Should my dog be on tramadol for pain, or are there better options?

You should take her to your veterinarian for a re-assessment. THis may include changing to another NSAID, or adding other pain medication such as Gabapentin, or even opioids. You may also start with some physiotherapy such as swimming in warm water, to keep her mobile. Unfortunately more and more evidence points to Tramadol not being very effective in dogs for taking pain. I suggest you make an appointment with your vet soon.

Tramadol is an opioid meant to alleviate moderate pain, however there are research papers now that determined it is not that effective. Carprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (like aspirin, but for dogs) which is given for certain types of pain such as arthritis. However Carprofen is excreted via the kidneys and if it is to be used, the dog receiving it needs to have a small blood test to verify that his kidneys are working properly. Also carprofen can cause stomach ulcers in some dogs. So unless your vet prescribes these medications for your dog, please do not give them. However, should your vet prescribe those medications for your other dog, you can tell him that you have them and then be informed of the proper dosage to give.

Hello. I am so sorry for your pet's diagnosis. While there is a dose of Tramadol available for dogs, we have now learned that it is not a great drug for pain relief. It is often used here as a multi-modal approach to pain using Tramadol with an NSAID & Gabapentin. With severe pain, a fentanyl patch may be required. You really need to visit with your veterinarian to make sure your pet is as pain free as possible for the rest of his life. I wish all the best for your pet & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am sorry to hear that Oucy is in so much pain. Disk disease is a very painful condition and is typically treated on an emergency basis. Tramadol is usually not very effective for spinal cord pain and often animals need intravenous pain medications to get some pain relief. While gabapentin can be helpful for nerve pain it is an adjunctive pain medication and needs to be used in combination with something else. The best thing you can do for Oucy is to get her to an emergency vet clinic for surgery and supportive care. Even if surgery is not an option, medical pain management would help her feel more comfortable. I would not recommend waiting to take her in. In the meanwhile be sure to follow your veterinarians exact instructions for the prescribed medications and do not give her any human pain medications as these can be toxic to animals.

That should not be a problem. The only risk is that Tramadol won't be effective. I would recommend to have Gum Gum checked if the signs (pain and inappetence) are not getting any better in the next 12-24hours.

Poor Wookie. It is never a good idea to start a medication without having checked the patient before. All the medication have side effects and have to be carefully prescribed and given only for the appropriate disease. There are different medication against pain and Tramadol is one of those but recent studies suggest might not be as effective as we thought, there are other more effective medication. I recommend to have Wookie checked by your veterinarian to asses the level of pain and prescribed the correct medication taking in account all Wookie history and concurrent heath problems, if present. Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.

No, I would not give him your medication, as it is not prescribed for him and it's never safe to give a dog unprescribed human medication. I would refill it first thing Monday, and until then, you can give him glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis. I would also keep him quiet, taking him out to toilet on a lead only and bringing him right back in when he's done.