| dc.description.abstract | Background. Pain management in dogs is an important and challenging task in veterinary medicine. Various types of analgesics are available to a veterinarian to fulfil this task, for example glucocorticosteroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids. However, these drugs are not applicable in every situation and every canine patient, among others, because of their side effects. In compromised patients, acetaminophen appears to be a solution to induce analgesia in some cases. Besides, acetaminophen is also used in addition to other analgesics. As a consequence, there are signs that acetaminophen has been used more often by veterinarians in recent years. However, the use of acetaminophen in animals is not without risks. The therapeutic window is not wide in dogs, and its use in cats is even contraindicated. In addition, acetaminophen, along with ibuprofen, has been at the top of the list of exposures to human medications in dogs and cats for years, according to data from the Dutch Poisons Information Center. When veterinarians are using acetaminophen in dogs more often, this may lead to an increase in self-medication with acetaminophen by pet owners, putting both dogs and cats at risk for toxicosis.
Aim. The aim of this study was to analyse the number of dogs and cats supposedly exposed to acetaminophen about which the Dutch Poisons Information Center was consulted and to evaluate the circumstances of those exposures, with special regard to whether the medication was stolen by the animal or administered by a person.
Method. A dataset concerning acetaminophen exposures of dogs and cats, provided by the Dutch Poisons Information Center, was analysed. A dataset with regard to ibuprofen exposures was also analysed, in order to make a comparison with another over-the-counter available analgesic. The cases studied were reports of veterinarians of supposed exposures by ingestion during the period 2010 – 2019. The analysis was based on worst case scenarios, as actual ingestion could not be proven in every case.
Results. This study demonstrates that the number of dogs suspectedly exposed to acetaminophen about which the Dutch Poisons Information Center was consulted, both absolute and relative, has increased over the years 2010-2019. The same findings were observed with dogs exposed to ibuprofen. Furthermore, the absolute number of cats exposed to acetaminophen has increased, but no trend could be demonstrated regarding the relative number of cats exposed to acetaminophen in the same period. The same applied to cats exposed to ibuprofen.
Conclusions. A likely reason for the increase in dogs about which the Dutch Poisons Information Center was consulted, could be an increased awareness of the Dutch Poisons Information Center and their services among veterinarians, as there was also an absolute and relative increase of consultations concerning ibuprofen. The increase concerning acetaminophen is less likely to be due to an increase in self-medication by pet owners. | |
