Has your dog been behaving oddly? Symptoms like ongoing pain or a lack of hunger can greatly interfere with their everyday routines. Such issues might stem from an injury, illness, or a bacterial infection. Conversely, these signs might also indicate that your cherished pet is getting older.
It is always important to observe how your dog behaves daily. If you notice there is something amiss—a form of pain in your dog’s action—then you should act immediately and find a remedy to make him feel better.
Consult with your veterinarian should you encounter such issues with your pet dog’s health. “What can I give my dog for pain?” is a common question many dog owners ask themselves. The easiest way is to heed the doctor’s advice, and they may offer you veterinary medicine for your dog.
You can search for various recommended ways to conquer and ease the pain and suffering. However, the veterinarian will usually prescribe medication based on your dog’s health history, how severe the pain is, and what the underlying cause of the pain is.
How To Tell If A Dog Is In Pain?
First, you can tell if a dog is in pain if he or she exhibits less interaction with you or the surroundings. They also tend to be more aggressive. If on a routine basis, your dog greets you by the door when you come home, is typically near you most of the time, is normally energetic, suddenly avoids contact with you, and becomes more aggressive, there could be something wrong with the way they feel. And that could be pain that they are feeling.
Dogs might also have a loss of appetite if they feel pained. For example, dental pain causes difficulty in eating. Then, your pet may also become more vocal – producing growling, snarling, and howling sounds. Listen to these pet’s verbal cues to find out which is making their lives hard.
Your pup would groom himself from time to time, licking a particular part of his or her fur. However, if this activity becomes very excessive, they aren’t likely trying to groom themselves.
What’s even grimmer is, they lick on areas of their body where they experience the pain. The pain may either be externally or internally. It may be their way to reaffirm positively on what they feel through licking.
Some dogs tend to pant heavily, even if they haven’t been to a walk or run. Observe shallow breathing since this can also be a tell-tale pain sign. They may also showcase limping and stiffness while they move. For these actions, the pain may be about painful paws, arthritis, and something connected to their legs. If you have been wondering what can i give my dog for pain , read on to learn what you can give your dog for pain.
Observe if they’re having difficulty climbing the stairs, which they usually don’t before. Pain also affects their sleep, and if they feel agitated by pacing back or forth lately, you might want to start consulting your vet on these behavioral cues.
Inflammation and infection can show in the pet’s posture [1] as well. Some breeds tend to have hunched postures and a more rigid stance, which signifies inflammation in particular areas of their bodies.
Keep observing to check if they shake or tremble often. Usually, these are related to gastrointestinal and digestive health concerns like pancreatitis, poisoning, or kidney disease. They may have swallowed a food source terrible for them like chocolates or xylitol.
Types Of Signs & Symptoms
You can further distinguish signs of dogs in pain with these:
- Antisocial behavior
- Biting or snapping
- Eye changes
- Heart and pulse changes
- Increased sleeping hours
- Erratic breathing
- Mobility issues
- Swelling
- Trembling
What Can I Give My Dog For Pain?
You can give your dog the following for pain:
- Feverfew – This treatment plan won’t give your dogs any harmful side effects. Feverfew is a natural remedy targeted toward inflammation. They are also known to treat arthritis and migraines among humans, and using this for your pets can be safe.
- Comfrey – Meanwhile, this option falls under the herbal supplements category. They target joints and address injuries that may occur within them like joint pain.
Other benefits of comfrey include regenerating cells and holistic health improvement. Be careful though on having them for pet dogs because large amounts may already be harmful to them.
- Turmeric -One of the natural and effective ways to deal with the dog’s pain without harming their health is turmeric. It is available as ingredients in many recipes and beverages. It has anti-inflammatory benefits for your pet dogs, compared with cortisone, which may even have side effects.
Pet owners must take caution in identifying what is dangerous and what is allowable when it comes to treating these pains and health conditions for their dogs as not all over-the-counter otc medication works well for the dog.
Instead, in severe scenarios, it could even be fatally for them. Otc pain meds aren’t a great option as they are dangerous , going for something with natural pain relief or veterinary medicine from your vet is your best option.
Always consult with your vet before introducing any new treatment to ensure it’s safe and suitable for your pet. If you’re exploring pain management options, you might consider librela for dogs, a targeted treatment for canine arthritis.
What Not To Give A Dog In Pain: Toxic Painkillers
Toxic pain medication are extremely dangerous for your pet. And over-the-counter medications in your drugstore should not be given to your pets to ease their pain. It is imperative to avoid giving them dog painkillers such as:
- Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, or Nuprin)
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol and decongestants)
- Naproxen (Aleve, and other variants)
Anti-inflammatory drugs may work as effective painkillers for you, but they are not the right pain meds for your pet dogs. Your pets will be faced with health risks if they are given prohibited toxic dog painkillers. As pet parents it’s important to understand the meds you give your dog to get their pain management in order.
For instance, you should consult your veterinarian before giving NSAID to your dogs. The advice should also depend on the compounds and form you’re giving them. These can either be in liquid form, as a food additive to dog food, or an oral medication.
Watch out for allergic reactions as well. Though these side effects that dogs include are rare, there are still pain medications that could give them these effects. It is best to always stay on your guard as dog owners; most notably of you are transitioning from one treatment to the next.
