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At various vet trips we’ve received advice to treat our pets with doses of Benadryl, Zyrtec, and Neosporin. That’s right: medicines we think are for people can also be for pets. There are actually a number of household items or medications we can employ if our animals are having problems. The trick is knowing exactly what medicines, and how much of them, are safe for our pets.
For example: most dogs should only have one Benadryl a day. If giving the pet Zyrtec, it should only receive the normal kind – make sure it doesn’t have any decongestants or other ingredients in it. When using Neosporin with pets, make sure they don’t lick it off.
Good Morning America online has a list of do’s and don’ts on treating pets with household medicines. As always an important disclaimer: call your vet before treating your pet yourself. You can speak on the phone with a professional in the veterinary office who will direct you in how to use your household items to help your pet. If you can’t get in touch with your vet you can follow these instructions for some immediate aid, but a follow-up visit or call to the vet is a must.
First let’s look at the medications never to give our pets: common painkillers. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, and other painkillers/anti-inflammatories are very dangerous for animals, especially cats. Never give them to your animals unless following explicit veterinary instructions.
Now I’ll go over what’s safe for your pets. Above I mentioned that we can give dogs roughly one pill of Benadryl a day. Here are the details: you can give 25 milligrams to pets weighing up to 30 pounds, 50 mg for pets weighing up to 80 pounds, and 75 mg for pets 80 pounds and up.
Benadryl should be used with veterinary consent, but that’s the gist. It’s for pets experiencing allergic reactions or severe itching, particularly of the type that might be caused by allergies.
Next is another household remedy I’ve mentioned before: hydrogen peroxide as a vomit inducer if your dog has ingested something poisonous, like chocolate. Hydrogen peroxide can be dangerous for a pet if given the incorrect dosage, so it’s also best to call the vet before using this.
But in general – and be sure to use only 3% solution – give one teaspoon for every five pounds the pet weighs, and no more than five tablespoons. Salt can also be used as a vomit inducer, so if you can’t get in touch with the vet it might be a better choice.
If your dog has a stomachache you can also give it Pepto-Bismol. Just be sure that your dog is truly suffering from a stomachache. Follow child dosing instructions for every 40 pounds your pet weighs; start with 10-pound dogs getting a quarter dose and go up from there. Never give Pepto to cats, as it will make them very ill.
There are also some household items that work great for first aid on both humans and pets. They include both contact lens solution and Betadine solution as antiseptics for cleaning wounds; the former is basically saline, and the latter iodine.
For bee stings, make a mixture out of baking soda and water. Use this around the sting and wait for it to dry. Then you can safely scrape out the stinger.
For minor bleeding, reach into your cupboard for some cornstarch or all-purpose flour. Pack it on – this will soak up the blood, block the wound, and isn’t toxic if your pets lick it.
We may be very different from our pets, but in some ways our bodies are similar. Some basic first aid that we know works on humans can also work on our pets.
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*(This image by andrewr is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
