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My old dog is crying. Can I give her human pain meds like Tylenol?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | 9 years old | 100 lbs

I have a 10 year old German Shepherd. She has been crying all day long. I read on the Internet that I can give her acetaminophen. What dosage can I give her. Do you have any other suggestions?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on December 19th, 2016

I would not recommend giving Sierra acetaminophen - it's true that this medication is occasionally used for certain problems in dogs, but it has the potential to cause serious toxicity issues. It is off-label use and can only be given by prescription from a veterinarian. It's also not safe to use in dogs with any kind of liver or kidney issues, so blood work would always be recommended in an older dog prior to giving any kind of drug like this.

If Sierra is crying, I would really recommend taking her to a vet today if at all possible to find out what's wrong - treatment recommendations will depend on what the underlying problem is, and I'm afraid that there are no over-the-counter human pain medications that are safe for use in dogs. Your vet can do a thorough exam as well as blood work or x-rays if needed to help determine what's wrong and prescribe appropriate medication to treat the problem depending on what is found.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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