Tramadol is prescribed for people, but it's also a pain medication for dogs. It's one of the few medications that vets can safely give your dog, and it has potentially fewer side effects than other opioids.
Give tramadol exactly as it was prescribed for your pet. For pain relief, the usual dose in dogs is 0.45-1.8 mg/lb of pet's weight given by mouth every 8-12 hours. For treating chronic cancer pain in dogs, the usual dose is 0.45-1.8 mg/lb of pet's weight given by mouth every 6 hours.
In dogs, Tramadol is dosed most often at 1 to 2 mg per pound (2 to 4 mg/kg) every 8 to 12 hours for post-operative pain relief. Higher doses may be used but the dose should be individualized to the lowest effective dose. The dose range for Tramadol is 2 to 5 mg per pound (4 to 10 mg/kg) orally every 8 hours.
Due to tramadol's wide safety margin, its dosing varies and is dictated by the degree of pain and administration of other medications. Suggested doses fall within 2-5mg/kg every 8-12 hours. The highest dose is 10mg/kg every 8 hours. If tramadol is given alone, the dosing may need to be increased to every 6 hours.
Are there any potential side effects? Side effects could include sedation, tremors, dizziness, anxiety, decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation in dogs.
Tramadol is one of the few medications that can be used for humans and dogs with largely similar effects. In most cases, it's the same drug with different doses given for humans and different animals. Because of the difference in dosing, you should never give your dog “human tramadol” if you have it.
Tramadol is safe for dogs when you use it as instructed by your vet. There are some cases where your dog shouldn't be prescribed tramadol, including if they: Take monoamine oxidase inhibitor medications. Take serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications.
Never use your own medication on your pet.
Tramadol pills must be cut into small pieces for proper doses of cats and very small dogs. The cut pills have a bad taste and may not be accepted by some pets especially long term.
Dog Tramadol is an opioid drug used to alleviate moderate to severe pain in canines. It has a similar effect as it does in humans, but the Tramadol dosage for dogs is much smaller and determined very carefully by a veterinarian based on weight, size, and health history.
You can't crush Tramadol, it makes it not work correctly. If you find you can't give Tramadol to your dog any other way, you should ask your vet for another medication. Tramadol is a pain reliever that can be given with or without food, depending on what works best for your dog.
Tramadol is a medication veterinarians commonly dispense to manage pain in dogs. Physicians also frequently prescribe tramadol for human aches and pains, and it is one of the few human painkillers that is safe to give to dogs under the guidance of a veterinarian.
Swallow the extended-release capsule, extended-release tablet, and tablet whole with liquids. Do not break, crush, chew, snort, or inject it.
Tramadol drops, injections and some tablets and capsules will start to work within 30 to 60 minutes. They're used for pain that is expected to last for only a short time. You may be told to take this type of tramadol only if you need it for pain that can come and go. Dosages vary from person to person.
The potency of tramadol is reported to be 1/10 (one tenth) to 1/6 (one sixth) that of morphine.
Dosage Of Tramadol For Dogs
The usual dosage of tramadol to treat pain in dogs is 0.45 to 1.8 mg per pound of body weight given every eight to twelve hours. For treating cancer, this dosage may be given every six hours. Tramadol comes in 50 mg tablets that you should not crush before administering.
What is tramadol used for? Tramadol is used for the short-term relief of severe pain. It should only be used when other forms of non-opioid pain relief have not been successful in managing pain or are not tolerated. Tramadol is not usually recommended for the treatment of chronic (long-term) pain.
Basic Information. Tramadol is a synthetic, centrally acting opioid analgesic. It also inhibits the reuptake of adrenalin and serotonin. Tramadol is used in human medicine for the management of osteoarthritis pain and is gaining acceptance in veterinary medicine to treat mild to moderate pain in dogs and cats.
Oxycodone is stronger at relieving pain but also more likely than tramadol to lead to addiction and dependence. Tramadol has mood-boosting properties but a lower risk of respiratory depression than oxycodone.
Paracetamol is a very popular painkiller in humans, however it can be toxic or fatal in small animals. Dogs are less sensitive to paracetamol than cats. A 20kg dog would need to ingest over seven 500mg tablets in order to suffer toxic effects. In cats, one 250mg paracetamol tablet could be fatal.
Most OTC (over-the-counter) pain medications that are made for people, such as naproxen or ibuprofen, should never be given to dogs. Even at very small doses, they can cause life-threatening gastrointestinal (GI) ulcers, liver failure, and/or kidney failure.
Do not take medicines called monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOIs (which are used to treat depression) with tramadol. The combination can cause significant side effects such as anxiety, confusion and hallucinations.
The analgesic drug tramadol has been shown to relieve pain in inflammatory conditions, to inhibit the development of experimental inflammation, and to reduce prostaglandin (PG)E(2)concentrations in the inflammatory exudate.
Only licensed veterinarians may prescribe this, and each prescription has to be documented. Remember to always follow the veterinarian's instructions carefully. “Is Tramadol addictive?” you may be wondering. Well, it most certainly is, and using it for longer than recommended may cause addiction.
The recommended dose of tramadol is 50 mg to 100 mg (immediate release tablets) every 4-6 hours as needed for pain. The maximum dose is 400 mg/day. To improve tolerance patients should be started at 25 mg/day, and doses may be increased by 25 mg to 50 mg every 3 days to reach 50-100 mg/day every 4 to 6 hours.