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small
talk
03
Human
Painkillers
But worryingly, 320 people in
the UK type ‘cat hit by car’ into
Google every month, and I
wonder and worry about what
answers they might find.
Searching the medicine
cabinet
We often will try medicine
ourselves before going to see
our Doctor, so it may seem
logical to do the same for our
pets when we worry they are in
pain. However, there are some
crucial differences between us
and our furry friends that mean
some human medicines can be
deadly for them. Even giving
medication that a vet has
prescribed to another animal
may not be suitable for your pet.
It is therefore really important
for your vet to assess whether
a medication would be safe
for your pet before you give it.
Your vet will consider lots of
different factors before
prescribing, such as their age,
weight, if they are on other
medication, or if they have a
condition where it would not be
safe to take that medication.
Before you reach for
the Pain ‘Killers’
l
Paracetamol e.g. Calpol,
Panadol, is extremely
poisonous to cats. It causes
damage to the vital red
blood cells which carry
oxygen around the body,
and can cause permanent
liver damage, which may
be fatal.
l
Ibuprofen and Aspirin e.g.
Nurofen, Anadin, are very
poisonous and can cause
vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach
ulcers and kidney failure.
l
Anti-inflammatory gels e.g.
Voltarol, deep heat, these
can be absorbed through the
skin or licked off and cause
the same symptoms as
ibuprofen and aspirin. The
gels can also cause local
irritation to the skin.
l
Tea tree oil is poisonous in
its most concentrated form
when applied to the skin or
after being licked. It causes
tremors, depression, drooling
and vomiting.
The safest thing in all
circumstances is to call your
vets and speak to them. Never
give any human medication
to your pet without speaking
to your vet first. Vets spend
up to 6 years studying to
practice safely so a five
minute trawl of the internet
will not replace all of their
knowledge and experience.
The
dangers
of
self-prescribing
By
Jade Lawrence BVMedSci, BVM, BVS, MRCVS
Larkmead Vets
From what I have experienced as a vet so far, most animals
have a tendency to reveal themselves as ill or injured at night
when the practice is closed, which can be distressing for both
them and their owners. We are so used to looking online for
ways to fix things, from DIY to ourselves, (Dr Google will
have an answer) so why wouldn’t we look for our pets?