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Treatment

• Mild to moderate — no treatment necessary
• If drug-induced, discontinuation of the drug
• Acetaminophen or ibuprofen overdose — vomiting induced immediately
• Inherited — animals have normal life expectancy and do not require treatment
• Severely anemic — blood transfusions
• Electrolyte imbalances resulting from vomiting, diarrhea, kidney injury, or impending shock may be treated with IVs
• In cases of severe anemia, methylene blue may be administered intravenously to reduce the methemoglobin count

Living and Management

Exercise extreme care when using acetaminophen and ibuprofen medications. If your pet has ingested them by accident, induce vomiting and take it to the veterinarian immediately. If you are giving your pet ibuprofen for pain, be alert for symptoms of anemia. Color should return to the skin and mucous membranes once the amount of methemoglobin in the blood has returned to a level that is not critical, and blood on the spot test appears bright red. If methylene blue treatment has been given, the proportion of red cells in the blood should be monitored closely.