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The poisoning of pets, particularly cats, by a common over-the-counter topical drug has surged nearly 1000% over the past decade. The drug is minoxidil, better known by its brand name Romaine. This medication is often applied as a foam or as a liquid by many men and some women in an effort to regrow hair on their balding scalps. It turns out that minoxidil is toxic to animals, particularly cats, since they lack the liver enzymes to properly metabolize it. Most animals are exposed to minoxidil by licking off human skin or absorbing it through their own skin after resting on contaminated surfaces.

Dematologists at New York’s Weill Cornell Medical College have performed a meta-analysis of literature studies reporting the adverse effects of this drug on cats and some dogs.

The review found 94 animals were poisoned by minoxidil, and that number included 65 cats and 26 dogs. Nearly all, 98% of the animals exposed to minoxidil required hospitalizations. This drug killed about 15% of the cats but none of the dogs due to lower feline body weights and fewer liver enzymes. The sickened animals developed heart failure, pulmonary edema, and serious metabolic disorders including metabolic acidosis, low blood sugar, hepatitis, and pancreatitis.

If you have minoxidil and cats and/or dogs in your home, be extremely careful about how you use the drug around your pets. Their health and lives could depend on it. Store this product safely, wash your hands after use, keep pets away from recently treated areas, and discard used materials in sealed bins. If you have a pet and need to use minoxidil, you can ask your medical team about switching to an oral formulation that would be safer for your pets.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019096222500595X

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/inside-topical-minoxidils-toxic-threat-household-pets-2025a1000beg

#minoxidil #rogaine #cats #dogs #poisoning