Giving paracetamol to dogs

[MorningCampers]

My crazy greyhound ran into a tree stump today & took the top layer of his skin off (about 1.5" wound) He walked home okay & he is now a bit sore as you would expect. I am usually the type of person who goes to the vet's with every small worry/query but (apart from it being Bank Holiday) TBH at the moment I think this is a case of first aid. I have not bathed it as it looks quite clean & think this might irritate it. I have NEVER given my dogs human medecine before because I have read that it can be poison to dogs but I hate to see him in discomfort. My friend has recently been told by her dog's breeder to give 5 or 10ml of children's neurofen for growing pains in her puppy and I would like to ask if anyone has any experience of giving children's paracetemol or aspirin to dogs. At the moment my dog is fine but interested if you have any experience or knowledge of this. I do know he would need a very small dose of anything as being a grey has no body fat.

Quite a different situation, but one of my labs, shortly after having her hip replaced, got hold of a strip of ibuprofen tablets and ate the lot!

She was not sleepy, or sick and was extremely spritely for around 4 days until it seemed to wear off then she slowed down again.

We called vet and they said to 'observe' her and only to take her in if she acted strangely/was sick/couldn't be roused etc.

Don't give anything without checking with a vet.

I don't know what they can and can't have but PDSA says "Third [most common type of poisoning]is human medication - including ibuprofen and paracetamol - which curious pets may get their paws on if packets are left around the home. In addition, some owners believe that these drugs are safe to give to pets. In fact, some can prove fatal (cats in particular are very sensitive to paracetamol ? about 25% of cases seen are fatal)."

Paracetamol can be fatal for cats. I think it is crazy to give it to a dog too.

Do NOT give paracetamol or aspirin.No No no.Many animals react completely differently to different drugs and they may well be totally toxic to dogs.(I think aspirin can kill a cat for instance)There is an anti inflamatory suitable for dogs that you need to get from your vet,as also,as you mention,doseage is also crucial.Call your vet in the morning,they will need to weigh your dog,take the breed type into consideration,and prescribe the appropriate drug.

In general human pain drugs are NOT suitable for dogs. I am horrified that a breeder is advising giving ibuprofen to puppies - this is likely to cause kidney failure. Apart from anything else there's no such diagnosis as "growing pains" and the puppy needs to be seen by a vet.

As a vet, after chocolate and rat poison/slug bait the most common cause of poisoning in dogs which I have to deal with is human medication. I have seen dogs die from this.

In terms of your greyhound: if, as you say, he is fine I would just let him rest and call your vet in the morning if he seems to be stiff or painful. If you think he needs pain relief now your vet will be able to give him a safe, licensed painkiller tonight if necessary. I cannot recommend human medication in this scenario.

Well said, OhFuck. I am a vet as well. My advice is very simple: never give a dog (or cat) paracetamol or ibuprofen.

god my vet told me to give my dog calpol

Another vet here - I'll go slightly against the grain here and say actually in the correct circumstances paracetamol is an option for dogs. However, it should never be given without the instruction of a veterinary surgeon as it has the potential to cause problems and dosing will not be the same as for a small child. There are far better and safer products manufactured for pain control in dogs and it would be a very rare event indeed where a vet in practice is likely to use it. It is never suitable for cats. As with the previous posters here though I will reiterate that ibuprofen is totally unsuitable for dogs or cats under any circumstances and I have seen first hand the effects of ibuprofen toxicity. It doesn't need much for a potentially life threatening problem.

Another vet (gosh there's a few of us!) and I agree with beautifulgirls. Paracetamol can be given to dogs, but phone your OOH number in future and they will at least be able to give you advice on a dosage without needing to necessarily see the dog.

Absolutely at a breeder advising ibuprofen for puppies!! It's horribly toxic to dogs! One of my friend's dogs is currently being monitored for renal failure following accidental ingestion of ibuprofen.

Aspirin (given under veterinary instruction) is probably a better "first-aid" anti-inflammatory in the dog.

And yes paracetamol in cats is a complete no-no(unless you want a dead cat!)

phew ! it was a weekend and my dog had run into a tree ,luckily there was no sign of injury other than a bit of a limp and the vet said i could give him a small dose of calpol and then bring him in on monday morning ,didnt need to as he fully recovered ,the great numpty

Lol there are lots of us vets on here!

Hope your dog feels better this morning

There is good advice on this thread for anyone considering self medicating without veterinary advice- we pick up the pieces far too often!

We were advised to give our old lab aspirin if she were particularly stiff, but only on occasion. We did once or twice and then moved on to the proper dog pain relief which I can't remember the name of now!

(I have a cross bred whippet, I just know he will connect with a tree one of these days!)

bedlambeast yup, because its actually better to let it all out your system and treat with natural yoghurt/koalin/balnd diet etc (that goes for us too) but it is foul. And totally not licensed. Oh well

I have dogs all my life. Aspirin and paracetamol are absolutely fine in small doses. The only reason all you vets on here are saying we should use licensed medication is due to the fact you can charge £40 for something that costs 19p in Asdas....same old system full of money grabbing scumbags!

Cammeag yes they are okay in small doses under veterinary advice for dogs. We are not saying this to scam you we are saying this to prevent potential serious life threatening problems. Actually if you wish to argue the licensed route then please write to the veterinary medicines directorate who legally force us to prescribe the licensed drugs rather than cheaper generics.

My Corgi likes to chase bee's, Does anyone know if it is advisable to give him anti Histamine to dogs as a bee treatment?

Hi My Friends vet and my own dog's vet have both confirmed it is OK to give children's Priiton to dogs in emergency situations. I hope this is correct, any other vets in reading may comment, but I did administer when my dog was stung by wasps and there was no way of getting vet treatment quickly, he did not suffer any side effects and the wasp stings subsided quickly after taking the medication. I have also given to my Staffie when she developed an itchy grass rash, it worked for her.

Piriton is fine but talk to your vet about dosage. It can cause sedation in some dogs.

I should also add that it's important to seek veterinary attention if your pet is stung in the mouth. There is a small risk of swelling compromising their airway, which would need more aggressive treatment than simply Piriton.

Whoaaa don't ever give human tablets to a dog without the vets advice. Aspirin can just burn a hole in a dogs stomach, and giving neurofen to puppies is frankly irresponsible. Go to www.vetmedsdirect.co.uk for advice or see your vet

If you absolutely have to you can give them Pardale to help with pain Pardale

My friend, who's a nurse, gives her dogs paracetamol.