There are many things that are helpful to humans that are dangerous to our pets. In this edition of Pet Pointers, Lisa Chelenza has an alert about a common asthma medication that can be lethal if swallowed by your pets.

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From aspirin to chocolate, there is a wide variety of things that are fine for people, but can be deadly to our pets. The latest human medication that is showing up on the radar of veterinarians across the country is the common inhaled asthma medication "albuterol." While it can be prescribed by vets for use in animals, Dr. Maureen Luschini explains why this inhaled asthma medication is particularly dangerous.

“The major problem we see when dogs ingest i it can have very toxic effects on the heart, and it causes very low potassium levels which can be life threatening, again because of the effects it has on the heart," said Dr. Luschini.

While an overdose of any medication can be extremely dangerous, the complications that can come from your dog swallowing the container itself can be deadly.

If your animal does swallow an inhaler, it is likely that your vet will have to perform surgery to remove it. The command “leave it!” can be life-saving if you have a mischievous dog that likes to chew on things.

If your pet chews and swallows any human medication or their containers call your vet as soon as possible and they can tell you what to do next.