Content
- dog in pain
- Pain Medications in Dogs
- Anti-inflammatory for dogs
- painkillers for dogs
- What medicine can you give to a dog in pain? - Home remedies
- Human Medicines for Pain in Dogs
Realizing that your dog is in pain is a situation that worries any guardian. So it's easy to be tempted to run to the home medicine cabinet and give them the pills that work for us. However, dogs are not like people, so if you ask yourself what medicine can you give to a dog in pain, who will have the answer will always be the veterinarian.
In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will review the medicines used to relieve pain in dogs, what measures you can take at home and why it is important to see a professional.
dog in pain
On some occasions, it will be very obvious to you that something is hurting your dog. However, this is not always so simple, as a dog in pain may not complain, or manifesting it through symptoms that we haven't identified. For example, an older dog may avoid climbing stairs or furniture, and it's easy to attribute this only to age when it's actually a sign of pain. You may be suffering from an osteoarthritis. Others will stop eating instead. Therefore, any change in a dog's behavior is reason to veterinary consultation, especially if it belongs to the most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, puppies or specimens that have already been diagnosed with a disease.
On the other hand, it is difficult to assess the pain intensity, another fact that focuses on the importance of consulting the specialist. He alone can decide what you can give your dog in pain, as treatment must take into account the cause, the dog's condition, and whether it is an acute or chronic disorder. There are several causes of pain in dogs. Acute pain may be punctual and disappear after treatment, while chronic pain will continue over time. It is, for example, the one associated with degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis.
To help you know if your dog is in pain, we advise you to read this other article by PeritoAnimal about 10 signs of pain in dogs.
Also check out the following video that will show you 6 symptoms of a SICK DOG:
Pain Medications in Dogs
Analgesics are the most used drugs to combat pain. There are many to choose from and in different presentations such as pills, syrups or injectables. Therefore, it is a task that only the veterinarian can handle.
Anti-inflammatory for dogs
Within this group, we find drugs from the group NSAID, which means non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, such as carprofen, which can be used in long-term treatments. Aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen and meloxicam are also part of this group.
For more information, can you see this other article on can I give my dog anti-inflammatory drugs?
painkillers for dogs
There are also non-NSAID analgesics, such as Narcotic opioid analgesics and non-NSAID non-opioids. Remember that, like all medications, those used for pain, in addition to their benefits, also have adverse side effects. That's why it is necessary to always follow the recommendations and have the veterinarian's follow-up. These effects include the gastrointestinal ulcers, especially when this type of pain medication in dogs needs to be administered for a long period. In these cases, they are usually administered in combination with gastric mucosal protectors. They also produce other effects, such as:
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Bloody stools.
- Loss of appetite.
- Jaundice or yellowish color in the mucous membranes.
- Increased water intake.
- Increased elimination of urine.
- Skin rashes.
So, if you are wondering what can give your dog in pain, active principles such as the one mentioned above are recommended. carprofen, meloxicam or firocoxib. The veterinarian will tell you which is the most suitable for the pain the puppy is experiencing and how to administer it, since the route of administration must also be taken into consideration.
What medicine can you give to a dog in pain? - Home remedies
If you are wondering what medicine you can give to a dog in pain, in addition to medication, you can take steps at home to help alleviate the discomfort he is feeling. Likewise, depending on the pain, it is possible to resort to acupuncture rehabilitation techniques. However, the first thing, as always, is to have the veterinarian diagnosis to make sure we locate the focus of pain. These are the tips to complement the action of medications prescribed by the veterinarian:
- keep at rest: pain caused by damage to the joint or muscle requires exercise restriction, so the dog must be kept in a confined space, with no places where it can jump or climb, and walks must be done with a leash and leash to prevent let him play or run.
- comfort for rest: the dog's comfort contributes to its well-being, so it will need a comfortable, warm and clean resting place, avoiding obstacles such as stairs. For example, if he needs to get into the car, it's better to put a ramp for him.
- light diet: a light and always quality diet favors good digestive function and reduces discomfort. If the pain is located in the mouth, the texture of the food must be adapted.
- Apply heat: in certain cases, it is possible to apply heat to the painful area, always in accordance with the veterinary recommendation.
If your dog suffers from stomach pain, you can also refer to this other article on home remedies for stomach pain in dogs.
Human Medicines for Pain in Dogs
If it looks like your dog is in pain, you shouldn't go to your medicine cabinet. The pills that, for us, are in common use, can be bought without a prescription and seem effective and harmless, they can be fatal to your dog. So aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen are common medications in any medicine cabinet, and you may be tempted to give them to dogs when they seem to be in pain. However, the truth is that these medications are unsafe for puppies, as they are very sensitive to them, which means that they only tolerate very low doses. If you calculate the dose according to our parameters, it is easy to cause intoxication, with liver and kidney damage and even a fatal outcome. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea that may contain blood, and anorexia.
For this reason, other effective and safe painkillers are currently used for dogs, because they are specificallyformulated for them, and medications such as those mentioned are administered only if considered by the veterinarian, in very controlled doses and with strict monitoring. In summary, don't take unnecessary risks, never medicate your dog alone. If you want to know what medicine you can give to a dog in pain, ask your veterinarian.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to What medicine can you give to a dog in pain?, we recommend that you enter our Medicines section.