My dog's ear hurts and he cries. Can I give him aspirin for pain?

I’m so sorry to hear about Amir! Here is more information about dosing aspirin. I’ve also included a link to Benedryl dosing as many ear infections are related to underlying allergies. (Aspirin and Benedryl are safe to give together.) It goes without saying that he needs to get into the vet as soon as you are able, as he will need the proper ear medication. Best of luck to you and Amir! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/aspirin/ https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/

Poor Cooper! I'm sorry to hear that he has a swollen ear. As long as he is acting normal otherwise (eating and drinking fine, active, etc.) this would not normally be considered an emergency. But if you feel that he's very painful or uncomfortable, you could certainly opt to take him to an emergency clinic for quicker treatment. I would not recommend giving him aspirin, as this can cause severe stomach issues in some dogs. It will also severely limit your veterinarian's treatment options on Monday, as no other anti-inflammatory medications or steroids can be given until the aspirin is completely out of his system (usually 3-5 days). If he is scratching at the ear, you can place an e-collar (plastic cone) on his to keep him from damaging it further until you are able to see the vet.

I always recommend against giving baby aspirin to dogs. It makes it more difficult to give them medication if we need to switch them. If Jack hurt his rear leg I do recommend a physical examination be performed on him at a vet. Dogs can have just a simple soft tissue injury but they can also have issues with their knee cap or even an Cruciate ligament rupture (like an ACL in a football player). Going to the veterinarian they can prescribe good anti-inflammatories that would not be able to be given if you gave the aspirin. They can also dispense good pain medication to help Jack. Until you can get him to a veterinarian I recommend strict rest and only leash walks to go outside to the bathroom and then back inside. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Jack feels better soon.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If you cannot get him into the vets this evening, you can given one 500mg tablet of paracetamol (providing that he is a healthy dog and is not on any medications) and get him see by your regular vets tomorrow morning.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Oral medications (ie: antibiotics) do not work well for ear infections. Any medication to treat an ear infection should be used topically (inside the ear). Oral pain medication would probably be helpful but you would need to get those from your vet. In my opinion, if the ear is that painful you really should take him to your vet now for an examination so they can use the scope to look into the ear and also test the ear discharge to see what the infection is composed of (bacteria or yeast or both). They will also be able to see if the ear drum is intact. Some medications are contraindicated if the ear drum is ruptured. Cyclobenzaprine is NOT recommended for use in dogs. It has a very narrow margin of safety in dogs (and cats) and can cause significant central nervous system (CNS) and cardiovascular (CV) adverse effects. You should NOT use it. If you want to try to treat the ear at home, which I do not recommend, you can use this specific over the counter ear medication linked below. It is once a day and you do not have to clean the ear out first. It contains an anti-inflammatory (hydrocortisone) that should help with inflammation/pain. It is a small bottle so you will likely need at least 2 (if not 3) to do a full course of treatment. You must be sure to get the medication all the way down into the ear canal or it will not help much. If you chose to do this and there is no improvement in 4-5 days then you must take him to your vet for an exam. If he does seem to be improving then continue once daily for at least 14 days. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-ear-solution-with-5-hydrocortisone-125-fl-oz-2399174 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Poor Butcher! You are correct that excessive panting can certainly indicate a sign of pain in dogs. Human pain medications, such as Advil or Aleve, are not safe for dogs due to the risk of liver and kidney damage. Aspirin is not recommended for use in dogs since it can lead to blood clotting problems and ulceration of the stomach or intestines. Long story short, the safest and most effective anti-inflammatory pain relievers for dogs are prescription-based from your veterinarian. Additionally, I would be concerned about infection in the laceration on Butcher's ear since the wound originated from a dog fight. Bite wounds or severe scratches generally require a course of antibiotics. At this point, I strongly recommend taking Butcher to your vet or an emergency vet to have this laceration and associated pain addressed. Until you can get to the vet, put an e-collar (cone) on Butcher to prevent him from scratching his ear, as this could make matters worse. Ears are highly vascular, so a bit of manual pressure and ice (limit the ice to 10 minutes at a time) may help to lessen the bleeding until you can get to the vet. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. For future reference I would not recommend peroxide as an ear cleaner as it can often make cause damage to the ear. If Jackie is still uncomfortable, I recommend calling back the veterinarian that treated him to discuss. Be sure not to give medications more frequently than prescribed, if two dose given less than 4 hours apart that may be too frequent. Some pain medications may cause restlessness, so it's important to discuss with his veterinarian to rule out other illness or medication side effect. I hope Jackie is better soon.