A 50-year-old female was found on exam to have a 2 x 3 cm thin erythematous plaque on her left, proximal upper arm. Biopsy confirmed superficial BCC. Treatment options were reviewed, and the patient elected to proceed with topical 5-FU therapy. Few days later, the patient informed their provider that her dog had ingested a full tube of her 5-FU cream and died. Topical Medications have severe toxic effects on household pets on ingestion. However, a preliminary literature search demonstrated limited articles on topical toxicity in pets in the dermatology space. Therefore, we seek to review topical medications linked to toxicity in household pets. This review will aid in creating a comprehensive guide to inform clinical dermatologists and patients alike of the adverse effects of topically prescribed medications on their pets. A scoping review was selected as the majority of information on topical medication toxicity are case reports. The objective of this review is to examine the prevalence, severity and quality of evidence on pet toxicity related to topical medications prescribed by dermatologists. Our goal is to provide an overview of the scope of existing evidence for provider education and also identify gaps in knowledge for future research.
