FDA Issues a Warning Because People Are Stealing Their Pets' Opioids

[Judi Lynn]

Tragic and disturbing.

MIKE MCRAE 17 AUG 2018
The opioid crisis in the US has been big news in recent years, drawing public attention to problems surrounding how we use and abuse pain-killers.

Now the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reminding veterinarians of a concerning trend among pet owners, who are taking opioids prescribed for their poor companion.

Last Wednesday, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb published a statement online highlighting a rarely considered access point for illicit access to opioid medications.

"One such important care group is veterinarians who may prescribe them to manage pain in animals," says Gottlieb, acknowledging there has been little information on the risks of addiction within easy reach.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/opioid-diverting-pets-addiction-fda-response-assists-veterinarians

[KT2000]

1. am I wrong?

I didn't think cats could take opioids because it damages their brains. Would this be just about dogs?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. Why are pets being prescribed opiods in the first place?

I can't begin to imagine why this is taking place. Well okay, pain in animals is real, but there can't be THAT many pets being prescribed opiods? Really?

[montanacowboy]

3. Yes

Dogs with severe hip problems need this medication Our old Aussie could not live without them. He literally cannot walk at all without them. They are like a miracle giving him added life.He weighs 80 pounds and we cannot lift him up. Before he got the pills we had to carry him in a sling so he could potty and my back can't take it. He takes Tramadol and Carprofen. I have to request the prescription 2 days in advance from the Vet and someone has to unlock the medication cabinet and only the Vet is allowed to do that.

[Doreen]

4. Pets have the same pain from the same things as we do and opioids help them also.

Besides, who do you think they tested these drugs on before they used them on humans? Most drugs we as people take animals take the same thing for their health issues.

[hlthe2b]

5. Chronic intractable pain especially from cancer or severely debilitating advanced arthritis.

Dogs don't live as long as humans, but that only means they are "quicker" to advance to that stage of life and there are more of them being treated to increase quality of life--even while life may not be extended.

So, no, you could not be more wrong. The trend of treating pain aggressively, including opiates, is not (nor should it be) merely a factor in human medicine.

Veterinarians are already aware of this problem--including the unconscionable factor of some people hurting their animals to get these drugs.