1. Contact your veterinarian immediately.
  2. Your veterinarian may instruct you to induce vomiting, however, do not induce vomiting unless instructed to.
  3. Bring the medication your animal ingested along with the label or package insert to allow your veterinarian to calculate the dose received.
  4. If your pet has ingested more than one type of antidepressant, please notify your vet immediately as it increases the risk of your animal developing serotonin syndrome, which is life threatening and more complicated to treat.

OTHER NAMES

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; Fluoxetine HCl (Prozac), Paroxetine (Paxil), Sertraline (Zoloft), Trazodone (Desyrel), Citalopram (Celexa), Escitalopram (Lexapro), Fluvoxamine (Luvox)

TOXICITY

MODERATE

CLINICAL SIGNS

Clinical signs appear within 30 minutes to four hours of ingestion.

  • Lethargy/depression
  • Agitation/excitement
  • Vomiting
  • Uncoordinated gait (ataxia)
  • Tremors
  • Dilated pupils (mydriasis)
  • Increased heart rate (tachycardia)
  • Seizures

EFFECTS OF TOXICITY

SSRI toxicity occurs due toan increased level of serotonin in the central nervous system. If an animal ingests multiple types of antidepressants, they may develop serotonin syndrome which can be life threatening.

TREATMENT

Veterinary care consists of decontamination which may include gastric lavage and activated charcoal. Intravenous fluids, anti-convulsants and anti-histamines may be administered as required.

REFERENCES

Plumb DC (2011) Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook 7th Edn. Iowa, USA:Wiley-Blackwell

Wismer T (2000) Antidepressant drug overdoses in dogs. Veterinary Medicine. 95(7): 520-525

Wismer T (2006) Antidepressant Drug Overdoses. Veterinary technician. May: 278-281

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