Creature Feature
Pets Are Not Small People
By Stephanie Karpf, DVM
“A few months ago my dog got stung by a bee, and when I went to the animal emergency clinic, all they did was give some Benadryl. I can’t believe I had to pay for that! Next time my dog is sick…I’m just going to deal with it myself.”
It is a very common occurrence to have pet owners give their dogs and cats some type of medication, that they themselves would normally take, and in so doing, unintentionally poison their animals. Although some drugs that people take as over-the-counter preparations are also used in dogs and cats, most are not safe to give to our pets. Giving a dog or cat something like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can be very dangerous, and sometimes fatal. Just because something is safe for you to take, does not necessarily mean it is safe for your pet. There are also many medications that are used in both pets and people, but are dosed differently for dogs and cats. They may need less or more of the same drug per pound of body weight, as their owners. This is due to differences in the way different species metabolize drugs. For all of these reasons, it is important that any time your dog or cat is ill, you contact your veterinarian before deciding to treat them on your own. In some cases, the vet may in fact tell you to pick a medication or other type of remedy up at your local pharmacy to administer at home.
Along the same lines, it is never ok to give your dog “left over” prescription medications from something that was prescribed for a person, or even another dog or cat, in the household. Prescription medications should only be taken by the person or animal they were originally prescribed for. Furthermore, for most prescription medications, there really shouldn’t be any “left overs” anyway.
In addition, people often put items that are not given orally as pills or liquids, in a different category, that they feel should not really be unsafe to give to their pet. Items that fall into this grouping are things like eye solutions, enemas, suppositories, herbal remedies, ointments and creams. Again, some of these may be used for dogs and cats, but you must always check with your veterinarian first before using these on your animals. Many of them are not safe to give, and could make your pet’s condition worse.
I know that in these economically difficult times, it can be very tempting to forego a visit to the veterinarian in order to try and save some money. But the unfortunate truth is that doing so could end up costing you a lot more in the long run. In some cases, it may only be a financial cost. In others, it could be the even more horrifying cost of knowing that your pet was harmed by an action taken in haste…a situation that could have completely been avoided by a single phone call.
Dr. Karpf is the co-owner of The Visiting Vet, a housecall service for dogs and cats serving Palm Beach County. For an appointment, please call 561-252-8874.