Naproxen - harmful to dogs

[BabyElephant]

I feel so guilty, I left my handbag (zipped up) on the side, my purse was in it and inside my purse was some naproxen tablets - the anti-inflammatories that I am taking for my "illness".

Well, this morning, Poppy got in to my handbag, in to my purse and ate some of the tablets. I don't know how many because I can't remember how many were in there. I think somewhere between 1 and 3.

I called the emergency vet and they called the national poision centre - they are harmful to dogs. I took her down to the vets, they said there would be an emergency consultation fee - I don't care, I just want her to be OK.

She looked fine but I didn't want to take the risk - I wanted to check she was OK. The vet told me that naproxen can cause stomach ulcers, and kidney and liver failure. He said that because I had got her down there in time, and that because she hadn't been vomiting, she would hopefully be OK with the tablets they were going to give me for her. However, if she takes a turn for the worst I have to take her straight back and they will put her on a drip.

She has now got to take these tablets, 1/4 a day for the next 10 days. I explained to him how guilty I felt and he said that it wasn't my fault. He would have "told me off" if I'd have just left them on the side for her to get but because they were on the side, in a purse inside a zipped handbag, it wasn't really my fault.

I just hope she's going to be OK - I can't stop beating myself up about how stupid I was... I have been crying at the thought that she might end up being really ill because of my stupidity and because of something that could so easily have been prevented.

[AlphaMale]

I am glad that the doctor think she will be OK.

I think the ulcer problem is for long term usage not overdose.

I hope she will be fine.

[Moo]

Don't worry, BabyE, Alpha is probably right, the symptoms are probably for long term usage, not one time use. Keep a good eye on her, but I'm sure she'll be fine.

But what's done is done, all we can do is take precautions for next time.

[Dax]

Baby.. don't blame yourself. It is just one of life's little adventures. I'm sure she'll be fine because she has you as a mommy and you probably haven't let her out of your sight since you've come home. If she so much as hiccups, you'll know it.

Try to relax. And by the way thanks for sharing this experience. I'm sure it's going to save someone here a similar experience.

[BabyElephant]

Dax - one of life's little adventures - mmm, you could call it that. I never knew owning a dog would be this challenging! Who would have thought she could unzip a bag, take out the purse and open that too??? Do you know the strange thing though, I had a £20 note in there, she always shreds paper if she can get at it, but she didn't even touch the £20 - she got it out of the purse but left it on the floor.

Alpha - the medication that she is on partially stops the production of acid in stomach cells - this is to prevent the stomach ulcers I guess. Hopefully she won't have any long term problems, like you said, it's probably long term use that does that.

Moo, as for precautions, my handbag is never going to be left unattended in the same room as her. It appears that even innocent items can potentially cause our dogs harm.

[Moo]

Exactly, that's all it takes. I once bought a new set of highlighters.... The kind with the clear wet ink cartridges so you could see how much ink is left. I left it on my desk, and guess who ate them in the time that I wasn't in the room! Ate the plastic, and what ink that he didn't slurp up was absorbed into his white fur to make a tye-dye dog. It's all fun and games to them.

[erdog3]

The joys of puppies, they are just like small children, they will get into anything.
It's a wonder my Sophie is still alive, she has always been the problem child for that kind of thing..ate/eats anything..still.
Cigarette butts, asbestos, plaster, pens, balloons, my pills, soap, sponges, yep she has ingested all that and more.
It is all a learning curve, you do your best to prevent it, but sometimes these children can be pretty determined.
Who would ever thought she would jump up in the bathroom and grab a bar of soap to eat...she did.
And you know what, if she had half the chance she would do it again...Solvo soap for gods sake. What a Dog.
It has happened to me Baby, and it will probably happen again.
Don't beat yourself up over it. Poppy will probably find something else next.
My worst was when ellie ate the electricity plug of our Air con. Lucky it wasn't plugged in.