Non prescription painkillers 27 April 2019 at 10:51PM in Pets & pet care 10 replies 8K views

gettingtheresometime

Is there any non prescription painkillers available for dogs?

(I'm not giving my dog any human painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen)

I only ask as we had some metacam from the vets a while back & whilst we didn't use it all for the initial complaint, we've used it all now & it would be handy to have pain relief if we felt the dog needed it eg tonight the dog got slightly injured and whilst we've cleaned the wound it's obviously hurt him so we gave him the last of the metacam.

(Again we'll keep the wound clean & an eye on it & if it needs a vet to have a look at it, he'll be taken)

sheramber

I don't know of any over the counter painkliiers specific to dogs.

elsien

I have given my dog human painkillers in the past but would always advise talking to a vet first.

Fire_Fox

gettingtheresometime wrote: »

Is there any non prescription painkillers available for dogs?

(I'm not giving my dog any human painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen)

I only ask as we had some metacam from the vets a while back & whilst we didn't use it all for the initial complaint, we've used it all now & it would be handy to have pain relief if we felt the dog needed it eg tonight the dog got slightly injured and whilst we've cleaned the wound it's obviously hurt him so we gave him the last of the metacam.

(Again we'll keep the wound clean & an eye on it & if it needs a vet to have a look at it, he'll be taken)

Nobody here is qualified to advise on either prescription or non prescription medication for dogs. Dogs are not all the same anyway.

Please ask your veterinary practice. They may be willing to prescribe a cheaper generic meloxicam (Metacam is the brand) after a telephone consultation or quick check by the vet nurse (cheaper than the vet, maybe even free).

Iwanttobefree

elsien wrote: »

I have given my dog human painkillers in the past but would always advise talking to a vet first.

Human painkillers such as paracetamol can be fatal for a small dog or a cat. It can cause severe damage to the liver and red blood cells.

Aspirin, Ibuprofen etc are even worse.

A big risk I would never recommend doing.

elsien

Aspirin was fine at the right dose. Gave it to my last for several years as and when, as there were no contra indications.

sheramber

years ago my vet advised me to give my dog a baby Aspirin

Iwanttobefree

elsien wrote: »

Aspirin was fine at the right dose. Gave it to my last for several years as and when, as there were no contra indications.

sheramber wrote: »

years ago my vet advised me to give my dog a baby Aspirin

Yep, in certain cases a vet will want Asprin administered, at a specific dose he/she prescribes for the size of your dog.

I'm simply saying that giving human painkillers without say so from your vet, which means you are guessing the dosage for your dog, is extremely dangerous and risky, and can easily kill.

Your posts might make some others think it's fine to give human painkillers to their animals without seeking advice from a vet first, when it's extremely dangerous.


https://www.ndsr.co.uk/en-GB/specialist-referral-service/pet-health-information/anaesthesia/can-i-give-human-painkillers-to-my-pet

Can a human painkiller kill my pet?

Yes! Every species is different and what is safe for humans can be fatal to a dog or cat. Never administer human medications to your pet unless instructed to do so by your veterinary surgeon. In addition, even painkillers used in animals are not necessarily safe for all species of animal, and you should not attempt to use a painkiller in one species, such as a cat, because you know you can use it in another e.g. a dog.

Can I give ibuprofen to my pet?

Ibuprofen (Nurofen) and naproxen are common and effective medications used to treat inflammation and pain in humans, but they should not be given to pets. These drugs can be toxic (poisonous) to dogs and cats, although cats are much more susceptible to this toxicity than dogs. A single 200 milligram ibuprofen tablet can be toxic to a cat or a small dog. Toxic effects can occur rapidly and damage the kidneys and stomach.

Do not give Ibuprofen to your dog or cat under any circumstances!

Is aspirin safe for my pet?

Giving too large a dose of aspirin may be toxic to your pet. If given without food, aspirin can cause ulcers in the stomach. An adult aspirin, which is 320 mg, would be toxic for a 5 kilogram dog. Aspirin is not tolerated by young dogs, since they lack the enzymes necessary to process the aspirin in their body. The same is true for most cats.

Do not give aspirin to your puppy or to your cat!

I heard paracetamol is the safest painkiller – can I give it to my pet?

Paracetamol is a very popular painkiller in humans but it can be toxic or fatal in small animals. Dogs are less sensitive to paracetamol than cats. A 20 kilogram dog would need to ingest over seven 500mg tablets in order to suffer toxic effects. In cats, one 250mg paracetamol tablet could be fatal. Cats are at much greater risk of toxicity than dogs because they lack certain proteins necessary for the liver to safely metabolise or process paracetamol. Paracetamol causes severe damage to the liver and red blood cells.

Do not give paracetamol to your cat under any circumstances!

How to avoid a tragedy

Never give human medications to your pet unless specially directed to do so by your vet. There are other drugs that have similar beneficial effects but which are safe for your pet and licensed for use in animals. It is important to seek the advice of your vet if you think your pet is in pain, and to follow their instructions carefully. Keep all medications in a secure place, out of reach of your pet.

and there's tons of other UK vet sites saying exactly the same thing. eg:

https://www.vets-now.com/pet-care-advice/what-can-i-give-my-dog-for-pain/

https://www.dogtips.co.uk/aspirin-for-dogs/

https://lamondvet.co.uk/9-human-medicines-that-can-be-fatal-to-pets/

etc etc

sheramber

I did say it was on vet's advice. I did not imply it was okay for anybody just to give it.

All painkillers, even animal ones, can cause problems.

A friend's dog died from a stomach ulcer from taking Metacam under vet supervision.

Metacam can also damage the kidneys but it is widely prescribed.

I have today been given Loxicom( Metacam) for one of my dogs and my vet advised me of all the possible side effects and instructed me to stop giving it if these arose.

Iwanttobefree

sheramber wrote: »

I did say it was on vet's advice. I did not imply it was okay for anybody just to give it.

I wasn't meaning to be rude to you or elsien.

I was just worried that someone hard up, worried about vet bills, might skim through this thread, and presume they were fine to give them without vets advice, I didn't mean to imply you had said that.

sorry, I didn't mean to have a go at you (often struggle to get my point across properly)

suki1964

No longer a dog owner, and whilst id administer human anti histamine and eye drops ( on the vets advice ), Id never administer human painkillers without the express permission of my vet




All my pets have been prescribed metacam - dogs, cats, ducks, rabbits - and not all the same make up so often having 2 types in the house. But it works and use it wisely with the support of a vet, it works well