Ibuprofen is dangerous for dogs and, like other human drugs such as paracetamol, causes poisoning and even death of the animal
Can ibuprofen be given to the dog? What about paracetamol, if you are not feeling well? The answer in both cases is a clear no. Both ibuprofen and paracetamol are dangerous drugs for dogs that cause poisoning and can even cause the death of the animal. This article explains why ibuprofen and acetaminophen are poisonous to dogs, in which cases can be used other prescription and veterinary surveillance and what effects has medicate the dog with human drugs.
Can ibuprofen or paracetamol be given to the dog?
Medicines made for humans can be very beneficial for people, but very dangerous for dogs. However, when the dog suffers a discomfort, it is not strange to resort to human medicines; a practice that carries serious risks to the animal’s health, and even endangers its life. Unfortunately, it is common for someone to be tempted to give their dog drugs made for people.
Human medications, however, should never be offered to the dog without consulting the veterinarian. In addition, it is important to always keep medicines out of the reach of four-legged friends, and never in plastic bags that can nibble on dogs.
The self-medication of dogs explains, however, why poisonings by ibuprofen and paracetamol are some of the most frequent accidental domestic poisonings in dogs, along with the ingestion of chocolate . And it is that they are the drugs that owners offer their furry friend more often, without consulting their veterinarian first.
The ibuprofen in dogs is not authorized by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products. This body does allow, however, some types of compounds with paracetamol. But, again in this case, it is important to consult with the veterinarian first so that it is the one who indicates which drug the animal can take or in what quantity. In many cases it is not necessary for the person to request a consultation with the veterinarian. A simple phone call can be enough and, in some cases, even save the life of the dog.
The dog is not a person, so its body does not work the same as ours, nor is it capable of attacking medicines that are harmless to humans in the same way. The dog’s enzymes that must attack the drugs are different from ours, and the way of eliminating the substances is also different. This explains why both ibuprofen and paracetamol are dangerous for dogs and can cause poisoning and even lead to the death of the animal.
This is the reason why many substances contained in human drugs do not leave the body of the four-legged friend. Your body is not ready to eliminate them. These toxic components remain accumulated in your body, in organs such as the liver and kidneys, which makes it clear that, over time, serious damage, bleeding and even the death of the animal can occur.
Why are there veterinarians who prescribe human drugs to dogs?
Human drugs have been used by veterinarians for years. And some are still used during serious operations.
But luckily veterinary medicine has come a long way; And now there are specific medications for dogs, the leaflets of which indicate how many you take and how much the animal should take based on its weight.
The problem -frequent and dangerous- comes when someone decides to self-medicate their dogs with the same products that they would use for themselves. A practice that obviates the specific ailment of the furry friend and the amount of medicine to be given. The human leaflets do not indicate whether or not the drug can be used in dogs or in what quantity.
Are there human medications that dogs can take?
Although the Medicines Agency authorizes the use of certain human drugs in dogs, it warns that these must have been prescribed before by a veterinarian, since their use and quantities will depend on the ailment and the weight of the animal.
Medicating a dog at home is a very dangerous practice. When an owner offers a humane medication to its animal, it does so with good intentions. However, it is unaware that its drugs can be very harmful to its furry friend. “What the owner surely ignores is that its medicines can cause serious poisoning to the dog and even its death.
This reckless practice is not, however, so strange. One in three people admit that they self-medicate or do not consult with the veterinarian before offering a drug to their four-legged friends.
Why should the dog not take human medicines?
There is another compelling reason why the dog does not take the medicines made for people: although the Medicines Agency allows its use in the dog, the leaflet rarely includes the necessary information on the dose that the furry friend needs.
It is not useful, either, to try to calculate the amount that the dog should ingest by extrapolating the information contained in the leaflets for children or adults, and making the calculation based on their weight. The dog is simply not a person and using our medicines for them involves a serious risk.