My Golden Retriever has a back injury. What human meds are safe?

Unfortunately most of the human medication commonly available are either toxic or not effective. In this case I would strongly recommend to have some anti-inflammatory medications dispensed by your local vet. A physical examination would determine as well the exact cause of the sore and the most appropriate treatment.

Unfortunately, there are no safe OTC pain relievers for dogs. Many are toxic to dogs, and can be fatal if given. Taking Lilly to the vet is the right thing to do, and the vet can prescribe her a safe pain and inflammation reliever, such a Rimadyl.

There are a few more medications that can be given such as tramadol and gabapentin, both are prescription only, you can get them from your normal vet. the most important factor for good recovery is cage rest for at least two weeks, in most cases neither MRI nor surgery are needed.

The next step will be to have several x-ray done to evaluate potential injuries and conditions in the spine, hips and knees. i would recommend asking your vet to send the xrays to a radiology specialist for second opinion as well. according to the result your vet will need to explain a treatment plan, it might be medications or surgery.

Dogs can experience pain from a variety of health conditions, including [osteoarthritis](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/arthritis-1/),[ dental disease](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/dental-disease/), [urinary tract infections](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/utis-in-dogs/) or traumatic injuries, among many others. While it is extremely difficult to see our four-legged friends in pain, there are no safe and effective over-the-counter medications for managing pain in dogs (or cats). Over the counter pain relievers for humans, such as ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), acetaminophen (Tylenol) and naproxen (Aleve) are all toxic to animals. Aspirin should also not be given to dogs because it causes significant irritation and potential ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract, and it inhibits a dog’s ability to clot blood. If you think that your dog is in pain, your best bet is to take him to your veterinarian. After performing a [physical exam](https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-does-your-veterinarian-look-for-during-a-physical-exam/), your veterinarian will be able to prescribe safe and effective medication. Only give pain medication to the pet for which it was prescribed due to risks with drug interactions, improper doses or contraindications with certain medical conditions. ### Elanco and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates. Galliprant is a registered trademark of Aratana Therapeutics, Inc.

Dogs can only have very specific pain medications, human pain killers are toxic to dogs, those pain killers are prescription only and you must get them through your vet. some examples: Metacam, Rymadil, Onsior, Previcox.

Yes, it is possible that the meds are not strong enough, personally those medications would not be my first choice for IVDD as this is usually a very painful condition and these medications are not strong enough to treat this type of pain. i would recommend contacting you vet in order to switch the Codein with Tramadol and add either Metacam or Rymadil to the treatment as well.