028. Poisons: Household medications
Description
This article is from the Basic Health Care FAQ, posted to rec.pets.cats newsgroup. Maintained by Cindy Tittle Moore with numerous contributions by others.
028. Poisons: Household medications
(From Norsworthy, 1993:)
Medications that cats should NEVER be given:
* Acetominophen (=tylenol, paracetamol) (1 tablet can be fatal to an adult cat)
* Benzocaine (the topical anaesthetic) (available in spray and cream forms--- Lanacaine and several hemhherrhoid preparations have lots of benzocaine)
* Benzyl alcohol
* Chlorinated hydrocarbons (like lindane, chlordane, etc.)
* Hexachlorophene (found in pHiso-Hex soap, among others)
* Methylene Blue (used to be used for urinary infections, many cats cannot tolerate it)
* Phenazopyridine (used in combination with sulfa as AzoGantrisin: fine for humans, deadly for cats)
* Phenytoin (=Dilantin) often used for seizures in other species
* Phosphate enemas (including Fleet (tm) enemas): may be fatal
Medications that can be used in certain cats with restrictions, and ONLY on the advice of a vet
* Aspirin: but not more than 1 baby aspirin (1/4 regular tablet) in 3 days!
* Chloramphenicol: generally safe at doses of less than 50-100 mg 2x/day
* Griseofulvin (=fulvicin)
* Lidocaine: another topical anaesthetic
* Megestrol acetate (Ovaban, Megace) may cause behavioral changes, breast cancer, diabetes. Extremely useful for some conditions, so use needs to be monitored.
* Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Agents (things like ibuprofen)-- tend to cause perforated ulcers. Banamine and aspirin are the best tolerated of this class of drugs
* Pepto-bismol: too high in salicylates
* Smooth muscle relaxants (like Lomotil): strange behavior
* Tetracycline: may cause fever, diarrhea, depression; better antibiotics available
* Thiacetarsamide (Caparsolate) used to treat heartworm in dogs
* Thiamylal sodium (Biotal) used for brief surgeries. Animals become sensitized after repeat exposures. If you change vets, be SURE to get your records so that the new vet can tell if this drug has been used previously.
* Urinary acidifiers; be careful of dosage.
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