Dog hurt, can't see vet: What human pain meds are safe for dogs?

Poor Viper! I don't recommend giving over the counter pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen or Tylenol as these can have serious side effects in animals. It will also limit the type of pain medication that your veterinarian can prescribe and may result in Viper not getting adequate pain control. Unfortunately there is nothing over the counter that can be given to dogs for pain control, so if he is acting very painful, I would recommend taking him to a vet tonight if you can. If you are unable to, I would recommend taking him as soon as you can tomorrow. Most bite wounds will get infected and they almost always need oral antibiotics. The veterinarian will also make sure the wound isn't worse than it looks. Bite wounds can appear small on the surface, but can penetrate deeper than what we see or tear the skin from underlying tissue so that a pocket is created under the skin. These pockets can fill up with blood or pus and need to be drained. Good luck and I hope that Viper is feeling better soon!

Thanks for using PetCoach. Unfortunately, without an exam (or at least pictures), I'm a bit limited on what advice I can give. Where the wound is would be important to know. I am less concerned about a bite to the leg than I am to the belly or neck. How deep is it? How is Della Reese feeling? Is she eating and running around or lethargic and not eating? My concerns and recommendations -Infection - very common in dog bite wounds - if there is a hole or deep wound anywhere, it needs to be flushed very thoroughly with dilute iodine or hydrogen peroxide. This is possibly the MOST important step. The wounds need to be left OPEN to drain. If you cover them up tightly you will be trapping the bacteria inside and cause an abscess. They will drain some blood-tinged fluid for a few days but it shouldn't be pure blood. If the mess is a problem, put a t-shirt on her (if wounds are on the torso) or keep her on tile/laminate surfaces. Warm compress the wounds twice daily to encourage that fluid to come out the wound holes. Honestly, depending on the severity and location, she really needs antibiotics. Even if you can only get into the vet for the exam and antibiotics, its worth doing. - Blood loss- as noted above, you're more-likely seeing blood-tinged discharge stuff than actual pure blood. Even if there was pure blood at first, she is big enough that she could safely loose a cup of blood or more. - Pain medication - motrin (ibuprofen) is an unsafe drug choice for dogs and is not recommended. If she has only had one dose, stop and switch her to aspirin 24 hours after the first dose. If she has had more than one dose, stop and start aspirin 72 hours from the last dose of motrin. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/aspirin/ Also don't forget ice!! Ice has incredible anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. Ice up the wounded area(s) for 5-10 minutes as often as you can (up to every 3-4 hours). If it's time to warm compress, do that first and then ice. I hope this has at least given you a place to start. Best of luck to you and Della Reese.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Sam. Poor boy! Unfortunately there are no OTC pain relievers you can give him. Many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. You can try putting a cold compress on his neck where he got the bite to see if that helps with his pain. Have him seen by a vet first thing in the morning. Best of luck.

Hi there. No, unfortunately there are no over-the-counter pain medications that are safe for use in dogs. If his foot seems sore, your best bet will probably be to restrict his exercise so that he doesn't aggravate it further, and take him in to see your vet for an exam if the problem does not improve within the next 2-3 days, or if it seems to be getting worse in the meantime. If there is an actual open sore on his pad, you also need to make sure that he isn't licking or chewing at it, as this will make things worse - so place an e-collar (plastic cone) on him if needed to help prevent this.

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.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Ibuprofen is very toxic to dogs, do not give it to Simon. It is an emergency, please try and take Simon to your nearest open vet or local emergency service to get him seen. There are no over the counter medications that would be safe to administer at home, I am afraid.

I'm sorry to hear that Brian seems so uncomfortable. Unfortunately, there are no safe over the counter pain medications that can be given to dogs. The most effective way to manage his pain is by taking him to his vet for prescription-based pain medication. Depending on the type of wound, a cool or warm compress can briefly ease discomfort. If Brian is licking at his paw, be sure to keep an e-collar (cone) on him until you can get to the vet. If you do not have an e-collar, this link has tips on making one at home: http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html. I hope that all goes well!