What safe pain relief can I give my dog with GI disease and ascites?

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.

No this is not safe to do at all. The medication isn't prescribed for Buddy and it may not be the correct dose. Plus aspirin is never safe to give dogs, it causes GI bleeding and ulcers. I would get him into his vet first thing in the morning. Best of luck.

I'm sorry to hear that Aggie is in pain! However, I never recommend giving aspirin to dogs as a pain reliever because of the risk of gastrointestinal ulceration and risk of blood thinning. Unfortunately, there are no safe pain medications available for dogs over the counter. The best thing you can do is keep Aggie confined to a crate or very small room to prevent her from walking or jumping, as this could worsen any injury. If Aggie is unable to walk and is dragging her hind legs, this is an emergency situation and must be addressed immediately. To lift her, be sure to support Aggie with one hand under her chest and one hand under her abdomen. I hope that she is feeling better soon!

I do not recommend giving any over the counter pain medications to dogs. While dogs technically can have aspirin, it can cause stomach ulcers even at appropriate doses and does not offer the best pain control. Ibuprofen and similar medications are toxic to dogs. If you feel Gabie is painful your best bet is to have her examined by a vet and for them to prescribe a safe pain medication. It's also a little unusual to have pain around the rib and chest unless there was some kind of major trauma, but dogs with neck pain or back pain can be painful around their chests when picked up so I'm wondering if this might be the actual source of her pain.

I am sorry Prince is having hip pain. I would recommend taking him to a vet to make sure he is not having any other issues. The vet will most likely want to do bloodwork before starting him on long term pain medications. I typically start patients off on a NSAID (non steroidal anti inflammatory) and add additional medications if the NSAID is not enough on its own. However Prince should only take medication for dogs and should have blood work before starting NSAIDs. NSAIDs can be harmful to a dogs kidneys and liver if they are not working properly. Over the counter you can start him on a joint supplement. I recommend glucosamine and chondroitin. There are non medical options too like a cold light laser and acupuncture. I would ask your vet about if these are options in your vet office or near by.

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.

Unfortunately there are no safe OTC pain medications for dogs. Many are toxic to dogs, and can be fatal if given. In addition, aspirin should never be given to dogs, it causes GI ulcers and bleeding. The only safe pain medications for dogs are prescription from the vet. If Bear is in pain, you will need to take him into the vet to get pain meds. Best of luck.