Vets spurred by a now viral TikTok have warned that animals could be killed if their owners feed them one widely-used but potentially dangerous over-the-counter medication
A viral TikTok trend involving a common over-the-counter medication that is currently taking social media by storm could be deadly for man’s best friend, a vet has warned.
A video posted to the platform earlier last month saw a dog owner advertise a “tip” she claimed would “save a lot of pet owners some money”. In the video, she could be seen preparing a syringe full of strawberry flavoured Nurofen for children, which she then drip-fed to one of her dogs. Distressed vets seeing the footage posted online have urgently warned animal owners not to follow their directions, stating the ibuprofen-containing pain relief products are deadly to non-humans.
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TikTokuser Ben The Vet, who claims to be a trained veternarian, said in his own post stitching the original video that it is “widely known” Ibuprofen is “harmful to give to pets”.
He urgently warned people not to give heir pets Ibuprofen-containing projects, adding that “many pets might be harmed” by the advice. The advice was given by woman whose face cannot be seen as she claims: “You can give pets medicine what you give for kids [sic].”
Ben said: “The advice given in this video is not correct. Ibuprofen is not a safe painkiller to give to pets, and it’s concerning to see how many views this video has had and how many pets might be harmed by this advice.”
Ibuprofen can be “extremely toxic, particularly if given to small dogs or to cats”, the vet added, before specifying the exact organs impacted by Ibuprofen. He said: “It can cause kidney failure and stomach ulceration. It can be fatal. These effects can build up over time, so it may not instantly make them unwell, but over time, it can make them very poorly.”
The footage, which was seen and “liked” by thousands of people, was accompanied by dozens of approving comments, many of them claiming to have been given similar advice in the past.
But one owner found out how potentially dangerous the nurofen can be, having ended up at an emergency vets’. They said: “I’m currently at the emergency vets with my dog after following this advice, and he’s having to have his stomach pumped. Please do not listen to this TikTok like I did, I’m sobbing thinking I’m going to lose my baby.”
Another dig ower who tried giving their pooch the mixture said: “They induced vomiting with my dog and she had to have bloods done and I had to feed her charcoal for a few days…”
According to the PDSA, the UK pet charity, Ibuprofen poisoning in animals can present by gastrointestinal issues, such as stomach ulcers and bowel irritation, kidney damage or failure, and even seizures following high doses. The charity advises anyone who believes their dog has eaten ibuprofen to contact their vet immediately.