Direct Line has revealed the results of a small survey which found that 78% of veterinary surgeons had treated pets for ingesting human medicines in the last year.

100 vets took part in the study, of which 28% reported that they had cases where owners had deliberately given their pet human medication in an attempt to help them. Some vets described incidents of owners believing paracetamol will help conditions like arthritis and limping. In one case an owner gave their cat a quarter of paracetamol every day in an attempt to stop its pain, which instead resulted in the cat dying.

The most common types of medication ingested were:

• Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Nurofen
• Specific prescribed medications (i.e. for heart conditions or diabetes)
• Contraceptive pills
• Anti-depressants
• Sleeping tablets

In total, the veterinary surgeons who took part in the survey reported 243 cases of accidental ingestion of human medicines. The majority (76%) of cases involved dogs. However incidents involving cats, rabbits and guinea pigs were also reported.

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