Recently, the FDA put out a warning about owners abusing their pet's drugs. To make matters worse, some veterinarians have seen cases where pet owners intentionally hurt their pets by physically injuring them or feeding them an inappropriate diet in an attempt to get their hands on a controlled substance drug - in the form of a veterinary prescription.
Sadly, only 17 states mandate that veterinarians report pet abuse when they become aware of it, which means people harming their pets to take veterinary prescribed drugs may be a much bigger problem than we imagine. Another factor to consider is that currently there are no animal specific opioids on the market. Pets take the same kind of opioids humans do, making animal painkillers very attractive to drug addicts. Perhaps animal specific drugs containing controlled substances could be the solution to this serious problem?