It’s awful when our pets are ill. Naturally, we want to relieve them from pain or any inconvenience. But you should know that what’s good for humans can be very harmful to dogs.
Therefore, you should understand what meds can you give your dog for the pain to help it without making things worse.
What You Must Never Give Your Dog for Pain Relief
Certain meds will do more harm than good if you give them to your pet. Most of the painkillers we are used to are forbidden for dogs. If the medication is over-the-counter, it is something you can’t give your dog.
Three meds you can never give your dog:
- Ibuprofen
- Acetaminophen
- Naproxen
Often these meds have various trade names in different areas. So, it’s better to find out how these medications called in your country.
These painkillers are all NSAIDs (except for Acetaminophen), which stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. They treat a wide range of illnesses that cause pain, swelling, and fever.
These drugs are very convenient to use. However, they’re not entirely safe for humans, let alone dogs. NSAIDs will relieve your pet from pain. But they will cause a lot of other health problems.
NSAIDs can lead to stomach ulceration, kidney failure, seizures, and even coma. That’s why you should never give them to your pet.
Other side effects NSAIDs cause:
- Weakness
- Liver failure
- Kidney and liver dysfunction
- Lethargy
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Internal bleeding
- Death
How To Give Drugs To my Dog?
- Put under the tongue
- Hide in food (keep in mind – not every dog will eat pills with food, but we know a few cases when dogs eating pills from dog feeders)
- Crush pills
Can you give Aspirin or baby Aspirin to your dog?
Baby Aspirin doesn’t look suspicious since you can give it to human babies. So how can it hurt an animal? And yes, vets can prescribe Aspirin as a short-term painkiller.
You must always give this drug to your dog after it just ate or during the meal. And it’s not a long-term solution. Aspirin can cause internal bleeding and kidney failure in animals. Therefore, you should give it to your pet only by the vet’s advice and only as a short-term treatment.
If Acetaminophen is not an NSAID, why can’t I give it to my dog?
Even though this drug is not an NSAID, it is just as dangerous. Therefore, you shouldn’t give it to your pet as a painkiller.
Which meds are safe?
Since animals can suffer from pain just like us, there are painkillers formulated especially for them.
Novox
Novox is an NSAID made for animals. Hence, it is way safer for dogs than human painkillers. It is known for treating arthritis, inflammation, and post-operative pain. However, even though it is formulated for dogs, it has side effects that are just as intense as any human NSAID.
Tramadol
It is considered to be okay for dogs, but it has its downsides. As the pain goes away, doctors advise taking the pet off Tramadol. And it is a long and tough process because this drug has serious withdrawal side effects that can be even worse than the initial pain.
Gabapentin
This drug is also common for treating pain in dogs. Especially when it’s neuropathic or chronic pain or seizures. Gabapentin is quite useful, but it has some side effects:
- Bulging eyes
- Lethargy
- Diarrhea
- Wobbliness
- Vomiting
- Depression
Are there any natural meds that are effective?
You can opt for natural remedies that can ease the pain for your pet. For example, Feverfew is known to help with arthritis pain and migraines.
Comfrey has proved to relieve pain in joints. However, you should keep doses small because too much of this drug can damage the animal’s liver.
Lately, CBD oil became a standard treatment for pain in dogs. There even are CBD dog treats in some areas. It is the best solution as it helps to relieve pain and doesn’t harm the animal.