For your reading pleasure (and with the hopes of averting catastrophe, I’ve compiled a short list of home remedies best not undertaken. Feel free to contribute your own ideas on what works (and what might be unsafe) in your comments below.
1-Milk and oil for toad intoxication and seizures.
This may be a typically Miami home remedy but it’s not without a national presence. New York, California and Texas vets report some of the same. Hispanics seem to favor it but Anglos in my community seem to consider its use, too.
Not only does it do no good for seizures or issues related to toad intoxication (seizures as well), a seizuring animal can easily aspirate volumes of this mixture while in the throes of a neurological storm. Aspirate: as in inhale. The result is pneumonia of an often–fatal variety given enough of this slurry. here's a post describing one patient's ill effects after receiving this so-called treatment.
2-Essential oils (for cats, especially).
Cats have been found to respond adversely to many essential oils. Because owners are often instructed to apply it to themselves for minor ailments, many reason it’s safe for pets. Dogs may also be adversely affected but cats’ livers seem completely ill equipped to handle the compounds found in these oils. Vomiting and weakness are early signs and liver failure and death may later result.
3-Immodium for gastroenteritis.
Well, not exactly fatal… But continued dosing of Immodium can potentiate more severe infections in the intestines. In some pets this can lead to a life-threatening pancreatitis or bloat. One dose is usually OK (check with your vet first) but if you need more than one that’s a pretty good sign you need to see a vet. Want a safer option? Try probiotics like FortiFlora or PetFlora.
4-Inducing vomiting after ingestion of caustic or sharp substances.
OK so this might seem obvious to you. But it’s amazing how often I get calls from owners asking if it’s a good idea. One recent call? “My dog ate a needle and I just gave some hydrogen peroxide but I don’t think I gave enough.” Well, thank God for that. It was sitting in the stomach and required surgery to remove it—sewing thread and all.
Caustic and sharp materials have a way of damaging the esophagus when they come out. One call to the ASPCA's Poison Control hotline is all it takes to know what home remedy might be effective, if any. It costs sixty bucks for the call but you can’t do better for the level of specialized knowledge they supply 24/7.
5-Advil, Tylenol and other OTC pain/fever relievers can be highly toxic.
The most common issue is with Tylenol in cats (they can’t metabolize it and their blood turns a sickening chocolatey color, indicating that it’s not able to carry oxygen well). Unless administered an antidote relatively quickly, most cats die.
A close second is the stomach perforating use of NSAIDS like Advil and Aleve, for example, in dogs. Dogs are frequently dosed with these drugs by well-meaning owners who are unwilling or unable to wait for medical advice after assuming their pets have pain or a fever. Even a day or two of receiving these medications is enough to occasion a life-threatening esophageal or gastric ulcer.
Finally, I should mention that not seeing the vet when something serious lurks and thinking you can apply home remedies with impunity is a huge no-no.
It’s hard, after all, for vets to diagnose and treat illnesses. So what makes some people think they can do better? Money, usually. Vets are expensive (we know). But, as we say in Spanish, “lo que cuesta barato sale caro” meaning that skimping, in this case on veterinary care, can be an expensive proposition. And a phone call doesn't cost much, right?
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The only other one I can think of isn't a home remedy, so it doesn't count but it is a major peeve.
Ferret and other small animal owners that use products like Advantage or Frontline on their pets. The same can be said for those cat owners out there that use pyrethrin based products on their pets because they cannot seem to understand the warnings or never bother to read them. I like to think bold print that says "DO NOT USE ON CATS" would be enough but clearly it isn't.
As for the ferret thing, I've seen and owned a few fat ones on my time, but I've never seen a 30 pound ferret and I don't understand how people justify using such products on their small animals, then complain when they bring in their seizing animal that is in renal failure. When asked why they applied these products to their pet, the answer is always the same. " It's safe for cats and dogs". Meh!
Ferrets are part of the skunk family. I fail to see the connection to felines and canines. Maybe they know something I don't.
Stacy April 19th, 2008 04:44:00 PM
And my personal favorite...motor oil for mange. My dog had mange as a puppy and someone stopped me on the street while I was walking her and actually suggested it...I said no thank you, she's being treated and will be fine without it.
Janine April 19th, 2008 05:20:00 PM
I've seen Bach Flower Essences recommended for animals, especially Rescue Remedy. I think that flower essences are different than aromatherapy. Anyone know for certain?
M April 19th, 2008 06:15:00 PM
Bach flower remedies are similar to homeopathy, in which the original plant material is placed in water and thought to transfer its "energetic signature" to the water. That water is then diluted many times, because in homeopathy the more diluted the original substance, the more powerful the remedy becomes. Flower essences neither smell nor taste like the original plant.
Essential oils are concentrated oils extracted from plants, and smell very strongly of the original plant used.
Megan April 19th, 2008 07:23:00 PM
People in my country feel the need to give their dogs Butylscopolamine [Buscapina(r)] everytime they thing their pet's tummy hurts.... nothing worse to cause an irreversible paralysis of the gut... and I believe there's no Argentinean home without some buscapina in them. Check that to your argentinean clients.
