In 2005, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center received over 2,200 calls concerning accidental ingestion of antidepressant medications by pets. Most cases involved dogs, but cats, birds, and potbellied pigs were also exposed. Antidepressants are divided into groups depending on their effects on the central nervous system (CNS) neu-rotransmitters dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. Abnormal levels of these neurotransmitters are associated with depression, migraine, bipolar disorder,and anxiety. An antidepressant's effectiveness and potential side effects are determined by its specificity for each neurotrans-mitter. The major antidepressant groups encountered in cases of accidental ingestion are tricyclic antide-pressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and novel (or atypical) antidepressants.
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