10 Common Human Medications That Can Kill Dogs
Some common human medications can be extremely dangerous or even fatal to dogs. Learn which medications pose serious risks to dogs and what to do if your dog accidentally ingests them.
Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are the number one cause of pet poisonings. The ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center receives approximately 90,000 calls a year from pet owners whose dog or cat has come in contact with medicines intended for humans. The ASPCA reported that over 14 % of all the calls they receive involve pets ingesting their owner’s medications or supplements.
Common over the counter medications that are toxic for dogs include: NSAIDs –Pain reliever/anti-inflammatory- One or two of these medications can cause serious harm including kidney failure, intestinal and stomach ulcers.
- Advil
- Aleve
- Motrin
- Naproxen
- Naprosyn
- Medipren
- Nuprin
- Anaprox
- Neprelan
Acetaminophen – Pain Reliever-One regular strength tablet may cause liver damage.
- Tylenol
- Paracetamol
- Panadol
Pseudoephedrine- Decongestant-Raises blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. Can cause seizures, nervousness, and hyperactivity.
- Sudafed
- Entex
- Comtrex
- Dristan Cold
- Tavist
- Tylenol Cold
- Theraflu
- Sinarest
- Triaminicin
- Drixoral
- Nyquil
- Claritin D
- Allegra D
- Zyrtec D
Dozens of medications contain pseudoephedrine so always check labels on cold, flu, decongestants and allergy medication. One clue is if the medication had the letter D behind the name, it may contain pseudoephedrine.
Antidepressants- Listlessness, vomiting, agitation, disorientation, elevated heart rate, change blood pressure and body temperature, cause tremors and seizures.
Diabetes Medications- Causes a dangerous drop in blood sugar levels in dogs, disorientation, lack of coordination, and seizures.
- Glucotrol
- DiaBeta
- Micronase
- Glynase
- Glycron
- Glucovance
- Glipizide
- Glyburide
Methylphenidate (ADHD medication)-Causes elevated body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate, and seizures.
- Ritalin
- Concerta
- Methylin
- Daytrana
Vitamin D used to treat psoriasis, thyroid problems, and osteoporosis -Causes loss of appetite, vomiting, increased urination and excessive thirst due to kidney failure.
- Calcitriol
- Rocaltrol
- Calcijex
- Calcipotriene
- Dovonex
Fluorouracil-topical medication used to treat skin cancer-Causes severe vomiting, seizures and cardiac arrest.
- Efudex
- Carac
- Fluroplex
Isoniazid-used to prevent tuberculosis-Causes life threatening seizures.
- Nydrazid
Baclofen-muscle relaxant- Causes disorientation, vocalization, seizures, coma and death.
- Co Baclofen
- Kemstro
- Lioresal
- Liotec
- Nu-Baclo
To prevent accidental poisoning in your dog, keep all medications out of your dog’s reach and never:
- Leave pill bottles where your pet can reach them.
- Store your medication in the same location as your dogs (in case of accidental mix up).
- Store medication in a plastic bag
- Leave pills in your purse or briefcase
