Modern medicines and treatment methods have simplified lives for both humans and animals to a great extent. The easy availability of over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammation medicines means one can find relief from body aches and pains within minutes. Ibuprofen is one such miracle medicine that offers instant relief from body pain and inflammation. Most homes or offices keep ibuprofen as a remedy for common health problems.
When our pets get sick, we wish we had an easy and quick solution for their pain. Most pet parents believe that medicines that work on humans are effective on pets as well. They give pain relievers like ibuprofen to pets without consulting veterinarians from animal hospital Virginia Beach. One may assume that ibuprofen will ease our pets’ suffering and pain, but in reality, it will do more harm than good. Unfortunately, incidents of ibuprofen poisoning have become common around the U.S, with many cases turning fatal.
If you are tending to an elder pet with medical needs or a young pet with youthful zeal, it’s best to keep them away from your medicine cabinet. In this blog, we have discussed ibuprofen poisoning in pets and how one should handle such a dreadful situation.
Pet and Ibuprofen Exposure
Medicines approved for over-the-counter sales are thoroughly tested for safety and side effects. However, medicines and their components don’t work the same way on every species. Some components may be lethal to animals and lead to toxicity. Thus, it’s always recommended to consult pet hospital Virginia Beach before giving any medicine to your sick pet.
How to detect Ibuprofen Toxicity in Pets?
Ibuprofen is hugely lethal and toxic to pets. A small dose of ibuprofen can cause considerable damage to your pet. You may start to notice signs of ibuprofen toxicity within 12 hours of ingestion.
The initial signs of ibuprofen toxicity are bleeding stomach ulcers that can further escalate into kidney failure. If your pet doesn’t get timely medical attention, he may die due to the toxicity.
Some common symptoms and signs of ibuprofen toxicity include weakness, tiredness, loss of appetite, black tarry stool, pain in the abdominal, urination, increased thirst, vomiting.
How is Ibuprofen Toxicity Diagnosed?
Veterinarians conduct a thorough physical examination of the pet and question their humans to determine ibuprofen toxicity. Your vet may ask if your pet had any exposure to ibuprofen recently. Blood tests are other useful medical check-ups done to evaluate the health of the pet. Blood tests also help in identifying anemia due to excess bleeding of internal organs.
How to Treat Ibuprofen Toxicity?
What treatment the pet should receive largely depends upon the dose ingested by them. Clinical signs and symptoms are also taken into consideration when devising a treatment plan for the pet. In some severe cases, pets are required to be hospitalized for a couple of days. One must discontinue giving steroids and NSAIDs to their pets following the toxicity.
If your pet ingested ibuprofen less than two hours ago, the vet might perform treatment using activated charcoal. In case your pet has lost blood due to bleeding ulcers, the vets may consider blood transfusion. Since ibuprofen toxicity affects the stomach, most vets prescribe stomach protecting medicines.
