This week I received a panic call from Loopy’s owner. Loopy is a large two-year old tan-coloured male cross breed. His owner told me that while she was out, her dog had got to her medication, torn up the packet and chewed on the foil inside.
She wasn’t sure whether he’d actually swallowed any of the pills, but Loopy seemed more subdued than normal and had vomited bile. I asked her what kind of medication she was taking. The pills were for high-blood pressure. Loopy’s owner was right to be worried – her dog’s life might be in danger.
Veterinarians often attend to drug poisoning. Sometimes it happens as a result of accidental overdosing of medication. But more often than not it comes through accidental ingestion of prescription drugs or the deliberate administration of human drugs.
While some drugs can be consumed by both humans and pets, this is certainly not always the case. And just as it would be harmful for us to overdose on medication, so it is for our pets.
We often hear stories of pets, invariably dogs, who either get to their owner’s drugs or come across pills that might have accidentally dropped onto the floor. Not surprisingly, the most common human drug poisonings in dogs reflect the most commonly consumed over-the-counter or prescription drugs that humans tend to take.
With the deliberate administration of human drugs, paracetamol is probably top of the list, possibly because it is so widely used in Malta. Unfortunately, at the human dosage it is extremely toxic to the liver.
Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid is another commonly available drug which can cause ulceration of the stomach and small intestine. Other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (pain-killers) such as ibuprofen may also cause severe stomach and intestinal haemorrhage as well as kidney failure. Animals do not have the necessary enzymes that the body needs to process and eliminate ibuprofen from their body, so just a couple of tablets of this seemingly ‘innocuous’ medication can result in major organ failure in a small dog.
Accidental ingestion of anti-depressants may go either of two ways: some will heavily sedate the pet resulting in uncoordinated movements and tremors leading to fitting, while others will over-stimulate the pet resulting in rapid heart rate and elevated blood pressure with high temperature.
Sleeping tablets or tablets intended to reduce anxiety may have the opposite effect and instead cause considerable agitation. Left untreated, lethargy and uncoordinated movement and shallow breathing soon follows. The ingredients in some sleeping tablets can also cause liver failure.
If you tend to keep your pills inside your bag make sure that it is securely closed
Medication used to treat high blood pressure, such as that taken by Loopy, is one of the most dangerous of the common drugs because even small doses can be highly poisonous. Paradoxically, in pets, these drugs may excessively lower the blood pressure and slow the heart rate to dangerous levels.
One particular type of intoxication which is important to mention, is the misuse of flea products, which are meant to be used specifically for dogs versus that meant to be used solely on cats. Sometimes, because of a similarity in the name, or visual similarity in packaging of the medication and even if this warning is written, accidental swapping of the medication does happen.
It is important to note that these products contain the insecticide permethrin which is highly toxic to cats, causing neurological signs with tremors, uncoordinated move- ment, and possibly even death.
Another form of intoxication which has become increasingly important to be aware of, is the toxic effect of a sweetener which may be included both in human sugar-coated tablets, as well as in sweets, cakes and confectionaries. This ingredient is xylitol which and is frequently found in chewable human vitamins and supplements to make them more palatable. In dogs, Xylitol can result in extreme low blood sugar with consequential seizures and collapse.
If your pet has accidentally got to your drug cabinet, you will see the evidence of chewed containers or torn packets or boxes and maybe even half-chewed pills and you can, therefore, take immediate action.
Phone your vet immediately. He or she may give you timely advice regarding the priority action to be taken depending what is known about medication that was ingested, how long ago this happened, and how quickly you should get your pet to the vet’s clinic.
For example, if your pet has ingested the medication within the last 30 minutes, causing your pet to vomit could still be extremely beneficial. Some salt and water could do the trick, yet a particular injection administered by your veterinarian is far more effective.
The best thing that you can do to help is to also take whatever is left of the medication wrapping and datasheet with you so that your vet can check out the ingredients and potential level of toxicity.
If your dog or cat has come across one or more sugar-coated tablets that may have accidentally fallen onto the floor, you are less likely to know that they may have been poisoned. Some symptoms to look out for include unusual sleepiness or lethargy, loss of appetite or sensitivity around the abdomen, excessive salivation, a lack of coordination, diarrhoea or vomiting.
Be prepared to give the vet as much information about your pet as possible, including a history of past illnesses and recent food intake. Your vet will perform blood tests and possibly even take X-rays or conduct an ultrasound examination.
The best thing that you can do is to try and prevent such accidents from happening. Avoid leaving your medication on surfaces that are within easy reach for an active dog or agile cat. If you tend to keep your pills inside your bag, make sure that it is securely closed.
At the clinic, Loopy seemed more scared than unwell. We immediately ran blood tests. Loopy’s owner had also brought with her the well-chewed fragments of the drug packet and whatever was left so we were able closely determine what her dog had ingested.
Since Loopy’s owner had taken immediate action we were able to treat the dog in time. The good news is that Loopy has since recovered his liveliness.
thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com
Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.