatose, with constricted pupils. She was unresponsive but trembling. Our team sprang into action by administering fluids and the appropriate drugs, placing a nasogastric tube, suctioning her stomach and giving her charcoal and gastroprotectants. Her blood values were closely monitored overnight and by the morning she was awake and aware, although she did stay in the intensive care unit for three more days. Despite the severity of this case, both dog and owner are very lucky: the attentive owner figured out something was wrong and rushed his dog to the vet. This quick thinking saved the dog's life.

The case described above provides two valuable lessons for pet owners:

#1: Make absolutely sure that all of your pills at home are locked away securely.

#2: Do not give any pills to your dog or cat without seeing your vet first.

We all know that dogs like to jump up and see what's on the counter or table, and cats have a truly remarkable ability to jump onto the highest shelves. A bottle of pills left out on a flat surface is a tempting target for both dogs and cats.

If you feel like your pet is in pain, always bring her in to see your vet. The vet will advise you on the proper care for whatever is causing the pain, and you can be certain that the prescription he writes for you will be safe.

Here is the rule of thumb we'd like you remember: dogs and cats cannot take the same pain relieving pills as humans.