Can human medicine be given to dogs ie aspirin etc.?

Question

I have been told that vets do not want pet owners to know about this because it could harm thier business. They want you to pay £50 for a medicine where the human variant costs £5 and is just as effective. They do seem to have a bit of a monoploy here and obviously want it to stay that way.

Answer 1

Here's a site with some common otc human meds that can be given to dogs.
http://animalsunlimited.net/meds.htm
At one time or another I've used all of them on rescues and my own.
You're right, vets don't want you to know. Also remember too that sometimes you do need a vet and prescriptions.

Answer 2

Yes, it can. But just as for human doctors, there are a lot of medicines a vet has access to that you don't, and the vet can diagnose an illness better than you can.
Pain medication is pretty straightforward, but it's a good idea to take the dog to the vet, because the pain could be a symptom of some problem that needs further treatment.
Here's some doses for common pain meds in dogs.
You need to have some idea of what your dog weighs. Then you can give her some of the same drugs you take. Look on the bottle so you can see how many milligrams of medicine are in each pill, then cut up the pills accordingly. Use these numbers as maximum doses and start out at half or less. Your dog has cramps, not broken ribs.
If you have Ibuprofen, the dosage for dogs is 5 to 10 mg per kg, once daily.
For aspirin the dose is 10 to 20 mg/kg, twice daily.
For acetaminophen, it's 15 mg per kg, four times daily.

Answer 3

My vet doesn't recommed aspirin, but he does recommend Bufferin. Aspirin can cause stomach upset and other gastrointestinal problems in some dogs. They seem to tolerate Bufferin better.

I don't know why people believe that not using the medication would be harming the vet's business. He has to pay for the medications from the pharmeceutical companies. THOSE are the businesses that would be hurt. Blame them.

If you're paying $50 for medication, I can tell you that the vet is probably paying $40 for it. At least at our clinic, the markup is very little because he needs to make it affordable for the patients and their human caretakers.

There's many times he doesn't make a profit because he needs to order some medications special from a pharmacy and he can only charge the clients what the pharmacy charges him because the cost is already astronomical.....

The cost for medications for humans is outrageous...what makes anyone think it wouldn't be the same for our pets? Blame the pharmeceutical companies....at least IMHO.

Just a note, not all human medications can be used on pets, it's always best to check with your veterinarian before giving any unprescribed meds for your pet.

And I'm sure there are some vets out there that care about the bottom line as much as care about their patients. I'm lucky enough to work for (and have as my vet, the same person) whose first priority is the care of the animals first. I can only hope that others would be so blessed.

Take care.

Answer 4

I have heard many vets say you can give asprin and many say you can't. I know a lot of people that give their pets asprin for arthritis and things like that and their pets are fine. What I would recommend if you do give your pets asprin, is either baby asprin, or a malox coated asprin, so it is easier on their stomach. And give a very small dosage. If you have a cat or small dog, I would give them a quarter of a pill. If you have a med-large dog 1/2 a pill. Now keep in mind that some people cant even take asprin, so some animals may not beable to either.

Answer 5

Do not give human medicine nor horse medicine or any meds other than what has been prescribed for the dog. Some meds are safe, but animals very greatly in how they react metabolically to different substances. The dosages vary as well. One aspirin can kill many animals. It shuts down the kidneys in one day That's how my girl friend lost her pet badger. There's also the risk of allergic reactions just as is common with humans as humans differ in how the reaction to different substances.

Answer 6

excellent q.
canines and humans, both mammalian are approximately 97% biologically identical.
On that basis , most medicines are suitable for both creatures.
there are exceptions.
Vets would be very quick to insist on their professional advice shielded by the fact that SOME medicines arent suitable.
Its the same in many indistries,you can buy wd40 for £1 or buy it for £2 labelled as damp dispersant.
I use tamazipam to calm my dog during event of the year that involve firworks.Just adjust the dosage to his weight then give him a little less.Or I could get it from the vet packaged as "dog supercalmer" or the like.
Of course there will be loads of answers advising against this.Well perhaps they have the funds and lack of vision not to pursue this method of self treatment when safe to do so.
I think common sense is a great guide to whether you should choose not to use a vet.My dogs skin on his leg was torn into a long split during a fight.On this occasion I had to let the vet rip me off £160 for 5 mins work because it was beyond my ability.

If you think its right ,go for it.

Answer 7

Sometimes it can....pets with anxiety sometimes get placed on Prozac, for example, and you can get that as a generic. If you are interested in giving your pet an over-the-counter drug, however, you will need to do research on dosages, side effects, and try to find out if there is going to be a strong possibility of poisoning or some other kind of complication. Some things which are perfectly fine for humans to have are extremely dangerous for our fuzzy friends. It's not something to mess around with; and frankly, someone who even asks this kind of a question on here NEEDS to consult with a vet before choosing any drugs for a pet. It might be that there are some better alternatives.

Answer 8

Absolutely NOT! I am a vet tech, and I can tell you right now that this is NOT true! Giving human aspirin to a dog will almost always give it a serious condition called Ramington-Saurter's disorder (kind of similar to Reye's syndrome in people), which causes seizures, paralysis, deafness, and eventually death. Yes, the vet's medicine is a bit more expensive, but it is SO important that you do NOT give people medicine to animals EVER unless your vet says so.

Answer 9

There are many drugs people and humans both take. After all most drugs are tested on animals long before humans get them. I give my dogs Cipro if the vet prescribes it and I take Cipro if my doctor prescribe it for me too. Funny how much less it cost from the vet?

Answer 10

YES, there are several human medicines can be given to dogs safely. In particular, regular/Bayer aspirin (although my vet recommends buffered aspirin), glucosomine, benadryol and many antibiotics, such as Amoxicilin.

I am blessed to have a dear friend who is a seasoned veterinary technician, and she often supplements the vet's services with her own follow-up advice and samples. :-)