Can I Give My Dog Aspirin For Pain?

If your dog is experiencing pain due to an unexpected injury, a recent medical procedure, or arthritis, asking "can I give my dog aspirin for pain?" could very well save your dogs life.

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If an injury has occurred or pain has resulted from a medical procedure, it's best to contact your veterinary doctor. They may want to see your dog immediately to prescribe something stronger than human aspirin.

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The most common cause of dog pain is arthritis and joint pain.

If you are searching for answers to joint pain when asking "can I give aspirin to my dog for pain?" then you should know that aspirin isn't quite what you want. Yes, it can help in very small doses, but it can also cause more harm than good! You need a safer solution, something that won't cause severe side effects if given just a tad too much.

Aspirin has become a popular household item but this doesn't make it safe. Aspirin is an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug). This is the same type of drug that is commonly prescribed for dogs with joint pain, but the prescriptions are more tolerable by dogs as it was developed specifically for dogs. However, all dog meds of the NSAID class can come with very severe side effects, possibly even killing your dog.

Aspirin and other synthetic joint pain medications cause an ongoing list of dangers. When asking "can I give my dog aspirin for pain?" you are looking to extinguish the pain that your dog is experiencing.

But did you know that medications like aspirin and other dog NSAIDs can cause ulcers (irritated holes in the stomach), a decrease in blood platelets (inability to clot blood), gastrointestinal issues (vomiting & diarrhea), kidney and liver damage?

Can I Give My Dog Aspirin For Pain?

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Pain Relief For Dogs - Aspirin

When pain relief for dogs is necessary for mild to moderate arthritic pain, aspirin is a possible choice. One of the good things about aspirin is that is is not addictive, and its effectiveness does not diminish over time. When it is taken in low dosages it relieves pain, and in higher dosages it acts as an anti-inflammatory.

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However, there are a few draw backs that pet owners need to be made aware of. The first draw back is that joint inflammation responds slowly to aspirin, and it should not be taken with any other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, without supervision from a veterinarian.

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Pet owners also need to be made aware there are side effects of aspirin. One side effect is that it can irritate the stomach and aggravate gastrointestinal problems, and could cause peptic ulcers. It also puts stress on the kidneys. The best choices are coated or buffered aspirin, as this offsets the effects. If your dog has intestinal bleeding, anemia could develop. If this occurs a diet rich in iron could be necessary.

Cats however, are different than dogs and should not be given aspirin unless absolutely necessary. Aspirin could actually be fatal for cats if taken at the dog level.

When using aspirin for pain relief for dogs, it should always be given with food to avoid upsetting the stomach. If your dog has a sensitive stomach, a buffered aspirin is highly recommended, as it contains an antacid to neutralize gastric acid in the stomach, which lessens the chance of ulceration.

Another option is aspirin with the enteric-coating. This passes through the stomach before dissolving and it absorbed later as it moves through the small intestine. Some doctors believe that enteric-coated aspirin is not absorbed well, however, there is no medical proof to back the theory up. One thing they have agreed upon though, is that it takes longer to reach the bloodstream and therefore is not recommended for quick pain relief.

As you can see, aspirin is an option for pain relief in dogs. However, you should not give your pet aspirin or any other medication without first consulting with your veterinarian. Some medications could be dangerous and life threatening to your pet, especially if given the wrong dosage. Never give your pet an human/adult dosage, as dosage varies between humans and animals.

Pain Relief For Dogs - Aspirin

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