Painkillers for Dogs

Did You Know?

Regular blood tests are necessary for the dog that is put on painkillers to monitor the pet’s health.
Just like humans, dogs also suffer from various painful conditions like arthritis, joint pain and knee injuries. A dog in pain simply cannot perform activities like walking or climbing properly, which eventually becomes a headache for the dog owner. In order to ease the pain caused due to a number of annoying conditions, dogs are often put on prescription painkillers

Painkillers for Dogs

Rimadyl
This is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which provides a great amount of relief from pain in dogs suffering from degenerative joint disease, and even osteoarthritis. Rimadyl has been quite effective to relieve arthritis pain. This prescription medicine has been proven clinically to reduce inflammation associated with canine arthritis. Dogs who were finding it difficult to climb steps due to arthritis, have become fairly active quickly, thanks to Rimadyl. The painkiller, available in both tablet and injectable form, rapidly works to ease the discomfort. The tablets are generally beef flavored, which makes them easily chewable.

Tramadol
This prescription medicine is very useful to manage pain following a surgery in dogs. Post-surgical pain (moderate or severe) can be controlled to a great extent with Tramodol. This drug is also used for pain management after an injury or chronic pain occurring in dogs suffering from cancer. Manufactured in tablet, capsule and liquid form, Tramadol is found to be very safe and reliable.

Deramaxx
This drug is commonly referred to as a dog’s arthritis medicine that potentially targets the source of pain to alleviate the discomfort. This medicine has been a major breakthrough in controlling pain and inflammation associated with chronic osteoarthritis. Deramaxx, has also been an effective remedy to reduce post-operative pain. This medicine is evaluated and tested for everyday use. Manufactured in beefy flavored tablets, Deramaxx comes in different dosing sizes (25 mg, 50 mg, 75 mg). After evaluating the dog’s health, proper dosage required for pain relief will be prescribed. Even though Derammax cannot cure arthritis in dogs, a noticeable improvement in their day-to-day activities is observed. Dogs put on Deramaxx show improved mobility. As stiffness and pain in the joints decrease, the dog becomes capable enough to sit, stand, and run quite comfortably.

Fentanyl
Used in the form of skin patches, Fentanyl is found to be highly effective in controlling pain. These skin patches are applied prior to surgery to control postoperative pain. The drug is extremely useful to relieve post-surgical pain. This in turn helps to shorten recovery time from illness. Fentanyl patches stick to the skin easily and work by administering the pain reliever through the skin for a period of 3 days. As the painkiller is continuously delivered, the dogs gets immense relief from pain after intensive surgeries. When a dog is put on Fentanyl, use of any other pain relieving drug should be strictly avoided. When used in transdermal form on dogs with bone cancer and arthritis, Fentanyl can bring a positive change in the behavior and overall movement of dogs. Dogs who are not eligible for surgeries are given Fentanyl to reduce pain and increase their lifespan. The use of Fentanyl is also beneficial to control cancer related pain. Fentanyl is manufactured in 12.5 microgram per hour, 25 microgram per hour, 50 microgram per hour, 75 microgram per hour, and 100 microgram per hour patches. For instance, 75 microgram per hour skin patches, means the patch will release 75 micrograms of Fentanyl every hour into the body.

Side Effects

Although, these artificially prepared painkillers take away the pain, dogs taking these drugs may have to face the brunt of side effects. However, in most cases, these drugs are well tolerated and side effects if any, are mild. Side effects of these painkillers observed in dogs are given below

• Diarrhea


• Vomiting


• Loss of appetite


• Difficulty in breathing

Can I Give Human Painkillers to Dogs?

Administering painkillers specifically designed for a dog is always a better option. Ibuprofen, that is commonly given to humans to relieve pain is not at all safe for dogs. However, buffered aspirin (buffered aspirin tablets are coated with a unique substance to considerably reduce side effects of aspirin) can help to block the pain. Also, buffered aspirin restricts the intestinal absorption of aspirin which is known to cause health problems. The dosage depends upon the weight of the dog. For every pound of body weight, the recommended buffered aspirin dosage is 5 mg. Buffered aspirin for dogs is an accepted medicine to relieve pain. However, other human painkillers could just end up worsening the dog’s condition.

Natural Painkillers

As the name suggests, these painkillers do not contain any artificial ingredients, and are far more safe than the commercial medicines. Made from natural ingredients, these herbal pain relief for dogs are free from side effects, and are a safer alternative to dog health problems.

There are herbal products and supplements available in the market that can reduce arthritis pain in dogs remarkably. Even turmeric when mixed with dog foods can ease pain to a great extent. Topical application of St. John’s Wort (herb) can also help relieve joint pain. Herbal products like ‘Pet Bounce’ are proven methods to relieve symptoms of arthritis in dogs.

Although the aforementioned synthetic painkillers are safe, it is not appropriate to use these drugs for long periods of time. This is because, side effects causing harm to the kidneys, liver or digestive system may occur. Monitoring the physical and mental health of the dogs that are taking these drugs is necessary to detect any side effects. One must immediately discontinue the drug and inform the veterinarian in case the condition of the dog deteriorates.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for veterinary advice.