Animal Medicines

Should a person ever take medicine for an animal even if the medicine is similar in nature and name to that of human medicines...?

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Dear Rabbi,

Only your Family Doctor or other human physician should prescribe medication to a human.  Check with your doctor first.

[ireneo]

I know in my work we have some medicines that are the same as human varieties; they are even donated to us from the hospitals: amoxicillin, erythro eye ointment, keflex. But the biggest problem you would run into is calculating the proper dose. For every animal I treat I have to calculate the right dose plus different meds are given different ways - BID, TID, QID., orally, topically, IM.  I simply wouldn't recommend using your pet's meds for yourself or the other way around.