Top Ten Potential Drug Interactions in Small Animal Medicine

Today, comorbidities are increasingly diagnosed in veterinary patients and multiple drug combinations are common. However, as the number of administered drugs increases, so too does the risk for adverse drug interactions. Much of what is known about drug-drug interactions is taken from the human literature, but a growing body of work in veterinary medicine also exists. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of potential drug interactions in humans and dogs for ten ‘at risk’ drugs used in small animal medicine: cimetidine, sucralfate, ketoconazole, fluoroquinolone antibiotics, omeprazole, phenobarbital, clomipramine, furosemide, metoclopramide, and cyclosporine. Increased awareness of these potential drug interactions will enhance therapeutic decision-making and improve the level of care for veterinary patients.