Veterinary Medicine Part 2

In the first part of veterinary medicine we talked about if the veterinary medicine's were good or bad for our pets. Now will will talk about the drugs themselves and what to expect

Drugs and their side effects.

Now if you did not read the first part of this click on pet medicine and go there now.
What you are going to learn now is a short list of some of the types of drugs that are used for animals and the common side effects. Make sure that you vet does not try to give your pet more medication than the animal really needs.

Antibiotics
Typical drugs: Amoxycillin, sulpha-trimethoprim combination drugs
Use: All manner of bacterial and respiratory infections
Side-effects: Diarrhea, vomiting, excess gas, constipation, lack of appetite, dehydration, potassium deficiencies, intestinal problems such as colitis (severe inflammation of the colon), irritable bowel (or even perforation). can also cause an increase in white blood cell count.

Penicillin can trigger severe allergic reactions, including sudden death. Watch out for drugs like enrofloxacin, a broad spectrum fluoroquinolone that can affect cartilage or joint development in young animals, and for the sulpha-trimethoprim combinations, which can cause liver damage, dry eye, vomiting and hypothyroidism.

Chloramphenicol has been linked with aplastic anaemia in several animal species.

Amikacin and gentamicin, both aminoglycoside antibiotics, have been shown to cause deafness and kidney failure.

As with humans, enrofloxacin and tetracydine should not be given to young pets, as they can get into the bones of growing animals and can stain teeth.

Sulpha-combination drugs can cause liver damage, dry eye, vomiting, hypothyroidism and immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP), where there is a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood.

Special warning: Doberman Pinschers should avoid sulpha drugs, as it will cause joint inflammation.

Acetaminophen (paracetamol)
Use: Pain relief
Side-effects: Causes liver damage
Special warning: This should never be given to cats, as liver damage is extremely likely

Aceprozamine
Use: Anti-stress, as before an operation
Side-Effects: Lowers seizure threshold in animals
Special Warning: this should not be given to Boxers or to pets with seizure disorders

Antifungals
Typical Drugs: Ketoconazole
Use: ringworm and other fungal infections
Side-effects: Anorexia, vomiting, diarrhoea, and may cause liver damage
Special warning: Use over the long term may lighten an animal's coat

Antihistamines
Typical drugs: Diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine
Use: Atopic allergies of all varieties
Lated as even a tiny overdose can cause serious problems

Steriods (glucocorticoids, cortisone, coticosteroids)
Typical drugs: Prednisone, prednisolone
Use: All manner of autoimmune conditions, including lupus erythmatosus, immunemediated skin diseases, allergic skin problems, and allergies, cancer chemotherapy, shock, central nervous system disorders; also for reducing blood calcium when dangerously high.
Side-effects: Weight gain, increase in appetite, increase in drinking and urination, constant panting, wasting of muscle mass, loss or dulling of the hair coat, thinning of the skin, increased susceptibility to skin infections, inflammation of internal organs (liver, pancreas), intestinal ulcers, internal infections, particularly of the urinary tract. Can also raise blood alkaline phosphatase. In cats, can cause pneumonia, persistent cystitis or abscess due to immune supression; also increased possibility of developing diabetes or pancreatitis, depression, poor hair coat.
As with humans, there is a possibility of steroid 'psychosis'.

Antiparasitic agents
Typical drugs: Metronidazole, loperamide
Side-effects: As with antifungals (see above)

Heartworm preventatives
Side-effects: Can cause potentially fatal liver reaction. Also, the newer monthly heartworm drugs are suspected of triggering some cases of immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia or immune-mediated thrombocytopenia-a decrease in red blood cells or platelets, respectively.

Insulin
Use: For the diabetic pet
Side-effects: Dosage must be strictly regudependency on the drugs and be unable to be weaned off them. Never stop this drug abruptly.
Special warning: After two weeks of use, the dosage should be tapered to one every other day to keep the body's adrenal glands healthy.

Psychotherapeutical medication
Typical drugs: Amitriptylline, acepromazine
Use: To treat a pet's obsessive behaviour, such as biting or scratching one particular area. Also used for skin conditions that itch and for granulomas (raised tissue) that the pet constantly licks.
Side-effects: Dry mouth, sedation, vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea, hyperactivity, low blood pressure. Can induce seizures and cause a neural block in the heart. It remains to be seen whether this powerful class of drugs causes the movement problems, such as tardive dyskinesia, in animals that it does in humans. Acepromazine can cause hypotension or too-low blood pressure.
Special warning: This should never be given to Boxers as the side-effects of acepromazine become exaggerated and may even prove fatal.

Immune-system depressants
Typical drugs: Cyclosporin, chlorambucil
Use: To treat the spiraling cases of autoimmune skin diseases, including plasma cell pododermatitis (mushy footpads that can develop to significant bleeding, pain and lameness; the cause is as yet unknown), lupus and inflammatory bowel disease.
Side-effects: Vomiting, diarrhoea, changes in hair quality, liver and kidney toxicity, suppression of bone marrow (affecting production of white and red blood cells) and an increased likelihood of infection.

NSAIDS
(non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
Typical drugs: Ibuprofen, carprofen
Use: To relieve pain and inflammation.
Side-effects: Great likelihood of ulcers even after just one or two doses, lethargy, vomiting, lack of appetite; can be fatal. Carprofen has been found to cause toxic liver reactions, so periodic liver function tests are recommended.
Special warning: Golden Retrievers in particular have reacted to carprofen.

Thyroxine
Use: For dogs or cats with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid).
Side-effects: Hyperthyroid-like characteristics such as excessive excitement, urination, drinking and panting.
Special warning: Use with caution in animals with diabetes, heart problems or addison's disease (disorder of the adrenal glands).

Worming agents
Typical drugs: Fenbendazole, metronidazole
Use: to rid dogs and cats of worms.
Side-effects: Anaphylactic shock, neurological signs; can cause death in 1-3 per cent of cases, and cause birth defects if administered to a pregnant animal

So I hope you got enough information on the different drugs that are used on our animals and the cautions that we should be watching out for. This ends part 2 of veterinary medicine.

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