Intentional intoxication has also been reported with secondhand cannabis smoke blown into the face of small animals as an adolescent prank ( 4, 5). Drugs, or other chemical agents, that are intentionally introduced to animals are commonly supplied in the context of a meal, treat, or drink to reduce texture and palatability inhibitions. There may be instances, though, whereby an owner symptomatically treats a pet with their own medication if they think the animal is unwell or in pain (e.g., paracetamol, ibuprofen, or naproxen), thus leading to an unintended consequence. Medications, whether over-the-counter (OTC) or prescribed, contribute to companion animal fatalities however, these poisoning events often result from accidental exposure due to ease of accessibility and lack of adequate supervision ( 3). Examples include food bowls tainted with ethylene glycol and hot dogs or meat patties contaminated with restricted use pesticides or drugs.Ĭompanion animal poisonings have also been reported to involve household products and drugs for veterinary and human use ( 2). Intentional poisonings differ in that the poison is purposefully introduced into the animal’s environment, out of the normal context in which the substance resides. Accidental exposure to these agents results from unbridled roaming, indiscriminate oral evaluation of the environment, and access to human food and supplements. Most poisonings occur within a narrow range of chemical agents, including anticoagulant rodenticides, ethylene glycol, organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, strychnine, and caffeine and other methylxanthines ( 1). In addition, there is difficulty in discerning between ease of accessibility to the offending agent (i.e., in accidental poisonings) and intentional introduction of those agents to the animal’s environment (i.e., intentional poisoning). In part, this is because of the vast number and types of chemical agents that may be employed. Establishing whether the poisoning event was malicious, however, is difficult. However, depending on the medication and time of ingestion, blood work and further treatment may be required.Poisoning of animals with chemical agents is commonplace. If it is within 1-2 hours the medication may still be in your pet’s stomach and not fully absorbed, so your veterinarian may be able to induce vomiting immediately to remove the bulk of the medication. If your pet ingests human medication of ANY type, the first thing to do is call your veterinarian (or your nearest emergency clinic if it is after hours), and tell them what you think your pet ate, and how much, so they can advise you on next steps. Many other human medications are also toxic to pets, so please handle and store all medications carefully and away from pets – even a single dropped pill can look like a new treat and be toxic to your pet! In cats, it can also cause anemia, and a blood transfusion may be needed. In both cats and dogs, acetaminophen can cause severe and irreversible liver damage. Symptoms can range from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and lack of appetite, to increased drinking and urination, stumbling, depression, seizures, and comas. Cats have less of the enzyme required to process acetaminophen and anti-inflammatories, and as a result they can easily build up to toxic or deadly levels in the cat’s system. It is also processed through the kidneys, potentially causing kidney damage.Ĭats in particular cannot process many of these human pain or anti-inflammatory medications and are much more susceptible to severe reactions. The absorbed medication is then processed through the liver, sometimes multiples times, causing more damage each time. If an anti-inflammatory medication is ingested by a pet it can cause irritation or ulcers in the stomach. Pets should never be given a human pain medication because their system processes it very differently and the dosage is too strong for them, which causes toxicities very easily. Over-the-counter pain or anti-inflammatory medications like Aleve (naproxen), Advil (ibuprofen), Aspirin (ASA), and Tylenol (acetaminophen) can be deadly if given to your cat or dog. Today’s Pet Poison Prevention Week article is about human pain medications…and why you should NEVER give them to your pets!
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