St. Charles, MO -- Did you know that those couple of ‘harmless’ ibuprofen tabs that you take for your headache can be fatal to your pet?

The common over the counter medications that we use everyday are fine for us but many can be highly toxic, even deadly, for pets, especially when given in human-sized doses.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, antidepressants and ADHD medication are the most commonly ingested - many times accidentally - when the pills are dropped on the floor. “It’s crucial for pet owners to call their veterinarian before they attempt to give their pets any over the counter medicines,” says Dr. Daniel Lange, of Elm Point Animal Hospital in St. Charles, MO.

In addition to human medications, pets can also overdose on their own prescribed medications, which are often artificially flavored to make them easier to administer. “In many cases these medications taste so good that pets will ingest the entire bottle if they get hold of it,” explains Dr. Lange. “Chewable meds, including arthritis and incontinence medications can be very dangerous in high doses, so always contact your vet or the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in cases of accidental ingestion.”

In 2010 alone, nearly 25% of the more than 167,000 calls about pets ingesting poisonous substances involved human medications. “Some medicines are safe to use, but others can be extremely poisonous and the dosages used can be very different from the dosages for humans,” said Dr. Lange. “At our practice it’s something that we take very seriously and we have someone 24/7 on the phone to answer questions about this.”

Elm Point Animal Hospital is located at 3250 Elm Point Industrial Drive, St. Charles, MO 63301 and is a full service animal medicine and surgical facility, providing the latest in advanced diagnostic and medical equipment.

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