A woman recently recounted the alarming incident when her boyfriend mistakenly gave her dog human medication.

Instead of the prescribed treatment for a urinary tract infection (UTI), Beckey Carstens’ boyfriend unintentionally dosed their dog, Nellie, with Ambien.

‘I take a considerable dose of Ambien,’ Beckey humorously noted, as outlined in a press release from Pet Poison Helpline. ‘I needed a refill, so the nearly empty bottle was left on the counter next to our dogs’ medication.’

She explained that she had entrusted her boyfriend with the care of their two dogs, one being Nellie, while she was out.

However, upon returning home, he informed her that he had administered medication to both dogs, which sent her into a frenzy.

‘I knew something was wrong because we had run out of Nellie’s UTI treatment,’ she shared in distress.

Beckey quickly realized that her boyfriend had mistaken an Ambien tablet for Nellie’s medication.

Upon discovering this mistake, Beckey promptly called her veterinarian, who advised her to reach out to the Pet Poison Helpline.

Rather than giving Nellie her medication for a urinary tract infection (UTI), Beckey Carstens’ boyfriend mistakenly gave the pup Ambien.

According to WebMD, Ambien is a sedative-hypnotic medication typically prescribed for insomnia and to assist individuals in falling asleep quickly.

The confusion arose easily, as Beckey had prescriptions for both dogs that came in different colored bottles from separate veterinary clinics.

One prescription bottle was brown, while Nellie’s medication came in blue. The Ambien also had a brown bottle, leading to the mix-up.

‘Since my Ambien bottle was brown, he mistakenly assumed it was Nellie’s medication because it was alongside our other dog’s pills,’ Beckey explained.

‘I hadn’t noticed the color difference before, but when he informed me he had given both dogs their medications, I immediately sensed something was off,’ she recounted.

Without delay, she took Nellie to an emergency veterinary clinic in Omaha, Nebraska, where they coordinated with the Pet Poison Helpline.

Beckey was shocked to discover that many vets are not specialized in toxicology and often need guidance from poison control experts to treat cases like Nellie’s.

The veterinary team induced vomiting, administered activated charcoal to mitigate absorption of the drug, and provided Nellie with IV fluids while closely monitoring her overnight.

Beckey realized the gravity of the mistake and contacted her vet, who advised her to get in touch with the Pet Poison Helpline (stock image).

‘Nellie is doing fine now, but it was a frightening and costly experience,’ Beckey shared, noting the expenses totaled around $1,200 even with insurance.

Dr. Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline, emphasized the importance of keeping human and pet medications distinct and stored separately.

‘If you have multiple pets, it’s even more crucial to organize their medications independently to avoid mix-ups that could lead to severe consequences if an inappropriate medication is given,’ she advised.

Additionally, she cautioned pet owners against giving medications to multiple animals simultaneously.

‘You might accidentally drop a pill, and another pet could grab it before you even realize it!’ she explained.

She offered a final tip: ‘Ensure that your pets are not around when you take your own medications, as any spills could pose significant risks.’