For most of us, medicating a pet at home is no big deal. Pets often have minor ailments that require at-home dosage under advisement from a vet. Some of these medications double as medications used by humans – for example, many anti-anxiety medications transfer across species, with different dosages.
But in rare circumstances, medicating a pet at home becomes a big deal. One Olympian faced a potential doping ban over medication she never took, but administered to her ailing pet.
Rules That Hurt Athletes, Not Help?
Katerina Nash, a five-time Olympian representing the Czech Republic, just successfully finished a three-month investigation. The investigation was sparked after the discovery of minute traces of a banned substance in her system during a routine drug test. At the time, Nash was medicating her ailing Vizsla dog, Rubi.
“It’s devastating to think that, like, not washing my hands could ruin my entire career, being an athlete for 30 years,” the 45-year-old Nash told the Associated Press. “But there’s no regrets. I would not have cared for my dog in any different way. But in the end, I was touching this medicine every day for about three straight weeks.”
The investigation concluded without finding any inappropriate drug use by Nash. However, many have pointed out that it’s unfair that Nash faced investigation in the first place. Nash’s career riding on the back of such a small mistake is shocking to many of us who may medicate our pets on a daily basis without batting an eye.
Sadly, Rubi has since passed away. However, Nash clearly met her duties in the care of her beloved pet.
What Medications Overlap?
Most of us will never face scrutiny over our animal’s medications. However, is it possible for your pet’s meds to show up on a drug test? According to Honeybee Health, many medications are the same for pets and humans.
However, dosage can be massively different – if you take Prozac, your 10-pound Pomeranian would need a much smaller prescription than you! Even if you’re familiar with the medication your pet needs through your own use, never medicate your pet without advisement from a vet.
