Pets and Your Medication

               Every household contains medications of some kind. Whether it be aspirin, cold medicine, other over the counter medications, or prescription medications, almost everyone has something. Most people know the importance of keeping these medications away from children, but we should also be concerned with keeping them away from our pets.

                Dropped human medications made more pets sick in the U.S. than any other toxin last year (Manning, 2011). Ibuprofen, antidepressants, and ADHD medication were the top contributors to making pets sick. If somebody notices

                Hotlines are available for pet owners to call if they notice that their pet has eaten any medications. Out of 168, 000 calls received by a ASPCA hotline in Urbana, Illinois, a quarter of them were about pets who had swallowed human drugs (Manning, 2011).  Another helpline in Minnesota has handled more than 750,000 calls and about half of them dealt with human medicine (Manning, 2011).

                Some symptoms that your pet may show if they have gotten into your medication include lethargy, vomiting, depression, seizures, and refusing food (Manning, 2011). Symptoms can also vary depending on what kind of medication is swallowed. If a dog swallows ADHD medication, they may appear agitated (Manning, 2011). Rogaine can be dangerous for pets and can cause heart failure. Birth control doesn't usually have an effect on most pets since the amount of estrogen is small and Viagra has been used to treat dogs with pulmonary hypertension (Manning, 2011).

                Consumption of one aspirin probably will not kill your pet but, eating a large quantity of aspirin, a few bars of chocolate, a single lily, or even a bunch of grapes could (Manning, 2011).  Alcohol can make pets drunk very quickly and will cause them to wobble, vomit, and cause inhalation of vomit into the lungs (Manning, 2011).

                It is important for owners to be responsible for keeping harmful medications out of the reach of their pets. While humans may need to take the medications to keep themselves healthy, they can become a serious problem for pets when not taken care of properly. Not only should medications be regulated, but certain foods should also be monitored and properly stored.

Manning, S. (2011). Pets Poisoned By Your Pills. Retrieved March 22, 2011 from                 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41317308/ns/health-pet_health/