Types and Side Effects
- NSAIDs for animals – Also known as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, human NSAIDs have been proven effective for combatting human pain and is a popular option in the medicine cabinet. But they are never safe for dogs and can ruin their stomach lining. Human NSAIDs can be toxic in grueling your pet health.
The side effects are weakness, low blood flow, lethargy, liver failure, depression, kidney failure, nerve pain, vomiting with blood, diarrhea, liver damage, liver dysfunction, severe intestinal problems, gastrointestinal tract bleeding, appetite loss, blood clotting, and even death.
- Aspirin – Real veterinarians may sometimes prescribe baby aspirin or dog aspirin for pain in dogs. However, they are usually only given for short-term pain.
For chronic pain among your pets, aspirin should not be given as they include debilitating side effects such as kidney damage and internal bleeding. Some vets use baby aspirin as pain relief for dogs, even though you need to be careful when giving human medications to your dogs.
- Ibuprofen – Among human beings, ibuprofen gives great pain relief for fever, inflammation, and arthritis pain. However, pet owners are advised not to give certain human medications like this to their dogs as they include risks such as stomach ulcers, deadly stomach ruptures, kidney issues, seizures, ruin stomach lining, and even coma.
- Tylenol – Otherwise called Acetaminophen, this pain medication causes irreversible damage to your dog’s liver, cause kidney problems, and tissues.
Did you know as dog owners that pain medications like Tylenol have caused sudden death in cats before? Even if the human medication is proven useful for humans, they are not medications that you can use to manage your dog’s pain.
Types of Pain Relief Home Remedies For Dogs
Homemade pain medications are an effective alternative you can use for your dogs. These include Yucca, Ginger, Skullcap, Licorice, Horsetail, Boswellia, Cayenne, St. John’s Wort, Devil’s Claw, and more. Here are some examples of homemade meds that can solve what can I give my dog for pain.
- Boswellia – The other term for Boswellia is frankincense. This tree bark extract has resins that contain phytochemicals, which then fight inflammation-causing leukotrienes. Can be good pain relief for dogs.
The herb treats inflammation and arthritis pain and is a highly recognized form of treatment in Ayurvedic medicine – mainly when used with turmeric.
- Licorice – Part of the pea family, it has several medicinal properties. Licorice treats arthritis and is an inflammatory agent. One of its components – the glycyrrhizin, increases the effectiveness of other herbs, especially when added to the compound formula.
It is essential to begin this medication with around 15 drops per 20 pounds of their body weight. Alternatively, you can also prepare tea made from licorice for your pet dog to drink. A great option for natural pet relief and can help out your dog.
- Devil’s Claw – This African plant alleviates pain and has tonic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is the perfect option for treating dog pain that’s muscular pain or arthritis. Adjust the remedy according to your dog’s weight. And be crucial never use them for pregnant, lactating, and diabetic dogs.
- Horsetail – With its various medicinal benefits, horsetail is known to treat dog pain like major bone and connective tissue injuries. Its main component is bioactive silicon, which is a foundation for your body’s bones, skin, cartilage, and other connective tissues.
The recommended dosage is ¼ teaspoon daily for each 20-pound of your dog’s weight. If your pet dog has hypertension and cardiac health problems, avoid using horsetail for them.
- Cayenne – Small pinches of cayenne originate from the chili pepper. Its main compound – capsaicin, is a natural and safe painkiller that increases circulation to joints and connective tissues.
Cream and ointments that contain capsicum are also available to manage painful areas in your pet by activating the anti-inflammatory response in their body.
Medications for dogs can be quite the challenge, so it’s very important when giving your dog the right medicine and something with natural remedies can be beneficial. These are great options compared to human medications that you should double-check when asking do I give my dog this?
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of pain reliever is safe for dogs?
The natural, herbal types of pain reliever are safe for dogs. This includes yucca, ginger, licorice, horsetail, and more. Natural remedies have even worked well for human pain, so giving your dog natural pain relievers is a great option for your dog for pain.
Be extremely careful not to give them the most common painkillers on the medicine cabinet – which include Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Paracetamol.
Can aspirin kill a dog?
Yes, two regular aspirins can kill a dog for its health-destructing side effects. However, dosages of this medicine can still be used as an anti-inflammatory for various pet animals – but we only recommend that you consult with the veterinarian about this, and do not give them without the advice from your pet’s doctor. There are better options to give my dog pain relief than aspirin.
What home remedy can I give my dog for arthritis?
You can give your dog home remedies such as papaya, alfalfa, ginger, and celery for arthritis. Side note, you may also mix these with your pet’s food to make them easier to eat.
Conclusion
You’ve heard about consulting with your veterinarian many times, and for a good reason. It is important to always communicate with the vet since you have to make sure that medications work, and not cause any further problems.
They should also not harm the health of your pet dogs. And it is also essential to check on the labels of these medications. You can also look into CBD oil for pets where a study at the college of veterinary medicine conducted that it can work well for pet pain.
For pain medicine that’s natural, keep yourself informed about these herbs, and find out which recipes you can do with these ingredients. The doctor should know which dog food your dogs need daily, and the corresponding nutritional information for alleviating pain and for pain control.
If your dog is in pain and you’re not sure which pain medications to give them go over this post to get a better understanding for pain relief for your pup.
