The Animal Welfare Society of SA has been treating pets on a regular basis that have been administered paracetamol, asprins and other pain killers by their owners who are not fully aware of the dangers of treating them with medication designed for humans.
Human medications are not always safe for pets. Some can be given to pets, however, others can be very toxic. So by giving them human drugs and medication indiscriminately they are inadvertently putting their pets’ lives at risk.
These three over the counter drugs are most commonly used by owners in an attempt to make their pets feel better, but it has potentially deadly consequences.
“We have had to resuscitate several cats and dogs who were given potentially lethal doses of aspirin and paracetamol by their owners who assumed that they were doing good”, says the Animal Welfare Society of SA.
Unfortunately, some of these pets show serious side effects such as kidney and liver toxicity which complicates their treatment and prolongs their hospitalisation.
“The bottom line is that medication should never be administered to pets without first consulting with a veterinarian. We explored a few reasons why pet owners opted to try and treat their pets themselves and the common denominator was money!”, the Animal Welfare Society of SA explains.
“Some inconsiderate pet owners loath investing in the health of their pets which is tantamount to playing Russian Roulette with their pets lives whilst others feel that veterinary fees have become unaffordable. Whatever the explanation there is absolutely no excuse for depriving one’s pets of veterinary care and letting them pay the ultimate price,” they conclude.
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