Can I give Human Painkillers to my Pet? The short answer is NO. You should never attempt to treat your pets with human medication, precautions should be taken to keep household medications out reach of your pet to avoid a potentially harmful or fatal reaction.
While there aren't over-the-counter (OTC) pain meds for dogs, dogs can take veterinary NSAIDs. These have to be prescribed by a vet. Most human medications are toxic to dogs and can cause more harm than good. Talk to a veterinarian before giving your dog anything from your medicine cabinet.
When your dog is unwell or has a painful injury, you may be tempted to give them human painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin, codeine or ibuprofen. However, it is imperative dog owners do not try to administer pain relief to their pet without first consulting a vet.
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.
"Paracetamol is licensed in dogs as Pardale V for 5 days. The dose in Pardale V works out at 33mg of paracetamol for every kg of body weight, three times daily. The listed dose in most vet formularies is 10mg/kg twice to three times daily," Nick explains.
The short answer is NO. You should never attempt to treat your pets with human medication, precautions should be taken to keep household medications out reach of your pet to avoid a potentially harmful or fatal reaction.
For dogs, paracetamol (in combination with codeine) has been available to buy without a prescription under the brand name Pardale-V since 1993.
An over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication is a type of drug that can be purchased without a prescription from a veterinarian. These drugs are used to treat various conditions in dogs, such as pain relief, fever reduction, and inflammation.
No dog should be given paracetamol without being prescribed it by a vet. But if your dog does accidentally ingest paracetamol, the effects can vary depending on the size of the dog. For instance, a dog that weighs 20kg would only suffer toxic effects after eating seven 500mg tablets.
Ibuprofen is toxic to dogs and you should never give it to your pup. Just three to six ibuprofen capsules can be deadly for dogs, so keep the medicine in a safe place. There are canine-specific pain relievers that you can get from your vet or try natural options.
A dose as small as 150mg of paracetamol per kg of body weight is considered lethal in dogs. However, any dose larger than 75mg per kg of body weight is considered toxic to dogs and will likely cause serious illness, including damage to your pooch's liver and kidneys.
Human anti-inflammatory medications are almost universally toxic to dogs. A single dose of Nurofen or Voltaren can be fatal, and survivors are left with permanent organ damage. Even aspirin, although used in the past as a blood thinner, is not recommended. The veterinary pain medications are the only safe option.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs otherwise known as NSAIDs include products such as baby aspirin, aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. Although these medications can be very helpful in relieving human pain, NSAIDS can lead to a number of adverse side effects in dogs including: Liver damage. Kidney dysfunction.
Not unless a veterinary surgeon has supplied it for your dog. If your vet has prescribed paracetamol, as with any medication follow the directions carefully to ensure it is used safely. If a veterinary surgeon has prescribed paracetamol, they will have considered what dosage is safe to give your pet.
Signs of toxicity from acetaminophen may develop within 1–4 hours of ingestion. Acetaminophen can cause liver damage or decrease the red blood cell's ability to carry oxygen (methemoglobinemia). Dogs may become depressed or weak, with rapid breathing, a high heart rate, panting, abdominal pain, vomiting or drooling.
In addition to ulcers, increasing doses of ibuprofen eventually lead to kidney failure and, if left untreated, can be fatal. Symptoms of ibuprofen toxicity in a dog may include not eating, vomiting, black tarry stools, abdominal pain, weakness, lethargy, increased thirst and increased urination.
Ibuprofen and naproxen can be toxic to dogs and cats, but cats are much more susceptible to this toxicity than dogs are. A single 200-milligram ibuprofen tablet can be toxic to a cat or small- to medium-sized dog; toxic effects can occur rapidly and damage the kidneys and stomach.
Advil is not safe for dogs
But the answer is no. “Advil should never be used,” Dr. Nichole Sabo, DVM, a veterinarian at Veterinary Care Everywhere, says. “Advil is a trade name for ibuprofen, a type of human drug known as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID).
The most commonly used dose rate in dogs is 10 mg/kg orally every 12 hours. NEVER go above this does rate without first checking with your veterinarian.
Dog painkillers include carprofen, deracoxib, firocoxib and meloxicam, each of which can be prescribed by your vet.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAID options that are approved for use in dogs include carprofen (e.g. Rimadyl), deracoxib (e.g. Deramaxx), etodolac (e.g. Etogesic), firocoxib (e.g. Previcox), meloxicam (e.g. Metacam), robenacoxib (e.g. Onsior), and mavacoxib (e.g. Trocoxil).
Pet owners giving their furbabies unprescribed medication can be very dangerous. An example of this is paracetamol – a common 'human' pain reliever available over the counter which can cause life threatening illness in dogs and cats.