Is Aspirin For Dogs Ok?
Many pet owners use aspirin for dogs pain relief as a short term solution prior to getting the advice of their vet. Fair enough. OTC aspirin can be used for a few days to manage arthritic or muscular pain in your pet. That said, there are a plethora of drugs,brands and indications for use that can confuse the best of us.
Now it goes without saying that giving any drug to your dog, no matter how well intentioned, without professional advice (or a whole lot of training) is a recipe for disaster. Yes, human aspirin can be used on dogs, if the dosage is as per the guidelines – see article what’s the right aspirin dosage for dogs.
Downsides Of Using Aspirin For Dogs
All dogs should undergo a physical examination and have the appropriate blood tests before any drugs are given. This is prudent as it allows you and the vet to see whether your dog is able to cope with the prescribed drugs. The other aspect of getting these tests done is they form a baseline with which to compare subsequent blood samples.
Testing is important if your dogs condition requires long-term NSAID use. This may be the case if he has arthritis, whether osteoarthritis or infectious arthritis (tick borne). Aspirin given over more than a week can actually cause ulcers, liver damage, kidney impairment and ironically, destroy joint cartilage.
The other consideration is that aspirin is a blood thinner. If your dog is on aspirin for a long time an injury such as an open wound can bleed uncontrollably. This you don’t need!
Watch For Symptoms
If you are administering aspirin in treating your dogs pain, then keep a eye out for the following symptoms:
- Excessive thirst
- Vomiting
- Tiredness
- Loss of appetite
If any of these signs are present then stop giving aspirin and consult your vet.
Is Aspirin For Dogs The Best Medication Available?
Many NSAID choices are available, and choosing the one most suited to your dog becomes important. Nowadays there are better and safer drugs specifically designed for the canine physiology, such as Rimadyl.These drugs come in many delivery forms such as; caplets, tablets, liquid, and injections. Your vet may suggest any of the following:
- Zubrin (tepoxalin)(quick disintegrating tablets)
- Etogesic (etodolac) – tablets
- Rimadyl (carprofen) – caplets,chewable tablets or by injection
- Metacam (meloxicam)(orally or by injection)
- Novox (generic carprofen) – caplets
- Deramaxx (deracoxib) – chewable tablets
- Previcox (firocoxib) – chewable tablets
For more information read this article on pain killers for dogs. So, although saying aspirin for dogs is ok, it is qualified by the previous precautionary advice regarding consulting your vet!
