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Subject: Human Medicines that are ok for dogs!
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Mitzy's Mom


Pack Leader
Pack Leader
10/23/2007 3:17 PM  

I was looking for Benedryl dosage and found this website...very helpful to know which human medications can also be given to dogs!  http://www.vetpets.net/animaltimes/humandrugs.html

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.

Office Hours:  Monday-Friday 7:00 am to 6:30 pm • Saturday 7:00 am to 4:00 pm
Doctor Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm • Saturday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

American Animal Hospital Association

Member American Animal Hospital Association
Member Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV)
Member Association of Reptilian & Amphibian Veterinarians

 

Also - Claritin!  NOT Clartin D.  Generic Loratadine. 

 

Mary Beth, mom to Mitzy, Mayfly, Skipper, Skeeter and Loco

RBR Foster Mom
www.ratbonerescues.com
BonitaKaz


Bratty Ratty
Bratty Ratty
10/23/2007 3:26 PM  
I'm so glad you posted this!

*Bonita* Mom to Nibbler!




swedishfish5


Ratastic
Ratastic
10/23/2007 3:43 PM  
thanks for the info!!

Mommy to KAMI and MACIE
bethann


Terrier Terror
Terrier Terror
10/23/2007 3:49 PM  
Very good information. Thanks for posting!

Beth, Sadies pooper scooper
spence9118


Terrier Terror
Terrier Terror
10/23/2007 4:16 PM  
This needs to be a STICKY!!! Thanks for the Info!

Erica- Charlie and Tucker's Mommy

www.myspace.com/ricka9118

DaisysMom


Moderator
<b>Moderator</b>
10/23/2007 5:12 PM  
Consider this a sticky. Great information, Mary Beth! Thanks so much

Tracey - Darlin' Daisy's Mom

The Animal Rescue Site


tauney4


Feisty
Feisty
10/23/2007 6:18 PM  
HEY THNAKS FOR THE INFORMATION THAT IS QUITE HANDY!
Cathy


Rattie
Rattie
10/24/2007 8:59 AM  

 Great info !! Thanks!


Teddys Mom Cathy
momto3


Terrier Terror
Terrier Terror
10/28/2007 9:17 AM  

Great info., thanks so much!

michelle


Bratty Ratty
Bratty Ratty
10/28/2007 10:08 AM  

Great info, I printed off a copy and put on me refrig.


michelle, mom to Sydney (JRT), Sonic (Rattie) and Proud mom to Army son, Jordan



rattagan's mom


Terrier Terror
Terrier Terror
11/23/2007 2:22 PM  

Thank you so much for posting this. It is very informative and helpful. The only thing I've ever given Ratty is asprin and only when my vet told me too. It is good to know what I can do to help him when he is hurting. Do you happen to know what I can do to help his breath smell better. His breath is so bad it can gag you . You definately don't want doggie kisses from him. Can't hardly stand to have him sit in my lap its is really that bad.

Thanks,

Rattagan's Mom


Janie, Ratty and Cameo's Mom

"A smile is a crooked line that sets many things straight."
KendraAnn


Ratastic
Ratastic
12/27/2007 9:07 PM  
This is helpful information. I know that when my puppy fell, he got a huge bruise on his backside. I called my vet and he said only 1 baby aspirin. He said that only 1-2, and then if it was still causing him pain I needed to come in and get some different meds. I guess that these meds can cause them to get upset tummies. He then prescribed him some Novox 2x/day until he got all better!

-Kendra (Blue's Mom)
Hayden


Ratterific
Ratterific
01/10/2008 2:05 PM  
Using Benadryl is also helpful for traveling. We took our pup on a plane ride and the vet recommended to take it an hour our so before our last flight so she would be sleepy and have a more comfortable ride in her carrier. It worked great. She started getting a little antsy during the 8 hours in the airport so I know our fellow passengers appreciated it.
abullard


Ratterific
Ratterific
01/30/2008 2:44 PM  
is there any cure on colds~buddys mom
Sassy'sMama


Firehouse Big Dog
Firehouse Big Dog
01/30/2008 2:52 PM  
I'm so glad you posted this, invaluable info....

~~Jan~~
Mama to Sassy

Religion is for people afraid of going to hell,
Spirituality is for people who have already been there.
brittania98


Ratterific
Ratterific
02/12/2008 4:57 PM  
thank you thank you thank you!

Brittany
(Clyde and Chloe)
Gari-AnnTX


Ratastic
Ratastic
04/22/2008 10:22 AM  
Good info! My vet also told me (yesterday in fact) to give my dog a 1/2 of a child's dose of immodium for her explosive diarrhea. :x
Gari-AnnTX


Ratastic
Ratastic
04/22/2008 10:24 AM  
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.


LOL!
alice4512


Bratty Ratty
Bratty Ratty
04/22/2008 10:29 AM  

the visual for "explosive" diarrhea makes me giggle.


The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too

~Mom to my good boy Fred and my crazy girl Alice~
buttonbutt


Firehouse Big Dog
Firehouse Big Dog
04/22/2008 11:43 AM  
One you could add to the list, MB is my vet just prescribed Loratadine, generic Claratin (but NOT Claratin-D!!!) for allergic reactions. She prescribed 1/2 tab once a day for my 12 lb.Zipper. And it seemed to help her more than Benadryl.

Peggy
Mom to Button & Zipper
My sweet RatTexans
Mitzy's Mom


Pack Leader
Pack Leader
04/22/2008 12:15 PM  
Thanks Peggy! I thought I saw somewhere that dogs could be given that. Good to know as I've got Mayfly and Skipper's allergies acting up right now.

Mary Beth, mom to Mitzy, Mayfly, Skipper, Skeeter and Loco

RBR Foster Mom
www.ratbonerescues.com
ASLacey


Rattie
Rattie
04/30/2008 12:16 PM  

Great article ... I remember one time my shepherd mix had gotten into some sort of bugs nest (spiders?) and his whole face started to swell up (not his tongue though, phew).  It was a Friday night and I called the on-call vet who asked if I had any children's benedryl in the house (we have kids so we ALWAYS have benedryl!!!) ... sure enough a few minutes after we gave it to him, the swelling started to subside and he took a NICE LONG SNOOZE!!!

I may call the vet about a dosage of the robatussin for Minerva ... seems that she caught kennel cough from our new puppy (even though he'd been vaccinated for it) ... but she's eating fine, playing fine, drinking fine ... so the vet said as long as she's acting normal otherwise, it should just take it's course, since she's otherwise to healthy!!!  She just sounds like a little baby seal, poor thing!!

Lacey

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