Top 10 Human Medications POISONOUS to Pets
 

Human Medications Poisonous to Pets - Meds Toxic to Dog and Cats

1. NSAIDs (e.g. Advil, Aleve and Motrin)

Topping our Top 10 list are common household medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), which include common names such as ibuprofen (e.g., Advil and some types of Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). While these medications are safe for people, even one or two pills can cause serious harm to a pet. Dogs, cats, birds and other small mammals (ferrets, gerbils and hamsters) may develop serious stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure.

2. Acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol)

When it comes to pain medications, acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) is certainly popular. Even though this drug is very safe, even for children, this is not true for pets—especially cats. One regular strength tablet of acetaminophen may cause damage to a cat’s red blood cells, limiting their ability to carry oxygen. In dogs, acetaminophen leads to liver failure and, in large doses, red blood cell damage.

3. Antidepressants (e.g. Effexor, Cymbalta, Prozac, Lexapro)

While these antidepressant drugs are occasionally used in pets, overdoses can lead to serious neurological problems such as sedation, incoordination, tremors and seizures. Some antidepressants also have a stimulant effect leading to a dangerously elevated heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. Pets, especially cats, seem to enjoy the taste of Effexor and often eat the entire pill. Unfortunately, just one pill can cause serious poisoning.

4. ADD/ADHD medications (e.g. Concerta, Adderall, Ritalin)

Medications used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder contain potent stimulants such as amphetamines and methylphenidate. Even minimal ingestions of these medications by pets can cause life-threatening tremors, seizures, elevated body temperatures and heart problems.

5. Benzodiazepines and sleep aids (e.g. Xanax, Klonopin, Ambien, Lunesta)

These medications are designed to reduce anxiety and help people sleep better. However, in pets, they may have the opposite effect. About half of the dogs who ingest sleep aids become agitated instead of sedate. In addition, these drugs may cause severe lethargy, incoordination (including walking “drunk”), and slowed breathing in pets. In cats, some forms of benzodiazepines can cause liver failure when ingested.

6. Birth control (e.g. estrogen, estradiol, progesterone)

Birth control pills often come in packages that dogs find irresistible. Thankfully, small ingestions of these medications typically do not cause trouble. However, large ingestions of estrogen and estradiol can cause bone marrow suppression, particularly in birds. Additionally, female pets that are intact (not spayed), are at an increased risk of side effects from estrogen poisoning.

7. ACE Inhibitors (e.g. Zestril, Altace)

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (or “ACE”) inhibitors are commonly used to treat high blood pressure in people and, occasionally, pets. Though overdoses can cause low blood pressure, dizziness and weakness, this category of medication is typically quite safe. Pets ingesting small amounts of this medication can potentially be monitored at home, unless they have kidney failure or heart disease. All heart medications should be kept out of reach of pets.

8. Beta-blockers (e.g. Tenormin, Toprol, Coreg)

Beta-blockers are also used to treat high blood pressure but, unlike the ACE inhibitor, small ingestions of these drugs may cause serious poisoning in pets. Overdoses can cause life-threatening decreases in blood pressure and a very slow heart rate.

9. Thyroid hormones (e.g. Armour desiccated thyroid, Synthroid)

Pets — especially dogs — get underactive thyroids too. Interestingly, the dose of thyroid hormone needed to treat dogs is much higher than a person’s dose. Therefore, if dogs accidentally get into thyroid hormones at home, it rarely results in problems. However, large acute overdoses in cats and dogs can cause muscle tremors, nervousness, panting, a rapid heart rate and aggression.

10. Cholesterol lowering agents (e.g. Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor)

These popular medications, often called “statins,” are commonly used in the United States. While pets do not typically get high cholesterol, they may still get into the pill bottle. Thankfully, most “statin” ingestions only cause mild vomiting or diarrhea. Serious side effects from these drugs come with long-term use, not one-time ingestions.

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Always keep medications safely out of reach and never administer a medication to a pet without first consulting your veterinarian. The following are some tips from Dr. Justine Lee and Dr. Ahna Brutlag at Pet Poison Helpline to help prevent pets from getting into over-the-counter or prescription medication:
Never leave loose pills in a plastic Ziploc® bag – the bags are too easy to chew into. Make sure visiting house guests do the same, keeping their medications high up or out of reach.
If you place your medication in a weekly pill container, make sure to store the container in a cabinet out of reach of your pets. Unfortunately, if they get a hold of it, some pets might consider the pill container a plastic chew toy.
Never store your medications near your pet’s medications – Pet Poison Helpline frequently receives calls from concerned pet owners who inadvertently give their own medication to their pet.
Hang your purse up. Inquisitive pets will explore the contents of your bag and simply placing your purse up and out of reach can help to avoid exposure to any potentially dangerous medication(s).

