Dogs get arthritis and it is a debilitating and common disease for people as well. The human medications for treating dog arthritis are very similar and some can be used for dog arthritis treatment. Just remember there are always exceptions waiting to catch you off guard, so be especially careful. I want to show you which ones you can use and which ones to avoid (and there are plenty).
Anti-Inflammatories
The list of human anti-inflammatories is very long and I will not list them here. Avoid any except the ones I mention below.
Please remember that the anti-inflammatories specifically developed for dogs are much better. They have been tried and tested many times over and have a track record of safety. For the cat owners also note that there are no safe doses for most of these medications for cats so please use veterinary alternatives.
Aspirin
Aspirin in all of its various forms is a very common medication for humans and dog arthritis. The dosage of buffered aspirin is 10 to  25 mg/kg by mouth every 12 hours and best taken with food.
The problems with aspirin is its long washout period. The washout period is the time that you have to wait before you can safely administer another anti-inflammatory, which for aspirin (even after a single dose) is 1-2Â weeks. The other problem associated with aspirin use is its tendency to create stomach ulcers which have a high occurrence rate with long term use, also even with buffered aspirin.
Meloxicam
Meloxicam is best recognized by its medical trade name Mobic as well as a few other generic medications. In the veterinary profession the equivalent drug is Metacam. Meloxicam is a highly effective anti-inflammatory and is given in these dosage amounts:
On the first day give a dosage of 0.2 mg/ per kg weight by mouth accompanied with food, and administered once daily.
After the first day give 0.1 mg/ per kg weight  by mouth accompanied with food, once daily.
The only problem with Meloxicam human tablets is you need to be almost exact with the dose and the tablets are usually 7.5mg and 15mg. tablets and don’t always divide into a even dose for the canines weight. Metacam is a liquid so dosing is accurate and easy to measure.
Etodalac
Etodalac is a good anti-inflammatory its medical trade name Lodine, or in the veterinary world as Eto-Gesic. For treatment of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis dose at 10-15 mg/ per kg weight once daily. With small dogs it is very hard to dose accurately. Etodalac. Etodalac cannot be used with any kind of dog aspirin.
Pain Killers
Acetaminophen + Codeine
These two human drugs come in many forms one such form is Tylenol. They seem to work better together and recent evidence suggests that acetaminophen is also synergistic as with the anti-inflammatories. The dosage combination is (60 mg) codeine and (300 mg) acetaminophen made in tablet form. Tylenol is  given at 1 to 2 mg/ per kg weight of the codeine by mouth every 8hours.
The problem with acetaminophen is that it has caused much toxicity in dogs and it would be fair to say it is not as safe a drug as it is for humans. I would speak to your veterinarian before using for your dog and never use it in cats.
So When Do I Use These Drugs?
The two common situations that I see a need for people to reach for these human medications:
In an emergency or late night situation. Maybe you’re out of drugs or your dog isn’t on dog arthritis medication but suddenly needs something for discomfort. Maybe he needs a little extra and Tylenol is the safest option but always ask your vet first.
Cost. The human generic forms of meloxicam can be lesser and It is the same drug but dosage wise can be inaccurate because the tablets can only be divided up in various ways and amounts. The dog version (Metacam) is best because it is in a liquid form which allows for easier and accurate dosing.
Use the prescribed drugs when possible – the safety data is available and you can always get assistance from your veterinarian. When using human drugs do it sparingly and on advice from your veterinarian to help your dogs arthritis.
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