Anyone give calpol to their dog?

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Vet said last week to give our dog paracetamol if we think he needed it (they had run out of pardale). She gave a note with "Paracetamol 500mg, ONE TABLET TWO - THREE times daily".

She said if we couldn't get the tablet into him we could try Calpol, but avoid sugar free because of xylitol which I know is toxic.

I can't get the tablets into him, and can only find sugar free Calpol - but it doesn't have xylitol in ingredients - sweetener is Maltitol which internet says is ok for dogs.

Anyone else given their dog sugar free calpol and she was just confused with the sugar free / xylitol thing?

I never have, but with the tablets u shove it down his throat as deep as u can go, then quickly hold his mouth shut and nose to the ceiling for about 19 seconds while he swallows, before he has chance to roll the tablet forward in his mouth.

10 seconds * wasn't being overly specific at 19!

He has been vomiting bile and struggling to eat - perhaps due to throat issues, or the bile is making his throat sore so thought the suspension solution would be kinder/easier than trying to force a tablet down his throat (waiting for vet hospital appointment for scan/endoscopy).

If the vet has said not to give sugar-free calpol, I wouldn't give it without speaking to them first.

You can get paracetamol suspension that isn't calpol and isn't sugar free. Just ask at the pharmacy.

Got hold of my nieces, cousin who is a vet and they have confirmed sugar free calpol is ok because unlike other brands it doesn't have xylitol and as my own vet had approved using paracetamol she double checked his weight and dosage our vet said and confirmed calpol dose too. Now just need to get it into him 🤦🏻‍♀️

Can you crush the paracetamol and put in food? Works with my dog.

For a syringe I would just pop it in the corner of his mouth, gently hold it closed, squirt and massage his throat so he swallows it.

My dog loves calpol.
she has been known to eat sachets of it

He took the syringe surprising easily, guess he didn't know what was happening. 30 mins later he was looking for food for the first time today and drinking. Worked really fast!

You can dissolve normal paracetamol in warm water and give it to the dog in a syringe or mixed with gravy/food

I wrap the tablet in ham. Sometimes add a little blob of primula.

Just be careful doing this, check with vet first. Dissolving the paracetamol may affect absorbsion rate. Not bashing, just want to be safe.

Fab news hopefully he's on the mend now 🤞

Glad you got the liquid into him. My dog often has paracetamol and we crush the tablet and sprinkle it over his biscuits, we add a little water and mix so we know he's getting it all night be worth a try.

Glad it's working!

Once he's feeling better and more interested in food, maybe pills will work again?

Ours get pills stuffed into pate or cheese. As in brie.... Have several pieces in your hands and throw to the dog one at a time, but keep the others near their nose so they aren't fully concentrating on what they are eating, but are also sniffing what you have! Then throw two plain pieces, the pill piece then at least two more plain pieces. Down the hatch here! 😂

I thought the paracetamol itself (or whatever the active ingredient is) was toxic. I hadn't realised it was the sweetener. Can you not just pick up some metacam or equivalent from another vets if your regular vet is out?

I buy the bigger circular paracetamol for ours, he has half a tablet in the morning and the other half at night. It's really easy to split into quarters as they're scored, and he just gets it mixed in with his meat topper.

We got dog liquid painkiller in meat flavour. Is very popular with ddog

My late dog used to love his calpol! The vet had recommended paracetamol but it was the only medication I could never get down him so they gave me the dose for him in 6+ calpol instead and he just had that with his food.