(sorry for my english, lost my practice... badly :P )
Fer April 19th, 2008 08:51:00 PM
Immodium is definitely on the forbidden list for dogs with the MDR1 gene mutation. See the Washington State University website: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/drugs.aspx
kabbage April 20th, 2008 01:39:00 AM
Fer: That's a great tip. I have lots of Argentinian clients and I was unaware of this remedy. Thanks! (Oh, and your English is fab...don't let it hold you back. I've been telling myself the same thing about my Spanish lately so you've got company.)
Dr. Patty Khuly April 20th, 2008 08:59:00 AM
After performing surgery on a torn cruciate, my former vet prescribed Ibuprofen for pain relief for my dog. I was hesitant but he reassured me it was safe to give.
YesBiscuit! April 20th, 2008 10:06:00 AM
I've been told that ASA is OK for dogs but Tylenol is to be avoided (as is Ibuprofen). My friend's vet says Tylenol is fine for her dogs. I prefer to avoid all meds.
If a dog has diarrhoea, there's a reason for it and the last thing you'd want to do is block that. My home remedy for occasional diarrhoea is lots of water and don't feed for a day.
Vomiting, diarrhoea, listlessness, staring, coughing, are all a reason to visit the clinic at my house - if they continue for more than a couple of hours.
It's so darned tough to spot when dogs are ill, in my experience. They are so stoic about it. I've learned over the years to spot symptoms that are very subtle and always visit the clinic if I think something's going on. I'm usually right.
Cats are even worse. Staring and excessive purring can both be signs of illness, I guess it's a matter of degree, since my cat stares and purrs all the time LOL
Caveat April 20th, 2008 12:16:00 PM
I was researching tea tree oil with regard to MRSA and veterinary use. I've used it myself with dogs (ears) and for a staph infection I picked up myself secondary to chemotherapy. This is just piled together in rough form but please take a look.
Catherine April 21st, 2008 03:09:00 PM
Aargh. I will attach my Word file to an email sent to your "Contact Us" thing. There. Done. I think the veterinary formulation, Bogaskin, is from Germany. Don't know why you couldn't just put a few drops of tea tree oil into something like aloe vera and work with that.
Catherine April 21st, 2008 03:20:00 PM
Not entirely a home remedy but--I get the heebee jeebees watching rats owners scale down doses of HORSE medications to their rats assuming the only difference is size and close enough is good enough ("about the size of a grain of rice" etc). I quietly wonder how much of their pets short lives are inbreeding and how much is plain poor husbandry.
emily April 21st, 2008 04:33:00 PM
This is late...but what about buffered aspirin?
Amanda April 24th, 2008 01:09:00 AM
I think I just lost a post to the captcha, my apologies if this appears twice--
To be pedantic, skunks are members of the Mephitidae family while ferrets are members of the Mustelidae family. The two families are similar, but genetically distinct.
Many ferret vets are comfortable proscribing Revolution and Frontline for ferrets, using the kitten doses as a guideline. Because so few products are tested for use in ferrets, a lot of medications commonly used have to be off-label use. Cats and ferrets are certainly not the same, but the general rule of thumb for topical treatments is that if it is safe for kittens, it is safe for ferrets.
regina April 28th, 2008 11:29:00 AM
Frontline and Rabbits.. it kills. If you must home cure, use Revolution instead
Sian May 9th, 2008 12:45:00 PM
Over nearly 20 years of pet ownership (including a bulldog with chronic health issues) I've learned a lot and can make some judgments. Think of them as babies. If you would go to the pediatrician or call, then it's a pretty safe bet that you should be calling or visiting your vet. Just like for humans, diarrhea can be a minor upset stomach or a symptom of something bad. There's nothing wrong with treating symptomatically for a day or so but if still squirting, get thee to a vet! Also, it depends on the severity. Is it going on so badly that dehydration might be an issue? GO TO A VET ASAP. My vet gave me an OTC product called diarsanyl which is harmless but really helps symptoms -- I now keep it on hand. Dogs can take aspirin, but the question is the dose. They do sell dog aspirin, which takes the guessing away. But the point is well taken -- when in doubt, CALL, and never let a situation languish!
May your pets stay well!
Susan October 1st, 2008 11:53:00 AM
A couple of years ago, our pet King Charles' Spaniel runt was diagnosed with a heart murmur and wasn't himself at all. He was sick, pooed on the couch because he was so old and in so much pain he wasn't able to make it to the front door and had to be carried upstairs every night so he could sleep in a basket next to our bed incase he had another stroke. We took him to our local Vet, aiming on having him put down (we loved Hooch, really, but he was old and in so much pain we were sure he would be better off in heaven) and instead of our Vet making the appointment for the euthanasia, she told us we couldn't put him down because there was a new drug clinic for the type of problem our Hooch had and he had to be tested to see if it would work. After an hour of fighting, two days of research on whether or no a Vet could demand that an animal not be put down just so she could have her curiosity sated and whether the new drug had a high success rate, Hooch was put down. He was in pain for a whole week longer than he should have been because a Vet decided we had to give him some untested drug!
Perhaps you should add "Vets who don't listen to you" to that list of killers.
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