Dogs will eat anything that drops on the floor, at least our dogs do. So what should happen when what drops on the floor is not food, but rather, your medication and there's a concern that it might be extremely harmful to your furry companion? Definitely call your emergency veterinarian immediately.
We hope you never find yourself in this situation. However, if you do, here's what you can expect from the most common medication ingestion situations we come across.
You accidentally drop your pills on the floor and your pet quickly gobbles them up:
In this situation we will need to know the type of medication, the strength, and the amount of pills eaten. This will help us determine the possible danger the specific medication will cause your pet. Still, you will need to seek emergency vet services whether via phone consult or coming directly into the emergency vet clinic.
Depending on the type of medication, the risk of danger could be deemed very small, in which case we would advise you to monitor your pet closely for any changes in behavior. If the type of medication ingested raises concerns or possible dangers, then we would advise you to seek emergency veterinary services, the sooner the better.
You arrive home from work and find an empty, chewed up pill bottle on the floor:
Unfortunately, in this situation there are too many unknowns, and it is best to call to check availability for emergency vet services. The medication bottle is usually chewed-up and the dog-parent doesn’t know how many pills were in the bottle at the moment of ingestion.
Again, because there are too many variables, we tend to handle this situation with greater concern and will always recommend you bring your pet to the emergency vet immediately.
You find that your pet is acting sick but you have no idea why:
In this situation you would call us for emergency vet services, some of which can be determined over the phone. We would ask you some basic questions, which includes whether or not any medications could have been ingested. But because your pet is acting sick, we would recommend you bring them to the emergency vet immediately.
Dogs are usually the culprits in instances of medication ingestion. But fortunately, the effects are usually minimal and they are back to normal within a short amount of time. Sadly, cats are not as lucky, possibly due to their smaller size or their inability to metabolize medications as well.
No one wants to see their pets sick and have to rush them to the emergency vet, it’s no fun for anyone. In an effort to prevent a trip to the ER for medication ingestion, here are some of our suggestions:
Keep all medications out of your dog’s reach.
Always close the medication bottle tops securely
Handle your medications over a counter top, table, or sink.
For any questions or concerns regarding this topic or any other concern for emergency vet services, please reach out to us here.