When our pets get sick, we want to do everything we can to get them well. In this regard, before the appearance of any symptom that makes us suspect that our dog is not feeling well, it is best to go to the vet as soon as possible.
However, we cannot always go to the vet, for various reasons. Given this circumstance, many people choose to offer their dog some medicine that they have in their medicine cabinet, but self-medication of pets is a very risky practice.
From the Farmacéuticos YouTube channel –with 494,000 subscribers–, they dedicate a video to the possibility of using medicines for human use in pets. The pharmacist Paula Mateos stresses that medicines can only be marketed in Spain after the relevant authorization from the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products. In the case of medicines for animals, they go through tests carried out specifically on said animals, since it is necessary to know how they respond to the drug and what doses are the most appropriate.
Thus, the pharmacist's recommendation is not to use a drug on an animal without a prescription from the veterinarian. And for those that do not require a prescription, we must also always consult with the veterinarian or pharmacist. "It is important to emphasize that one of the most frequent causes of poisoning in pets is due to the use of inappropriate medication in the animal by the owner," warns Paula Mateos.
When asked if we can use the same active ingredients to treat humans and pets, the pharmacist's answer is “not always”. It adds that "in a specific species, such as a dog, only those drugs that have been evaluated in that species should be used."
However, if there are no other alternatives and after evaluating the possible benefits and risks, a veterinarian could prescribe a medicine indicated for humans. But due to their different characteristics, the absorption and elimination of drugs can be very different between people and animals.
Thus, there are some medicines for humans that can be prescribed to animals, but we must strictly follow the administration schedule specified by the veterinarian. Otherwise, we would be facing one of the most frequent poisonings with the following drugs.
