Occasionally, well-intentioned owners are tempted to treat an ailing pet by using over the counter medications or medications prescribed for another animal without first consulting a veterinarian. This choice can cause unintended harm to a beloved pet.
One may understandably choose to research treatments on the internet or phone a friend for an opinion due to decreased cost and increased convenience. But, bear in mind that if your pet ends up needing medical care due to drug toxicity, this can be exponentially more expensive and can result in illness, long term organ damage, or even death. Mistakes can be easily made with respect to appropriateness of treatment, dosage, frequency, or duration of therapy. Even if toxicity does not result, it may limit your veterinarian’s ability to prescribe superior treatments when at-home remedies fail.
Over the counter medication may seem like a safe, cheap, immediate fix to whatever is ailing your favorite furry friend. However, medications available for purchase on the drug store shelf were formulated for use in humans. Because these medications have not been tested and certified as safe for animals in FDA safety trials, their use in pets is termed “off-label.” Off-label use does occur commonly in both human and animal medicine, but means that it is being used in a non-approved way. Veterinarians have extensive training and access to resources not available to the general public that help them know which medication and doses are safe and appropriate for pets and which are not.
One of the important things to know in choosing medications is that while humans, cats, and dogs are all mammals they do not metabolize drugs in exactly the same ways. For example, cats are deficient in a number of drug metabolism pathways that can slow drug clearance and result in increased risk of toxicity. Medications that may have some window of safety for humans or dogs can result in severe toxicity for cats. There are also many medications approved for use in humans (such as Tylenol or Advil) which can cause severe illness in dogs.
Finally, although there are many of medications sitting on the store shelf that can be used to treat dogs and cats, they may be minimally effective, have increased risk of side effects or a narrow therapeutic index, or may have fallen out of favor to better alternatives. Fortunately, with ongoing medical advances there are always new drugs coming to market. This allows humans and animals the opportunity to use many newer and more effective products that are not available without a prescription.
Veterinarians receive years of medical training and have the clinical experience to choose optimum therapies with respect to your pet’s health needs. We want you to ask us about best treatment options for your pets – we have dedicated our careers to making animals feel better, and if their treatment includes cost-effective over-the-counter medications, we’re happy to recommend them!