A vet has spoken out against a vTikTok trend which he says could be very dangerous – if not fatal – to your dog.
Taking to TikTok, where he has some 210,000 followers, the veterinarian – who uses the handle @ben.the.vet – shared the information in a short clip.
Titled Ibuprofen is not safe for pets, it is among his many videos focusing on animal welfare topics.
Ben’s video was accompanied by a caption which outlined why people should only take advice from appropriately qualified professionals.
It said: ‘You should only take advice about medication to give your pet from a veterinary professional – not from someone on TikTok.
‘Other vets [including] @Cat The Vet have already posted highlighting how dangerous this advice is, but the video is still online and the original poster of this video has blocked me (fortunately I had already downloaded the video so I can post this!).’
The video started with a clip of an unnamed creator (whose face cannot be seen) saying: ‘You can give pets medicine what you give for kids [sic].
Footage then cut to Ben the Vet, who explained why this advice could not only be highly dangerous to people’s dogs, but potentially even kill them.
‘The advice given in this video is not correct,’ the trained professional explained.
‘Ibuprofen is not a safe painkiller to give to pets, and it’s concerning to see how many views this video has had and how many pets might be harmed by this advice.’
Ben then explained that ibuprofen can be ‘extremely toxic, particularly if given to small dogs or to cats’.
He continued: ‘It can cause kidney failure and stomach ulceration.
‘It can be fatal. These effects can build up over time, so it may not instantly make them unwell, but over time, it can make them very poorly.’
The veterinarian added: ‘This lady [from the original video] says she was given this advice by a vet that she knows personally.
‘But there must be some misunderstanding along the line, because ibuprofen is widely known to be harmful to give to pets.’
He added that the confusion could have come about because there are ‘some human painkillers that can be used in pets if they give them an appropriate dose’.
But, he continued: ‘There are some that are extremely toxic to cats. For instance, paracetamol should never be given to cats.
‘It can be prescribed to dogs, but it is legally a prescription-only medication, although it is available over the counter for humans, because it can be very harmful if it’s given at an inappropriate dose.’
Concluding the video, Ben said: ‘The poster of the [original] video says that she’s posted it because she’s hoping to save people money, and I completely understand that reasoning.
‘But that video is not going to save people money if it puts people’s animals in kidney failure and makes them very unwell.’
A number of people took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the information shared in the video.
One wrote: ‘Never would give any of my dogs anything that isn’t prescribed by the vet. But then I also don’t post on social media if I think they are unwell they go to the vet.’
Another added: ‘Our dog had to be rushed to the vets after he managed to grab a tube of ibuprofen! So dangerous!’
‘If your pet is in pain they need to see a vet anyway, don’t go medicate them on your own,’ another viewer advised.
A further TikTok user told the vet they were grateful for his animal welfare advice.
They wrote: ‘Thank you for continuing to educate so many people, I always find your videos very useful and always learn something new. Really appreciate all you do!’
Meanwhile, a commentator who said they were a pharmacist, shared their own perspective on the situation.
They wrote: ‘As a pharmacist it drives me up the wall when people come in to buy liquid human meds for animals. Legally speaking, we cannot knowingly sell them for use in animals and the amount of fuss the person trying to buy them usually kicks up is crazy.’
