Dog pills blamed in accident
An Iowa man who crashed his car and was arrested for driving while intoxicated, it turns out, was apparently suffering the effects of having taken his dog's pills by mistake.
Authorities say that blood tests showed Clarence Fenton had phenobarbital in his system when he hit a utility pole last November, according to an Associated Press story.
Phenobarbital is used to control seizures in people and pets.
Police say they found a bottle of pills prescribed for "Saturn" at the scene. They say Fenton admitted taking pills and that "Saturn" is his dog.
Officials with the Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center say people taking their pet's medicine by mistake is not uncommon. They say the center has taken about three similar calls this year.
Having come close to doing this myself a few times -- all those orange-ish pill bottles and small print labels look the same when I'm not wearing my glasses -- I propose veterinarians start using a different kind of pill bottle, one that is distinctly dog (or cat).
True, it would be cheaper if I just wore my classes, but for the lazy, absent-minded, stupid and preoccupied among us (I admit to degrees of all four), it might be a smart idea.
Comments
Pills from my vet (Dr. T on Light Street) are always in blue bottles ... easily distinguishable from the orange bottles used for "human" pills. It's been a long time since I've been to a different vet, but I guess I thought they all did that.
Posted by: Michelle | June 1, 2008 10:12 AM
Michelle, I was just going to post the same thing. Our veterinary prescription bottles are always blue. I've never seen a drug for humans in a bottle that color. Since we had kids, though they're now grown and gone, we've always kept medicines in a high cabinet in the kitchen. The dog's are in a different cabinet as well.
Posted by: Anne | June 1, 2008 3:19 PM
I guess its been awhile since I had a sick dog (knock on wood). I always remember them being orange, and I was always too stupid to store them in a separate place. I also keep the dog cookies and human cookies on the same shelf. Perhaps that explains my shiny coat.
Posted by: john | June 1, 2008 8:39 PM
We get some of our medications for the dog/cat from the regular pharmacy. Not only are they in the same bottles as meds for people, but they have the warning stickers, like "do not operate heavy machinery." I also always thought it was funny that they put the pet's name on the label in quotes, like "Max," as if the quotes would somehow indicate that it was a dog!
Posted by: Nadia | June 2, 2008 11:13 AM