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Dog had Rimadyl reaction, needs pain relief. What's aspirin washout?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Tibetan Terrier | Male | neutered | 17 years and 2 months old | 24 lbs

Has nail that has increased in size over time & is infected. Vet prescribed antibiotic,tramadol,&Rimadyl. The vet was told about his aspirin regimen (over 3 years). The vet said begin Rimadyl the next day. 3 days later he seemed to experience adverse side effects & almost died (heart 160bpm). We stopped giving it to him and he isn't having those terrible side effects 2 days later (today). He needs a NSAID he is in pain. What is the washout period for continuing his aspirin or any other NSAID?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Lauren Jones VMD

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on May 2nd, 2017

I'm sorry to hear that Boo's nail is so painful! A normal washout period after a long aspirin course is 7-10 days. I do not recommend using aspirin in dogs due to the risk of blood clot formation and risk of significant gastrointestinal ulceration. In cases where some form of pain medication is needed, I will sometimes try to shorten the washout period by also adding in antacids and other medications to protect the stomach and GI tract. Talk to your vet about the possibility of starting antacids and gastroprotectant medications to try to get Boo started on an NSAID (either Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Previcox or Galliprant) as soon as possible. In the meantime, tramadol should be able to help some with overall pain management. I hope that he's feeling better soon!
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