Self-medication also carries risks for animals. The National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) is sounding the alarm in a statement. If they are commonly used by humans, paracetamol or aspirin can thus “be deadly” for our animal friends.
“Drugs intended for humans are generally not suitable for pets”, stresses ANSES, citing the risk of overdose but also the metabolic differences of animals, which “may have difficulty eliminating certain drugs”.
Only on prescription
“Painkillers based on paracetamol are at the top of the drugs causing poisoning in animals”, continues the agency, also calling for caution with regard to anxiolytics, antidepressants and drugs containing vitamin D. can also cause “digestive, kidney and neurological” problems.
Hence the imperative to give drugs intended for humans only when prescribed by a veterinarian. “In this case, it is imperative to follow the recommended dose and frequency,” recalls ANSES. “This is all the more important as the side effects can vary depending on the species, but also on the breed, age or diseases of the animal. »