Content
- What is tramadol for dogs for?
- Tramadol presentations for dogs
- Tramadol for dogs: dosage
- Tramadol for dogs: side effects
- Tramadol in dogs: contraindications
- Tramadol interactions for dogs
tramadol is a opioid analgesic which as such is used to relieve pain. In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will talk about tramadol for dogs, how it is used, what it is for and what its possible side effects are. An extremely important issue when human medications are mentioned is that they should only be used if a trained veterinary professional has prescribed the proper treatment for your dog. If you choose to medicate him yourself, you run the risk of seriously poisoning him. Keep reading this article to find out what is tramadol for in dogs and what is the proper dose.
What is tramadol for dogs for?
Tramadol, or tramadol hydrochloride for dogs, is a synthetic opioid that acts against pain and also has an antitussive effect. It is a product that is sold without a prescription and is used in both veterinary and human medicine. Tralieve is the name of tramadol registered for veterinary use.
Analgesics are medications used to fight pain. There is a wide variety of medications available on the market with this function, so it is crucial that your veterinarian, depending on the characteristics of the dog and the pain he is suffering, will decide which is the most suitable medication. An example of its use would be the tramadol for dogs with arthrosisin order to reduce the pain that this condition produces. In the following article, we explain in more detail everything related to osteoarthritis in dogs, the treatment, symptoms and recommended causes.
Tramadol presentations for dogs
This drug is marketed in different presentations, which facilitates its administration and dosage. In general, for larger dogs, it's easier to choose the tramadol in pills, as it is relatively easy to make dogs ingest them, since this medication can be administered alone or with food.
For smaller size puppies, however, it may be easier to dose using the tramadol drops for dogs. In other cases, especially when the animal cannot ingest or is in more serious circumstances, the veterinarian may resort to the injectable tramadol.
Tramadol for dogs: dosage
How much tramadol can a dog take? At doses of tramadol for dogs can only be prescribed by the veterinarian. The amount of medication to be administered depends on several factors, such as the condition and size of the dog, the effect that needs to be achieved, or the administration schedule. It is important to respect the veterinarian's instructions, as an excessive dose can be harmful to the animal.
Also find out if you can give ibuprofen to dogs in this PeritoAnimal article.
Tramadol for dogs: side effects
Like any medication, tramadol can be responsible for the occurrence of adverse side effects after its administration, although, in general, it is a product that seems to be well tolerated by dogs. When this is the case, you must immediately inform the veterinarian if it becomes necessary to modify the treatment, stop it or change the medication. You symptoms associated with tramadol they affect, above all, the nervous system, for it is there that the active substance produces its effect. The signs to be considered are as follows:
- Sedation;
- Agitation;
- Anxiety;
- Tremors;
- Lack of appetite;
- Vomiting;
- Constipation;
- Diarrhea.
If the dose administered is too high, poisoning with respiratory compromise, seizures, heart failure and death. As these cases are emergency, immediate veterinary attention is needed to initiate supportive care and administer medications to control the symptoms produced.
Tramadol in dogs: contraindications
Like any other medication, it is completely contraindicated to administer tramadol to dogs that have already had any type of hypersensitivity to this drug. Likewise, it is not a suitable drug for pregnant or lactating bitches, nor for puppies with the following characteristics:
- It is not recommended to use tramadol or tralieve in epileptic dogs, as it can increase the number of episodes. For these cases, we recommend reading this article with all the information related to epilepsy in dogs;
- It is also not recommended to use tramadol for dogs with severe respiratory problems;
- It is also necessary to take care when administering this medication if the dog suffers from kidney or liver disease, if you are too weak or too old. So if you ask yourself if you can use tramadol in dogs with kidney failure, the answer is no, although the last word is from the specialist dealing with the case.
Tramadol interactions for dogs
Sometimes the veterinarian may find it appropriate to use more than one medication to treat the same medical condition. At drug combinations can only be prescribed by that professional. The use of medications on their own can cause the active ingredients, when interacting, to lose their effects or even be harmful. An example of a positive combination is the meloxicam with tramadol for newly operated dogs, as it has been proven that this is a joint that relieves pain in these situations.[1]
It is important to be careful with the association of the paracetamol and tramadol, since it is a combination used in humans but that can be problematic for dogs, which are more sensitive to this drug and can suffer intoxication.
See also which are the 4 prohibited human remedies for dogs in this PeritoAnimal article.
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.