Antibiotic Cream Fluorouracil May Be Deadly To Dogs, Warns FDA

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a report in which it issued a warning to those using fluorouracil, an antibiotic cream for cancer patients, as it may be deadly to dogs if ingested.

The officials at the FDA revealed that the agency had received several reports pertaining to the deaths of dogs exposed to fluorouracil.

"If your medicine contains fluorouracil, immediately move it somewhere out of reach of your pets and keep them from licking your skin where you've applied the medicine," the FDA report said.

The FDA said that fluorouracil is a chemotherapy drug used to treat some types of skin cancers, as well as a condition called solar or actinic keratosis, which may lead to skin cancer.

"It's also used to treat warts in children and occasionally in veterinary medicine to treat cancers in horses," the FDA added,

It is pertinent to mention that if anyone notices symptoms of fluorouracil poisoning—which include vomiting, shaking and diarrhea—can show within 30 minutes, while death may occur within six to 12 hours after exposure.

The FDA has asked manufacturers of this antibiotic cream to add new wording to the labels warning about the ‘danger to pets’.

"These reports triggered the FDA to work with the companies marketing fluorouracil creams to include label information warning pet owners to keep these products out of the reach of pets," an FDA spokesperson told the media.

As per the report of FDA, the symptoms of antibiotic cream poisoning are not found in other pets. However, the FDA has advised pet owners to keep fluorouracil stored at a safe place away from the pets' reach. Moreover, the empty containers must be disposed of in a receptacle that is not accessible to pets, especially dogs.