A Must to Avoid: Common Household Medicines that Can Harm Your Pet

According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, pseudoephedrine — an ingredient commonly found in certain cold, allergy and sinus medications — can be extremely dangerous to companion animals.

“Pseudoephedrine has a very narrow margin of safety in dogs, cats and other animals,” says veterinary toxicologist Dr. Steven Hansen, APCC senior vice president. “This means that it does not take as much of the drug to cause a serious problem.” As little as one tablet containing 30 milligrams of pseudoephedrine could produce clinical signs in a 20-pound dog, including nervousness, hyperactivity and elevated heart rate; a dose as small as three 30-milligram tablets could be lethal to a dog of similar size.

While most exposures to pseudoephedrine are accidental — such as a pet chewing into a bottle of medication or ingesting pills left unattended — others occur as a result of owners inappropriately medicating their pets. To ensure that your pet is not exposed, Hansen recommends the following:

* Never give your animal any medication without first talking to your pet’s veterinarian.

* Store all medications in a secure cabinet well out of the reach of animals—even child-proof containers can easily be chewed open.

If you suspect that your animal companion has ingested medication containing pseudoephedrine, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center's emergency hotline at 1-888-426-4435 for round-the-clock telephone assistance. For more pet poison prevention tips, please visit ASPCA online.

http://www.aspca.org/site/R?i=ROiPi42XukkXSXLRAGHJvQ..

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Feb. 24, 2005