safe over the counter pain reliever for large dogs?

Question

my great pyrenees has hip displacia and some days she is in alot of pain. Does anyone know of a safe over the counter pain reliever i can give her?

Answer 1

Yes, Aspirin or Ibuprofen. Never ever Tylenol or acetelytic acid...that will kill your dog!! To find out the dosage amounts phone your vet...my parents had a german shepherd cross with arthritis and they gave him one regular strength asprin per day.

Answer 2

If your dog has chronic pain or inflammation, common aspirin can often be used to give your pet some relief. Since aspirin can cause some stomach problems, care should be used. It is wise to check with your vet before administering aspirin or any other medication.

Dogs are most commonly given aspirin for treatment of arthritis and associated joint pain. There may be other situations where your dog is in pain, where aspirin may give relief.

Aspirin has good anti-inflammatory effects that reduces swelling. It can also reduce pain and fever. These effects will help make your dog more comfortable.

Note that a dog is not a human. Just because your dog "does not feel good" is not a reason to give it an aspirin. Usually, aspirin is given to relieve extreme conditions of discomfort. Also note that most vets prescribe Rimadyl as a better pain-killer and anti-inflammatory than aspirin.

You should use caution In administering any medication to a pet, because too much may be toxic, the medicine may not be tolerated, or it can cause an upset stomach or ulcers in the animal.

It can be toxic if given in high doses of about 30 mg per pound of the dog. This means that even baby aspirin could be poisonous for dogs weighing two pounds or less. An adult aspirin which is 320 mg. would be toxic for a 10-pound dog. To be sure that you are using the aspirin for the right reason and at the right dose, you should consult your veterinarian first.

Most veterinarians recommend between 5 mg and 10 mg per pound of the dog's weight every 12 hours. Going on the safe side, a recommended dosage of aspirin of about 5 mg/lb seems to work well for most dogs. If you are going to give more, it is a good idea to check with your vet. Also, note that a small dog should take less per pound.

Enteric coated aspirin is not recommended in dogs because about half the time the coating isn't digested and the aspirin is excreted whole in the stool.

It is better to start off small and work your way up to the maximum. If the dog has relief with a smaller dosage, that is great.

A standard aspirin is 320 mg. A baby aspirin is typically 80 mg. That means that 5 mg/lb works out to be one baby aspirin per 16 pounds of body weight twice a day.
The following chart can be used as a guide. Note that this is not medical advice.

Weight of dog in pounds Number of tablets each 12 hours mg
pounds #tablets per 12 hours mg
8 1/2 baby aspirin or less 40 mg
16 1 baby aspirin 80 mg
32 1/2 adult or 2 baby 160 mg
48 3/4 adult or 3 baby 240 mg
64 1 adult or 4 baby 320 mg
80 1 1/4 adult or 5 baby 400 mg
96 1 1/2 adult or 6 baby 480 mg

The proper dosage of aspiring can give your dog relief from pain and inflammation. You should be aware of possible problems and know the proper dosage. It is good to check with a vet before giving any medication, and remember that dogs are not humans and don't need an aspirin for minor pains.

Answer 3

Very very rarely an astute intelligent dog may catch on that it gets a fuss and attention when it has limp and when the limp is better, the fuss gets less, so it may hold its paw up in the hope of a fuss etc. But dogs that do this are few and far between. They do not cry out in pain though. Its sounds like your dog does really have something wrong with his leg or paw and if he is crying a lot then that is NOT faking it. Dogs do not cry for no reason. Get him to a vet and explain the problem. It may just be a thorn in his paw, a loose and bruised nail, or it may be a more serious bone problem. He may need an x-ray. Only a vet can help the dog.

Answer 4

Chewable Baby Aspirin works for dogs. Never for cats. The dosage should be the same for a dog that it is for a child of the same weight. Read the box. I had a 15 pound dog & gave him 1/2 of 1 baby aspirin tablet.

Answer 5

Plain old buffered asprin
A regular 325mg tablet you can give your dog 1/4 of a tablet per 10 pounds of body weight.
Give with food.
I start my larger dogs on one tablet and see if that works if not then I go up from there.
You can give twice per day.
Never give tlyenol or advil as they can be toxic to dogs.

Answer 6

For my dog that has arthritis. The vet told us to give her 1 ibuprofen a day. And it seems to work. We only give it to her when we know that she is in a lot of pain. The lowest dose possible....

Answer 7

1

Answer 8

Buffered aspirin works great - just get the right dosage for your pet and using buffered aspirin formulated just for dogs is great too - ask your vet about it when you talk to him about the dosage you need to administer.

Answer 9

My vet told me that Baby Asprin works really well for dogs..

Answer 10

asprin, but be sure t consult a professional on the dosage amount, it will differ for the size of your dog and even sometimes the age and tolerance level