While it is true that a quantity of pharmaceuticals that were developed for humans are also effective, inter-species, it is absolutely critical to understand that not all drugs cross the species barrier with success.

Do not medicate your pet yourself, under any circumstance, without a consultation and prescription from a veterinarian.

Many human drugs are not effective, inter-species, and the ones that are vet-prescribed are dosed differently for pets.

This tragic story, shared by the Lincoln Way Animal Hospital, shows the  extent of liver toxicity to a young, healthy pup, who was medicated with Advil.

“Folks, this is precisely why human medications should NEVER be given to your pet unless directly prescribed by your veterinarian. Human pain medications, NSAIDs, and analgesics (Tylenol, ibuprofen, Aleve, aspirin; etc) are not metabolized in the same way as humans and can cause severe liver, kidney, and/or gastric damage. Dr. Google, your groomer, dog breeder, or friend who has had pets for years should not be giving any sort of medication advice or recommendations; only a board certified veterinarian [can]”, writes Heather Koehn, Veterinarian.

“Worst case of jaundice I’ve ever seen. Ibuprofen toxicity. The dog got into a fight with the other dog and the owner gave one dose of 600mg ibuprofen about 5 days prior to presentation at my clinic. The owner elected humane euthanasia.”