Keep These 6 Human Medications Away From Your Pets [VIDEO]

Earlier this week, I posted a story about a Michigan vet that was warning pet owners to not give their pets medication that's intended for humans. While doing that story, I stumbled upon a website that listed the most dangerous human medication for pets.

This got me thinking, If my dog eats shoes, toys, his own vomit and sometimes other dog's poop, why wouldn't he grab a bottle that was just sitting on the counter?

Not all pets are getting into our medications on their own. Some pet owners are actually giving these household medicines to their pets, not knowing the real dangers.

6. Birth control (estrogen, estradiol, progesterone)

If your pet happens to get into a birth control package, hope that they only get a small amount which really won't cause much harm.  However, if they take in a larger amount, the estrogen and estradiol could cause bone marrow suppression (mainly with birds). Female pets that are not spayed, are at risk of side effects from estrogen poisoning.

5. Benzodiazepines and sleep aids (Xanax, Klonopin, Ambien, Lunesta)

Sleep aids are meant to obviously help us sleep but they're also used to reduce anxiety. When it comes to pets, it could cause them to become agitated, cause severe lethargy, slow breathing and possible liver failure for cats

4. ADD/ADHD medications (Concerta, Adderall, Ritalin)

Even just a small dosage of these medications can cause life-threatening tremors, seizures, elevated body temperatures and heart problems.

3. Antidepressants (Effexor, Cymbalta, Prozac, Lexapro)

I didn't realize it but these antidepressant drugs are sometimes used in pets. If your pet was to overdose it could cause serious neurological problems such as sedation, incoordination, tremors, and seizures. Some have a stimulant effect leading to a dangerously elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.

2. Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

Just about everybody has a bottle of Tylenol in there house, vehicle, purse or somewhere that's really accessible. While it's safe for people, this is not the case for pets—especially cats. Just one regular strength tablet of acetaminophen can cause damage to a cat’s red blood cells, limiting their ability to carry oxygen. In dogs, it leads to liver failure and, in large doses, red blood cell damage.

1. NSAIDs (Advil, Aleve, and Motrin)

Coming in at number one are common household medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, like ibuprofen, Advil some types of Motrin and Aleve. Again, these medications are safe for people, even one or two pills can cause serious harm to your pet. Dogs, cats, birds and other small mammals may develop serious stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure.

I think most pet owners are aware of the dangers and if nothing else, this is just a friendly reminder to keep your medicine out of your pet's reach. I honestly never thought about it until I saw the list above.

FYI- The video above is super cheesy but informative.

Source: Pet Poison Helpline