http://blog.seattlepi.com/accesforpe...rom=blog_last3

An unfortunate, but common emergency in our hospital is the inadvertant
and sometimes intentional ingestion of human medications by pets. One of
the more frequent types of medications ingested is ibuprofen. Most
incidences are due to dogs finding the medication in a purse, gym
bag,grocery bag, or accidental spillage of a bottle. Dogs often mistake
the medication for treats due to the coating on many of these tablets.
Sometimes owners administer these medications to their pet for pain
relief. The misconception is that dogs are just small people, so if they
only get a small amount it will be fine. Ibuprofen has much narrower
margin of safety in our pets, and what seems fine for humans, is not
necessarily fine for these animals.

Ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®, Midol®, etc.) is a nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory agent (NSAID). It is available over the counter in 50,
100, 200 mg tablets and 100 mg/5 ml suspension. Prescription strength
tablets are 400, 600, and 800 mg.

In dogs, an acute exposure of 50-125 mg/kg can result in
gastrointestinal signs (vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, anorexia),
175 mg/kg can result in more severe GI signs (hematemesis, melena) plus
kidney damage (PU/PD, oliguria, uremia). Doses of 400 mg/kg in the dog
result in GI, kidney, and CNS signs (seizure, ataxia, coma).

Cats are thought to be twice as sensitive to ibuprofen's toxic effects
as dogs due to lack of certain hepatic enzymes in their system. This
means that the ingestion of just 2 Advil® could be enough to lead to
kidney failure. Ferrets that ingest ibuprofen are at high risk for CNS
depression and coma, with or without GI upset. Toxicity may also be more
severe if the animal is already on an approved nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory medication for arthritis or pain control

The onset of stomach upset is generally within the first 2-6 hours after
ingestion, with stomach ulceration occurring 12 hours to 4 days post
ingestion. Kidney failure often occurs within the first 12 hours after
massive exposure to an NSAID but may be delayed for 3-5 days.

Vomiting can be induced if the animal has eaten the medication recently
(usually within a few hours). Following vomiting, the veterinarian can
feed the animal activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is a substance
that binds up anything that remains in the intestinal tract. This is
often given 2-3 times due to the way ibuprofen is metabolized. If the
ingestion is an amount high enough to impact the kidneys,
hospitalization with intravenous fluids for 2-3 days is indicated. The
prognosis is good if the animal is treated promptly and appropriately.

In general, it is always best to keep medications high in a shelf, away
from any potential for a dog to ingest the medications. Keep medication
in a child-proof container that your pet cannot chew into. It is also
advised to call a veterinarian before giving your pet any human
medication, and before trying to induce vomiting at home. Our hospital
is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and we are always happy to answer
questions.

The Animal Poison Control Center can be reached at (888) 426-4435 24
hours a day, 7 days a week if your pet ingests anything of concern

"Char" wrote in message
m...

The Animal Poison Control Center can be reached at (888) 426-4435 24
hours a day, 7 days a week if your pet ingests anything of concern

Thanks for this reminder. I used to think Ibuprofen was OK for dogs, as the
prescribed pain meds for my female dog Lucky had a similar name. But my
research found that although it was in the same family the toxicity was
much different.

It's ironic that an over-the-counter drug like Ibuprofen can cause so much
damage, not only to dogs, but to people who abuse it as they try to
self-medicate and force their bodies to do things beyond what would
otherwise be limited by the body's natural pain indicators.

And drugs like barbiturates, opiates, and Codeine, which are very effective
and safe pain medications when used properly, are heavily restricted and
not available for purchase except by prescription and even then
suspiciously doled out and monitored, because people do not have the
intelligence and self-control to use them sensibly and instead use them
"recreationally" to tune out of their miserable existences.

Paul and Muttley

Paul E. Schoen wrote:
"Char" wrote in message
m...

The Animal Poison Control Center can be reached at (888) 426-4435 24
hours a day, 7 days a week if your pet ingests anything of concern

Thanks for this reminder. I used to think Ibuprofen was OK for dogs, as the
prescribed pain meds for my female dog Lucky had a similar name. But my
research found that although it was in the same family the toxicity was
much different.

Worse yet, vets prescribe pain medications that are even worse for dogs
than ibuprofen and don't tell their clients about the dangers.

Paul E. Schoen wrote:
"Char" wrote in message
m...

The Animal Poison Control Center can be reached at (888) 426-4435 24
hours a day, 7 days a week if your pet ingests anything of concern

Thanks for this reminder. I used to think Ibuprofen was OK for dogs,
as the prescribed pain meds for my female dog Lucky had a similar
name. But my research found that although it was in the same family
the toxicity was much different.

It's ironic that an over-the-counter drug like Ibuprofen can cause so
much damage, not only to dogs, but to people who abuse it as they try
to self-medicate and force their bodies to do things beyond what would
otherwise be limited by the body's natural pain indicators.

And drugs like barbiturates, opiates, and Codeine, which are very
effective and safe pain medications when used properly, are heavily
restricted and not available for purchase except by prescription and
even then suspiciously doled out and monitored, because people do not
have the intelligence and self-control to use them sensibly and
instead use them "recreationally" to tune out of their miserable
existences.

Codeine is widely available here in the UK without a prescription, which
must be something of an anomaly because the 'nanny state' controls every
other facet of our everyday lives.

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008