Over the counter pain medications

Posted by Aaron

Sunday, March 22, 2009

I am frequently asked if a pet can take anything over the counter for pain. Typically, the answer is NO. In cats, the more specific answer is not just no, but NO!


Dogs and cats are so very, very physiologically close to us in many ways and yet worlds apart in others. One of the big differences has to do with the way their livers process certain toxins (or drugs). Because of this, drugs in the Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) designed for humans are exceptionally bad for dogs and cats. Instead, drugs had to be developed that they could tolerate. These drugs are all prescription and there are no over the counter equivalents.


Ibuprofen is horribly unpredictable in dogs and can easily be toxic at a single dose. Some dogs tolerate fairly high doses before they get sick. Since you can't predict this, it's not safe to give at any dose. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is rarely used in dogs, and then only if required because it is in a combination with a narcotic (like Vicodin). Dog livers tolerate it OK, but not well enough to comfortably use it any more than you have to. Do NOT give tylenol to your dog.


But to all rules, there are exceptions. Dogs can tolerate aspirin. Small doses, at least. Before we had canine specific drugs, aspirin was commonly used. The problem with aspirin is that the side effects all happen at doses lower than those required to provide pain relief. Tummy upset and disruption of clotting are the two biggest side effects we are concerned about. Aspirin is a potent inhibitor of platelet function. It's why people take tiny doses daily to help prevent heart attack or stroke. Because aspirin is associated with such potential for problems, I'm not even going to mention a specific dose. There is the occasional dog that can tolerate aspirin quite well and does well on it as a pain medication. This is the exception and those patients are at higher risk of bleeding.


In cats, however, there are no exceptions. DO NOT give your cat anything over the counter. Period. A single Tylenol is fatal. Aspirin has to be given with extreme caution. Ibuprofen is likely to be fatal. I repeat - DO NOT give your cat anything over the counter. Nothing. Nada.


There are some great prescription drugs designed to work well with dog and cat livers. This class of drugs still requires care when using, but the veterinary drugs like Rimadyl (carprofen), Metacam (meloxicam), Deramaxx (deracoxib), and Previcox (firocoxib) are all fantastic in the right situations. Because they are SO safe relative to the over the counter options, it simply isn't worth the risk of giving anything else.


AMH

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