In fact, the number one reason people call the ASPCA’s Poison Control Center is due to pets consuming their owner’s meds. The biggest medicine mishaps include giving human meds to a pet, dropping pills on the floor, or leaving pills unguarded within paws’ reach. More from Prevention: How To Choose The Right Vet “Just like with children, always store your medication where your pets cannot reach it because unlike children, dogs will chew right through those bottles and eat whatever is inside,” warns Tina Wismer, DVM, medical director at the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center. Here are the most common pills involved with poison control calls: Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) Ibuprofen is the most common human medication ingested by pets, thanks in part to many brands’ sweet outer coating. What seems like a sweet treat to your pet could cause stomach ulcers or even kidney failure. Tramadol (Ultram) This pill can be beneficial to pets, but only at doses carefully prescribed by a vet. Too much tramadol can cause sedation or agitation, wobbliness, disorientation, vomiting, tremors, and possibly seizures. Alprazolam (Xanax) This anti-anxiety and sleep aid prescription can cause lethargy in animals, but can sometimes have the opposite effect of making pets extremely agitated. Adderall Not meant for a pet, this combo of four different amphetamines causes racing heartbeat, high body temperature, hyperactivity, tremors, and seizures in animals. More from Prevention: Your Pet’s Diabetes Danger Zolpidem (Ambien) Ambien helps people sleep, so they often set it out by their bed, where pets routinely swipe pills off of owners’ nightstands. Zolpidem may make cats wobbly and sleepy, but most pets become very agitated and develop elevated heart rates. Clonazepam (Klonopin) Used as an anticonvulsant, anti-anxiety drug, or sleep aid for people, clonazepam causes low blood pressure, fatigue, trouble walking, or collapse in pets. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) This popular painkiller can cause liver damage or red blood cell damage in pets. Naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) This over-the-counter pain reliever may cause ulcers or kidney failure in dogs and cats. Duloxetine (Cymbalta) Prescribed as an antidepressant and anti-anxiety med for people, duloxetine can cause agitation, vocalization, tremors, and seizures when ingested by pets. Venlafaxine (Effexor) For reasons veterinarians still don’t understand, cats love—but definitely shouldn’t—eat these antidepressant capsules. Here’s how to protect your pet:
Keep pills to yourself. Never give human medications to your pet without first consulting a veterinarian.Tuck them away. Do not leave pills sitting on a counter or any place a pet can get to them.Lock ’em out. Make sure pets aren’t in the room when you’re taking pills. “Dogs especially will devour anything that hits the floor, so taking pills in the bathroom or behind closed doors is the best way to avoid accidental exposure,” Dr. Wismer says.Keep your vet’s number handy. Always contact your veterinarian if your pet has ingested any medication not prescribed for her.
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