1st May 2006

For the last two weeks, I have been giving my puppy the wrong prescription. What should I do?

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Question:

For the last two weeks, I have been giving my puppy the wrong prescription. I've been giving her Zanaflex 2mg tablets twice daily (treatment for multiple sclerosis for humans) instead of her Acepromazine 10mg tablets. She seems absolutely fine, but I am worried that something may happen to her further down the line. Please advise me.

Answer:

Zanaflex is a drug that is used to treat the uncontrolled muscle contractions that multiple sclerosis patients suffer. It is prescribed with caution and should certainly be treated with respect. It is potentially very dangerous to puppies and can cause liver failure, as well as lethargy and muscle weakness. You must take your puppy to be examined by your vet as soon as possible. They will probably advise blood tests to determine your puppy's liver function. It is a requirement of the law that all drugs are correctly labelled to prevent just this type of incident occurring. It is our responsibility to be very careful with all drugs that are prescribed, and they must be treated with the utmost respect. Each time any medication is given, the label on the packaging should be read to ensure that the correct drug and dose is being administered. Familiarity does breed contempt, but in the case of medications it must not!