Minneapolis – September 15, 2026 -- A 15-minute shower was long enough for an Italian Mastiff puppy in Columbia, South Carolina, to pry open a drawer, chew through a bottle of naproxen, and go into kidney failure, according to Pet Poison Helpline.
One tablet of a common painkiller can be fatal to dogs and cats
Owner Jim Wren said his puppy, Phaedra, got into an old bottle of his grandmother's naproxen while he was out of the room. Naproxen, an over-the-counter NSAID used by humans for pain and inflammation, has a very narrow margin of safety in animals -- as little as one 220mg tablet can trigger severe symptoms or death, per Dr. Renee Schmid, senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline.
Bloodwork showed kidney damage and anemia within hours
Wren rushed Phaedra to Four Paws Animal Clinic in Columbia, where veterinarians said she might not survive. Initial tests showed kidney damage already underway and anemia consistent with gastrointestinal bleeding. The clinic's medical team consulted Pet Poison Helpline's toxicology staff to build a treatment plan based on the size of the ingestion and Phaedra's symptoms.
Aggressive treatment included IV fluids and monitoring for a possible transfusion
Recommended care included intravenous fluid therapy to support kidney recovery, medication for gastrointestinal ulceration, anti-nausea drugs, and close monitoring of red blood cell counts and kidney values in case a blood transfusion became necessary. Dr. Schmid said the anemia and kidney injury would likely have been fatal without the clinic's rapid intervention.
Phaedra spent three weeks in recovery before returning to full health
Wren monitored Phaedra at home for three weeks, bringing her back for follow-up bloodwork and treatment while she followed a special diet and medication schedule. She has since fully recovered. Wren now warns that larger, more resourceful dogs -- Phaedra can open drawers, three-foot trash cans, and reach kitchen counters -- require extra vigilance around household medications.
Pet Poison Helpline publishes recovery stories like Phaedra's through its Toxin Tails series to warn pet owners about common poisoning risks, noting the campaign will end in late 2026.