You may have thought about eating your pet’s food before, but have you ever thought about taking their medicine? A recent study on non-prescription antibiotic use released by Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy showed that four percent of the 400 people they surveyed said they take their pet’s medication.
“Sometimes they are using things like pain relievers for their pets and abusing them,” said Medical ethicist Art Caplan on Boston Public Radio.
Caplan was quick to recognize that humans taking pet medication is not a huge problem, but doctors and veterinarians still should be on alert for any misuse of prescription drugs intended for animal use. Beyond the normal dangers of taking non-prescription antibiotics, the animal medicines may not have been tested on humans and could react differently to human metabolisms, warned Caplan.
“They are trying to save money by saying oh well the dog has some pain pills or the dog has some antibiotics,” said Caplan. “It is a bad idea. Don’t do it.”
To hear Art Caplan’s full interview with Boston Public Radio, click on the audio link above.
