Self-medication is a dangerous habit that puts human health at risk and unfortunately many owners do it with their pets, and this practice is even more dangerous for animals that live with us, especially if it is done with human drugs.
We know that cats, despite their free and independent nature, are also prone to many ailments that the owner can clearly perceive due to various symptoms and also behavioral changes.
- That’s when we can mistakenly carifies of our cat.
- So to avoid any kind of accident.
- In this article of Animal Expert we will clarify if you can give acetaminophen to your cat.
Humans are so used to self-medication that we often do not know the nature of the usual medicines, as well as their indications or mechanism of action, which can be dangerous for us and even more so for our pets. Then, before evaluating the effects of acetaminophen on felines, we will briefly explain what type of medicine it is.
Acetaminophen belongs to the pharmacological group of NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), acts mainly as an anti-inflammatory, decreasing the synthesis of certain substances involved in inflammation (prostaglandins), although it is also an excellent antipyretic (decreases body temperature in case of fever).
In humans, acetaminophen is toxic at doses that exceed the recommended maximum and becomes particularly harmful to the liver, the main organ responsible for neutralizing the toxins that come from the drug so that we can expel them later. High and repeated consumption of acetaminophen in humans can cause irreversible liver damage.
Automedicar o seu gato com paracetamol traduz-se em intoxicar e colocar em risco a vida do seu pet. O paracetamol é um dos medicamentos proibidos para cachorros, no entanto, a sensibilidade dos gatos ao paracetamol é muito maior e estes começam a mostrar sintomas de intoxicação entre 3 e 12 horas depois da ingestão do fármaco.
Cats cannot metabolize the drug properly and this causes the death of hepatocytes or liver cells, an organ also essential for our pets, so about one-third of animals dying in 24 hours. 72 hours later.
If your cat accidentally ingests acetaminophen, you’ll notice the following symptoms:
In this case, an emergency visit should be made to the veterinarian, as the person will be given treatment to reduce the absorption of acetaminophen, facilitate its elimination and restore vital signs.
In our article on feline poisoning and first aid we talk about this aspect and the importance of avoiding offering human drugs to our pets.
The self-medication of our animals, even with veterinary medicines, carries many risks, which are even greater when this self-medication is performed with medicines intended for human consumption.
To avoid accidents that may cost your pet to life, notify and consult the veterinarian whenever necessary and do not administer any medicines that have not been prescribed by the relevant professional.
Discover in Animal Expert the different health problems of cats to discover any problems to be observed. Also, remember that the veterinarian is the only one who has to give you a diagnosis and therefore a recommended treatment.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
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