Did You Know? Nearly 50% of the poisoning cases managed by Pet Poison Helpline involve human medications—both over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
The reality: Nearly 50% of the poisoning cases man-aged by Pet Poison Helpline involve human medications—both over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Often, the culprit is a curious canine that chewed into a bottle of pills, but cats can get into their share of trouble as well. In fact, cats appear extremely attracted to certain types of hu-man medications, notably a few antidepressants. Other poisonings involve mix-ups when pet owners accidently give their pets their own medications or try to self-medicate pets with drugs that are safe for people but toxic to pets. However pet poisonings from human medications occur, they can result in serious illness or death.
Awareness is half the battle, so here is a list of the top 10 human medications pets most frequently ingest to make sure you keep your pets safely separated from these drugs in your home.
- NSAIDs (e.g. ibuprofen, naproxen)
- Acetaminophen, alone or in combination with cold and flu products
- Antidepressants (e.g. Celexa, Cymbalta, Effexor, Lexapro, Pristiq)
- ADD/ADHD medications (e.g. Adderall, Concerta, Focalin, Strattera, Vyvanse)
- Thyroid hormones (e.g. Armour thyroid, Synthroid)
- Beta-blockers (e.g. Coreg, Sectral, Tenormin, Toprol, Zebeta)
- Benzodiazepines (e.g. Ativan, Klonopin, Restoril, Valium, Xanax)
- Albuterol
- ACE inhibitors (e.g. Altace, Lotensin, Prinivil, Vasotec, Zestril)
- Birth control and other estrogen-based drugs
Download and print the top 10 most common medications that are harmful to pets and details of each medication.
Source: Ahna Brutlag, DVM, MS, DABT, DABVT, Pet Poison Helpline