Description
This article is from the Pet Owner's Guide
to Common Small Animal Poisons, by Julie Dahlke, DVM, a
graduate of the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary
Medicine.
Drugs
Animal poisoning by drugs is by far the most common type of small
animal poison exposure, accounting for 75% of 1990 toxin exposures as
reported by the AAPCC and 82 of 425 fatalities. Dogs and, less
frequently, cats, can be poisoned by human or veterinary drugs as a
result of accidental ingestion or overdose just like children can; it
is worth emphasizing that all medications should be placed out of
reach of inquisitive noses which are too often attached to
undiscriminating mouths!
This section focuses on those medications which are too frequently
given by well-intentioned owners for the purpose of relieving
discomfort experienced by the animal and which instead can cause a
much more serious problem for the pet. Human over-the-counter pain
relievers are occasionally used in veterinary medicine for pain relief
but they should only be given upon specific advice and direction of a
veterinarian. Pain relievers, or analgesics, are not designed for use
by cats and dogs and a minimal human dose can poison a pet. Cats and
dogs do not utilize and tolerate drugs in the same way people do and
human drugs should NEVER be assumed to be safe for animals.
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small animal, pet, poison, guide, plant, drugs, chocolate, cleaning products, fertilizer, flea, insecticides