Thanks for sharing!

Great information, it would be great to have this in the library or as a sticky.

Great reminder. I am crazy about medicines and Callie. If anyone has some medicine and its not in there pill box or the bottle I watch them like a hawk until they take it.

The rule in our house is we take all medicines in the restroom over the sink with the door closed. That way if it's dropped it falls in the sink and Luma isn't in the room anyways. I agree this should be stickie or in the library.

Excellent thread!

I always wonder about Nitroglycerin. Each pill is ultra tiny, kind of sweet to taste and so easily dropped as it can stick to fingertips. If a dog picks it up with his tongue and even briefly brings it into his mouth, it will start to dissolve. And if it lowers a big human's BP pretty dramatically, what could it do to a 5 lb. Yorkie?

I have it to take for occasional esophageal spasm and I take it out of the bottle over the sink so if I drop one, it will fall there. I'm so scared of that stuff falling on the floor. And the lid comes right off the bottle easily, unscrews on its own over time if rolled around much so keep the little bottles in the bigger container and keep them in the cabinet or zippered pocket of the purse, not in a purse loose or somewhere they can roll out and onto the floor if the purse falls over.

This is a good list, BUT I am totally shocked that Blood Thinner med's are not on this anywhere.

As some one who lost a precious Yorkie in 2003 to this happening when my MIL dropped a pill and I had no idea, it really delayed getting her the proper treatment in the required time. We had to wing it till all blood work results came back, but in the end she had a brain bleed out.

Thanks for sharing!

I just asked yahoo answers to edit the top answer about giving dogs benadryl...it went on to say giving dogs any childrens otc products was totally safe!!!!

Yes, some children's bendadryl contains sorbitol, and while it's not as lethal as xylitol, I would still avoid it.

I sent them an email about my concern on not listing Blood Thinners and this what I recevied back from them.

Hello Vicki,
Thank you for your email and feedback. I’m so very sorry to hear about the tragic situation with your Yorkie. How terribly sad!

I appreciate your comment on the Top 10 Meds. Just to be clear, these are the top 10 meds we’re most commonly called about, not necessarily the 10 most toxic. We’re actually in the process of compiling a list of the 10 most toxic so your email was very timely!

Best regards,

Ahna Brutlag, DVM, MS
Assistant Director of Veterinary Services
Pet Poison Helpline & SafetyCall International, PLLC
3600 American Boulevard W., Suite 725
Bloomington, MN 55431

Oh my whoever gets this info first PLEASE post that here as well.

This would be a great sticky!

So many people think people meds are safe for pets because of lack of knowledge, misinformation spreading-mostly by the internet nowadays, confusing information like vets saying give Benadryl or Pepto, or sadly knowing many human products and meds are tested on animals-yes dogs.

So sorry you lost your Yorkie! Thank you for emailing Pet Poison Hotline & getting the additional info.

My mom is taking blood pressure meds & the pills are super tiny. She accidentally dropped the bottle & they flew everywhere bc we have laminate wood flooring throughout. 1st thing we did was grab all the fur butts & put them upstairs while we picked up & cleaned the floor, also looked under furniture & everything else. So I looked up info on meds & the list is what I stumbled upon. Now, just like Carmeow, we are only allowed to open meds in the restroom, behind closed doors over the sink.

oh wow. Thank you for this list! I take 3 of those medicines listed and am definitely going to be way more careful.

Thought I'd bump this...if your dog or cat (or any other pet) accidentally eats an Advil, it can be detrimental...they can get kidney failure! Do not wait to see if they'll be ok & throwing up couple of days later should be an obvious sign that something is wrong! (Sorry, but I just had to let it out:()

This list is for the most common calls pet poison hotline gets, there are many other life threatening drugs...please use caution.

Yes, every new dog owner needs to print this list out and read it often. That first year dogs will eat everything that hits the floor. It's also important that they know how to induce vomiting and when and when not to induce. Don't induce if choking mak occur like if the dog swallowed a penny, and don't induce if they ate a substance that could be irritating to the throat. Having hydrogen peroxide available and taping the amount needed to induce vomiting to the side of the bottle can also be a lifesaver. If you can induce vomiting the first few minutes, you can really make a difference.