Human Drugs are for Humans

I have recently been asked by several clients and a few emailing readers about giving their pets over-the-counter human medications for a variety of different conditions. One client even wanted to know if she could treat her dog’s separation anxiety with her own prescription anti-anxiety medication. I had never even heard of the drug she was using. Well, I would like to preface this article by urging you to PLEASE NOT GIVE YOUR PET ANY HUMAN MEDICATIONS WITHOUT CONSULTING YOUR VETERINARIAN FIRST. The physiology of a dog or cat is very different than that of a human, and what is safe for us may very well be deadly for them.

Case in point: acetaminophen (Tylenol®). This is a drug that is extensively used in humans and is very safe. When given to a dog, it can cause serious liver damage. When given to a cat, it changes their hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of the blood, to met-hemoglobin, which cannot carry oxygen. As a result, they literally suffocate and die very quickly unless an antidote is administered. I have had to treat many cats whose owners thought that they had a fever, and that a little Tylenol would help. To say the least, they were rudely awakened.

Now, there are many drugs out there that are used in both veterinary and human medicine, so not everything labeled for humans is bad for pets. However the dosage can vary tremendously. Ketoprofen (Orudis®) is a safe and effective anti-inflammatory in dogs, but the dog dose is 1/50th the human dose. Have you seen how tiny those tablets are? Try breaking one into 50 equal pieces. On the other hand, the dose for diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) in dogs and cats is 1-2 mg/lb. That means that a 50-pound dog would take 50-100 mg. Now I’m not a small man, and 50 mg of Benadryl knocks me on my butt! And one of my clients wondered why a 25 mg Benadryl didn’t help his Great Dane.

Here is a list of a few of the over-the-counter medications that you can give your pet in an emergency. Please remember to contact your veterinarian before medicating your pet, and do not give these medications long-term unless your veterinarian recommends it. Also reMEMBER that just because some is good, more is not necessarily better, and that two similar medications used to treat the same problem in humans can have very different effects in an animal.

1. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) – Dogs and cats can be given 1-2 mg/lb every eight hours. This can be used to treat allergic reactions, and it also has some anti-anxiety and anti-vertigo effects. As a general rule, it is pretty safe stuff. The primary side effect is drowsiness, so please do not allow your pet to drink alcohol or operate heavy machinery while taking it.
2. Buffered Aspirin (Bufferin®, Ascriptin ®) – Dogs can take 5-12.5 mg/lb every 12 hours for pain, inflammation and fever. I usually recommend one regular-strength tablet (325 mg) for a 50-60 lb. dog. It can be given to cats, but at a much lower and less frequent dosage interval, so it is best just to steer clear of aspirin in a cat unless prescribed by your vet. Side effects include stomach upset (note that ‘Buffered’ is underlined) and decreased blood clotting.
3. Kaolin/Pectin (Kaopectate®) – This product can be used to treat diarrhea. It used to be very safe in both dogs and cats, but the brand-name stuff has recently been reformulated to contain salicylates, which are potentially dangerous to cats. The dose for both is 0.5-1 mg/lb every 4-6 hours, but make sure that you use the original formula for cats. The main side effect is constipation.
4. Bismuth Subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol®) - This product can be used to treat nausea and diarrhea, but it shouldn’t be used in cats, because it contains salicylates. It is the anti-diarrheal of choice in ferrets. The dosage is 1 ml/8-10 lbs every 6-8 hours for dogs, and 0.5-1 ml/lb every 8 hours for ferrets. Side effects include discoloration of stools.
5. Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton®, Aller-Chlor®) – This is a good antihistamine to assist with managing sneezing and sinus allergies in dogs and cats. It comes in 4 mg tablets, and is dosed at ½-1 tablet per cat every 12 hours, and 1-2 tablets per dog (up to a maximum dose of 0.25 mg/lb) every 8-12 hours. It can also cause drowsiness.
6. Dextromethorphan/Guaifenesin (Robitussin DM ®) – This product can be used to treat coughing in dogs, cats and ferrets, at a dosage of 0.5 ml/lb every 8 hours. Make sure that it is the ‘DM’ product only, and remember that coughing can be a symptom of some very serious diseases. It can also cause some mild sedation.