Puppies are so young and vulnerable that they’re easily attacked by illnesses of many sorts. Hence, one item on your new puppy to-do list should be going to the vet. This could be for a physical examination, vaccinations, neutering, shots and so much more. However, at this vulnerable stage, there are certain medications whose side effects your puppy isn’t fully developed to handle. Hence this piece is highlighting a handful of these medications as well as safer alternatives which would be better for your young pup.
- Advertised medications
Giving medicine to your puppy can be tricky especially if you’re aware that a good number of these medicines are like poison to your new puppy. It’s so convenient to watch an ad about flea medications for your dog and be enticed to make a purchase. However, it’s so sad that a good number of these advertised medications on mainstream media actually do greater harm than solve the actual problem. Take flea and tick medications for example not to mention painkillers and de-wormers too. These medications are marketed and patented as solutions to your dog’s issues but even as some of these medications are topical, they are still very poisonous as soon as they’re ingested. Hence, it’s best to stop prescribing medications for your new puppy based on its popularity. If your puppy needs deworming or is attacked by fleas, the healthiest would be taking him to the vet and getting the vet’s prescription medicines.
- Human drugs
Human drugs should never be prescribed for dogs at least not without proper dosage supervision as they can be fatal in the system of puppies. These human drugs could be over-the-counter or they could be prescription drugs. Let’s take over-the-counter drugs like Acetaminophen (Tylenol), naproxen or ibuprofen into consideration. Acetaminophen is the active ingredient for pain relievers like Tylenol and even as they can be used for dogs, its dosage is critical as an overdose could cause severe liver damage. Naproxen, on the other hand, should never be used on animals as even the smallest dosage can incite an acute kidney failure, gastric ulcer, or stomach perforations. And ibuprofen is highly toxic for pets and should never be prescribed for them. Now, prescription drugs in the form of antidepressants, blood pressure medications or other pain/ anti-inflammatory medications should reside far from your puppy’s reach as they could lead to severe health complications.
Resolution
Should your new puppy ingest either of the listed toxic medications, a precautionary measure to induce vomiting would be to use a fresh and non-expired 3% hydrogen peroxide.
Here are some classification of medications that are safe for your new puppy.
Antibiotics: Metronidazole, Doxycycline.
Antiparasitics: Ivermectin
Antifungal: Ketoconazole
Steroids: Prednisone
Analgesics: Tramadol
These drugs should be administered as prescribed by the vet and not by intuition.
Caring for your puppy especially when they’re sick can be difficult. They can be in so much discomfort that you’d just want to make them feel better. However, to ensure your new puppy gets better and not critical, visit the veterinary doctor with your sick puppy before administering the prescribed drugs in the precise dosage.
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