Dog saved after swallowing ibuprofen tablets

29 March 2018

German Shepherd, Milly, was rushed to our Oldbury Pet Hospital in the West Midlands after she ate some ibuprofen tablets that had fallen out of her owner’s pocket.

Thanks to her owners’ quick-thinking actions she was admitted to the hospital within an hour of ingesting the tablets, which meant emergency treatment could begin before her body had begun digesting them.

Owner Sharon, said her husband Mark had been suffering with a headache and had placed a pack of tablets in his pocket.

She said: “He had been sitting in the garden to get some fresh air and they must have fallen out.

When he came back inside and checked his pocket we quickly realised what had happened.”

Sharon said they rushed out to the garden and found the now empty packet, along with some loose tablets, on the ground. It was unclear how many tablets Milly had eaten but they knew she required urgent veterinary treatment.

Our vets gave Milly medication to induce vomiting and to absorb any remaining toxins. Milly was kept in overnight on a drip before being allowed home the following day.

Ian Fleming, senior vet at Oldbury PDSA, said: “Milly is definitely one of the lucky ones as it could have been so much worse.”

“Thankfully she was brought in very quickly after exposure which meant the ibuprofen hadn’t had chance to take effect. However, we have seen a number of cases over the years where pets haven’t been so fortunate. If Milly hadn’t received such prompt medical treatment she could have been left with severe kidney damage or even kidney failure.”

“These drugs are so common and it’s so easy to forget you have them on your person, so it’s really important to raise awareness of how dangerous they can be.”

Sharon said the family were always careful to store drugs safely but they were now even more aware of the dangers.

Household pain killers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol can cause severe organ damage in pets, symptoms of exposure include:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Reduced appetite
• Lethargy
• Abdominal pain
• Black faeces
• Breathing faster or slower than usual
• Blue, brown or yellow tinged gums
• Weakness/wobbliness
• Swelling around the face or paws
• Excessive dribbling
• Drinking and urinating more than usual
• Seizures

If you think your pet has ingested any household painkillers seek veterinary advice immediately – waiting could be fatal.

For more information about how to keep your pet happy and healthy, please see our vet's advice on poisons and hazards.

*All figures (unless otherwise stated) are from the VPIS Annual Report 2017.