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You medicines that have been approved for human use have gone through extensive clinical trials, and yet are often withdrawn after the market because of potentially dangerous side effects that had not been evident during the phases of the clinical trial.
If the effects that some remedies studied in humans can be so great, imagine the danger they would be to expose your pet to them, if you decided to medicate it with the medicines you normally use.
The processes of pharmacodynamics (mechanism of action and pharmacological effect) and pharmacokinetics (release, absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination) are very different in the human body and in the dog's body, so a bad action on the part of the owner can lead to risk the dog's life. In this article by PeritoAnimal we will show you the 4 banned human medications for dogs.
1- Paracetamol
Paracetamol belongs to the pharmacological group of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Some sources report that no NSAID can be administered to dogs, however, this group includes numerous active principles and it is possible that some of them are suitable to treat any canine condition, always under veterinary prescription.
On the other hand, if there is an anti-inflammatory with these characteristics that under no circumstances can it be administered to a dog is acetaminophen, potentially dangerous for the damage it can do to the liver.
Administering paracetamol to a dog can severely damage your liver, there may be liver failure leading to death and destruction of a large part of the red blood cells is also possible.
2- Ibuprofen
It is an active ingredient that also belongs to the group of NSAIDs, it is more anti-inflammatory than paracetamol but has a lower capacity to reduce fever. Your habitual and dangerous use in humans makes us often think of this anti-inflammatory as an option to treat our dog when it has pain or difficulty in movement.
However, ibuprofen it's toxic for dogs at doses in excess of 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, this means that an adult ibuprofen tablet (600 milligrams) would be deadly for a small dog.
Intoxication with ibuprofen manifests itself as vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, kidney failure, liver failure and even death.
3- Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines themselves form a pharmacological group where we can distinguish active principles such as alprazolam, diazepam or dipotassium chlorazepate. These are medicines that in humans are used as strong central nervous system sedatives, being prescribed in the case of anxiety, nervousness or insomnia, among other conditions.
Some benzodiacepins, for example, diazepam are used to treat epilepsy or anxiety, however, only a veterinarian can prescribe the use of this drug.
For this reason, many people consider it appropriate to give this type of medication to your pet when it is restless or suffering from anxiety, but the benzodiazepines cause nervousness and panic attacks in puppies, besides being very dangerous for their liver health.
Interestingly, benzodiazepines were made with the objective of having a greater therapeutic margin than barbiturates, however, the opposite happens in dogs, barbiturates are used because they are safer, whenever they are administered under veterinary prescription.
4- Antidepressants
There are many types of antidepressants, although the best known are the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI), a group within which we can distinguish active principles such as fluoxetine or paroxetine.
They don't just directly affect the dog kidney and liver health, as they can also disrupt the proper functioning of your nervous system, which is harmful to your pet's health.
Do not self-medicate your dog
If you want your pet to enjoy full health and well-being, it is essential that under no circumstances self-medicate, not even using veterinary medicines, as this can often mask a serious illness that needs urgent diagnosis and specific treatment.
To avoid unnecessary accidents that could cost your dog your life, be aware and consult your veterinarian when you notice any symptoms of illness in your dog.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.