Illicit fentanyl is poisoning pets, study shows – PsyPost
A newly published study offers a rare glimpse into how the opioid crisis may be affecting not only humans but also the animals they live with. According to findings published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, over a four-year period, more than 100 household pets—mostly dogs and a few cats—were reported to have been exposed to illicit fentanyl in the United States and Canada. These exposures resulted in a wide range of concerning symptoms, such as lethargy, uncoordinated movement, and in some cases, signs of serious toxicity.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is significantly more potent than heroin or morphine. While it is sometimes used in medical settings, particularly in pain management, illicit versions have become increasingly common in the illegal drug supply. Because it is cheap to manufacture and highly potent, fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, sometimes without the user’s knowledge. This has contributed to a dramatic increase in opioid-related poisonings and deaths across North America.
Previous studies have highlighted the risk of fentanyl exposure in children, especially when the drug is accidentally ingested in household settings. Pets, especially cats and dogs, are also frequent members of these same households and tend to explore their surroundings using their mouths and noses. This behavior puts them at risk of accidentally ingesting or inhaling small but toxic amounts of fentanyl, whether from loose powder, pills, or contaminated objects such as foil, straws, or syringes.
The research team conducted the new study to better understand how often these exposures occur in pets, what types of exposures are most common, and what signs of illness appear in affected animals. Their findings offer insight into how the ongoing drug epidemic is extending beyond human health and into the lives of domestic animals.
“Illicit fentanyl contributes to many overdoses in the United States,” said study author Orrin D. Ware, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “This study highlights the potential risk of exposure to illicit fentanyl for cats and dogs, the two most common household pets in the country. To do this, we analyzed 24-hour call center data from ASPCA Poison Control to identify the most common clinical signs reported after these exposures.”
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