Nellie the dog and a stock photo of prescription medication.Photo:Courtesy of Pet Poison Helpline; Getty
Courtesy of Pet Poison Helpline; Getty
A pet owner had a serious scare when her dog received the wrong medication.Beckey Carstens panicked when she came home and learned that her boyfriend had accidentally given their dog Nellie an Ambien rather than the pet’s prescribed medication to treat a urinary tract infection, according to a press release fromPet Poison Helpline.Ambien is a sedative-hypnotic, also known as Zolpidem, that is commonly used to treat insomnia and help people fall asleep faster, perWebmd.Carstens noted that she takes the prescription drug and needed a refill, so she left the “nearly empty bottle on the counter next to our dogs' pills.“She said, “I had asked my boyfriend to give our dog his medication while I was out, but when I came home, he told me he had medicated both dogs. I knew that was impossible because we were out of Nellie’s UTI medication.“The dog owner quickly put two and two together and realized that her boyfriend had given Nellie one of her Ambien pills rather than her dog medication. She shared that her medication came in a brown bottle that appeared similar to one that contained Nellie’s medication.“When we figured out what had happened, I called my veterinarian immediately,” Carstens said. “They then had me call Pet Poison Helpline.“Nellie the dog.Courtesy of Pet Poison HelplineThe concerned dog mom took Nellie to Urgent Pet Care in Omaha, Neb., where the medical team reached out to the aforementioned helpline to retain all the already-gather information and collaborate on a treatment plan.“I was initially irritated that I had to pay a separate fee, but the hospital staff explained that their veterinarians are not toxin specialists, and they needed that expertise to treat Nellie,” explained Carstens. “That made sense, and they certainly took great care of her.“Nellie, fortunately, survived the incident after the medical team induced vomiting, administered activated charcoal, and placed her on IV fluids. The dog stayed in the hospital overnight.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“Nellie’s doing great now, but it was a scary and expensive process,” Carstens said, noting that their veterinary bill was over $1,200.To prevent incidents like Nellie’s, Dr. Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of veterinary medicine at Pet Poison Helpline, says, “Never keep your pet’s medication with any human medications. In fact, if you have multiple pets, you should also store their medications separately. It is very easy to mix up bottles, and severe effects may occur if unnecessary medication is given.“Nellie the dog.Courtesy of Pet Poison HelplineSchmid cautions pet owners against giving their pets medication together. The veterinary toxicologist also suggests keeping pets out of the room when people take their medicines to avoid similar mishaps.According to theAmerican Kennel Club, Ambien is No. 7 on the list of most common harmful medications to dogs. Also on the list are Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Naproxen.The outlet states that Ambien and other sleep-related drugs can cause dogs to grow “lethargic, seem intoxicated, and, in some cases, have dangerously slowed breathing rates.” It can also cause dogs to become “severely agitated.“Carsten’s story was included in Pet Poison Helpline’sToxic Tailsseries, which aims to “educate the veterinary community and pet lovers on the many types of poisoning dangers facing pets, both in and out of the home.”
A pet owner had a serious scare when her dog received the wrong medication.
Beckey Carstens panicked when she came home and learned that her boyfriend had accidentally given their dog Nellie an Ambien rather than the pet’s prescribed medication to treat a urinary tract infection, according to a press release fromPet Poison Helpline.
Ambien is a sedative-hypnotic, also known as Zolpidem, that is commonly used to treat insomnia and help people fall asleep faster, perWebmd.
Carstens noted that she takes the prescription drug and needed a refill, so she left the “nearly empty bottle on the counter next to our dogs' pills.”
She said, “I had asked my boyfriend to give our dog his medication while I was out, but when I came home, he told me he had medicated both dogs. I knew that was impossible because we were out of Nellie’s UTI medication.”
The dog owner quickly put two and two together and realized that her boyfriend had given Nellie one of her Ambien pills rather than her dog medication. She shared that her medication came in a brown bottle that appeared similar to one that contained Nellie’s medication.
“When we figured out what had happened, I called my veterinarian immediately,” Carstens said. “They then had me call Pet Poison Helpline.”
Nellie the dog.Courtesy of Pet Poison Helpline
Courtesy of Pet Poison Helpline
The concerned dog mom took Nellie to Urgent Pet Care in Omaha, Neb., where the medical team reached out to the aforementioned helpline to retain all the already-gather information and collaborate on a treatment plan.
“I was initially irritated that I had to pay a separate fee, but the hospital staff explained that their veterinarians are not toxin specialists, and they needed that expertise to treat Nellie,” explained Carstens. “That made sense, and they certainly took great care of her.”
Nellie, fortunately, survived the incident after the medical team induced vomiting, administered activated charcoal, and placed her on IV fluids. The dog stayed in the hospital overnight.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“Nellie’s doing great now, but it was a scary and expensive process,” Carstens said, noting that their veterinary bill was over $1,200.
To prevent incidents like Nellie’s, Dr. Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of veterinary medicine at Pet Poison Helpline, says, “Never keep your pet’s medication with any human medications. In fact, if you have multiple pets, you should also store their medications separately. It is very easy to mix up bottles, and severe effects may occur if unnecessary medication is given.”
Schmid cautions pet owners against giving their pets medication together. The veterinary toxicologist also suggests keeping pets out of the room when people take their medicines to avoid similar mishaps.
According to theAmerican Kennel Club, Ambien is No. 7 on the list of most common harmful medications to dogs. Also on the list are Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Naproxen.
The outlet states that Ambien and other sleep-related drugs can cause dogs to grow “lethargic, seem intoxicated, and, in some cases, have dangerously slowed breathing rates.” It can also cause dogs to become “severely agitated.”
Carsten’s story was included in Pet Poison Helpline’sToxic Tailsseries, which aims to “educate the veterinary community and pet lovers on the many types of poisoning dangers facing pets, both in and out of the home.”
source: people.com
