Carprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the propionic acid class, is commonly used in small-animal practice for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic properties.

A variety of risk factors exist for carprofen toxicosis. Animals with any previous reaction to the drug are at risk.

Combine more than 14.6 million asthmatic people in the United States with more than 61.5 million playful pet dogs, and it's a sure bet that some curious Fidos will bite into their owners' life-saving inhalers.

Melamine and cyanuric acid:
An update on what practitioners need to know

Two substances, aminopterin and melamine, have been identified in some of the tested samples of the recalled pet foods manufactured by Menu Foods (www.menufoods.com). How these substances entered the pet food chain hasn't been determined. Investigators also don't know whether these substances are the sole cause of the illness associated with ingestion of the recalled food; other as yet unknown factors are likely to be involved.

In suspected cases of toxicosis, reduce errors and receive more meaningful results by spending more time up-front communicating with and acquiring specimens for the diagnostic toxicology laboratory.