Can I give my dog ibuprofen?

As you may know, ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory drug, which is not recommended to be given to your dog or pet, and could even be dangerous for them. It’s mostly ideal for humans in case of pain, however, it does not have the same properties in dogs or other smaller animals.

Self-medication is a dangerous habit for human health and, even more so, for that of our pets. Unfortunately too many people still have the bad habit of using medicines for human consumption on their pets

When facing the situation of a suffering dog, we may be tempted to give them human medicines for everyday use, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin. To avoid any type of accident that is often fatal, please read the following guide.

Below we will explain why you should not give it to your dog, because of the risks that may be involved in doing so.

The potential risks of giving ibuprofen to your dog

 

You should know that ibuprofen is toxic to dogs. If you take a closer look at the compositions of the various drugs that are suitable for dogs, you will find that none of them contains ibuprofen, and for good reason! The effects of this anti-inflammatory drug on their body can be devastating and they would no longer be able to function properly.

At this point after ingesting ibuprofen, the dog experiences serious adverse effects, including intoxication. This intoxication often occurs in their digestive system. If you notice any of the following symptoms in your pet, you will need to act very quickly:

• nausea, vomiting and vomiting with blood,
• common or bloody diarrhoea,
• abdominal pain leading to a severe loss of appetite.
• convulsions,
• acute Kidney (renal) failure.

This short list should at least help you to understand in the first moments that it’s urgent to contact your veterinarian or an animal health professional.

What if my dog ingested ibuprofen?

Calling a veterinarian or Poison Control center immediately proves to be the best decision you can make at this point. These professionals will give you the necessary instructions on what to do before you take your dog to the nearest veterinary center.

The veterinarian is the only one who can make a proper diagnosis and act accordingly, in view of the dog’s symptoms. They can induce vomiting if ibuprofen was ingested recently or they can give the dog life saving medicines if necessary. Their main mission will be to minimize the potential damage caused to the dog by such drug administration.

In some cases, the dog will need to be hospitalized, especially if the damage caused by ibuprofen is severe. The veterinarian will also monitor the animal for symptoms on the following days and weeks to ensure that the digestive tract is not damaged.

What should I replace ibuprofen with if I want to give my dog a suitable pain relieving medication?

If you are afraid to give ibuprofen to your dog, then you should also avoid aspirin, acetaminophen or other human drugs. There are specialized anti-inflammatory treatments and pain relieving drugs that are created specially for dogs.

The veterinarian will also advise you and will prescribe a medicine adapted to your dog’s level and severity of pain. Remember that he is the only one who can prescribe the right medicines for use on dogs.

Before you hear the professional’s opinion on alleviating the pain of your dog, you can turn to natural solutions if the situation is not very serious. These can relieve your dog until the veterinary appointment.

For example, essential oils are made from plants and have interesting and powerful healing properties both on humans and on pets.

By diluting such essential oils with vegetable oil, you can apply them gently to the painful area on your dog’s skin. You will also be able to use an ice pack, especially in case of insect bites or mild trauma.

 

What are non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs ?

Humans are so accustomed to the practice of self-medication that on many occasions we don’t even know the nature of common medications and their indications or mechanism of action, which is dangerous for you and even more dangerous for your pets. So, before evaluating the effects of paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin on dogs and pets in genial, we will explain briefly what kind of medicines they are.

These three drugs belong to the pharmacological group of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), they act mainly as anti-pain and anti-inflammatory agents by decreasing the synthesis of substances involved in the chain mechanism of inflammation (prostaglandins), but they are also excellent antipyretic (lowers the body temperature in case of fever).

In humans, these drugs are toxic at doses above the maximum recommended doses and are particularly harmful to the liver, the main organ responsible for neutralizing the toxic elements from the drugs and then for their expelling them from the body. Heavy and repeated consumption of paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin in humans can cause irreversible damage to the liver.

Can I give my dog paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin ?

Medicating your dog with these drugs is toxic and endangering your pet’s life. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are indeed among the drugs banned for dogs, and the sensitivity of cats to these drugs is even higher, as they begin to show symptoms of intoxication between 3 and 12 hours after ingestion of the drug.

Dogs cannot metabolize the drug properly and this results in the death of hepatocytes or liver cells, an organ that is also vital to your pets, so that a third of the animals poisoned with NSAIDs die within 24 to 72 hours of ingestion.

What if my dog ingested paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin?

 

If your dog accidentally ingested paracetamol, watch for the following symptoms:

• Tiredness
• Depression
• Vomiting
• Tachycardia
• Breathing difficulties
• Purple / blue colour of the mucous membranes
• Excessive Salivation
• Convulsions

If your pet ingested ibuprofen or aspirin, the symptoms will be the following:

• Loss of appetite and anorexia
• Vomiting and diarrhea.
• Gastrointestinal haemorrhages that may cause black stools or traces of blood in feces
• Abdominal pain.
• Bleeding in the rest of the body

In that case, you should urgently go to the vet. Paracetamol intoxication has an antidote, but taking it alone is not enough. Your dog will also need to be hospitalized in order for the surgeon to try and save the liver of your dog. In the case of ibuprofen and aspirin ingestion, there is no antidote unfortunately.

Hospitalization is mandatory and allows for proper care for the intoxicated animal’s life and organs. Liver and kidney protectors, gastrointestinal dressings, painkillers and antibiotics are administered.

Self-medication of your pets, even with veterinary drugs, carries many risks, which are much higher when self-medication is done with drugs intended for human consumption.

To avoid accidents that could cost your pet’s life, be careful, go to the veterinarian as soon as a health issue arises and do not give your dog any medication that is not prescribed by an appropriate professional.

 

Human medicine for a dog?

What medication can you give your dog? The answer is simple: no human medicine should be given without the advice of your veterinarian.

You will find all kinds of information on the Internet about human medicines or other products given to dogs to treat certain health conditions.. But, be careful as you could cause more harm than good to your companion! Here are the various situations and scenarios to avoid:

Giving salt by the mouth to your dog to induce vomiting:

Did your dog swallow a sock? Or he ate chocolate and the internet advised you this type of “treatment”?

What you need to know: this practice is not recommended as it is highly likely to cause salt poisoning to your dear companion. Actually, by encouraging your dog to ingest a large amount of salt in short amount of time can cause a serious breakdown of his blood electrolytes. Too high a blood salt level will cause your dog to have neurological problems that can lead to seizures.

Your pet will need to be hospitalized with IV fluids to rebalance and have regular blood tests. Especially if you also have to go to surgery to get your items lost in his stomach!

What to do and what medication to give your dog:

Contact a veterinarian immediately. Depending on the situation, he may recommend giving hydrogen peroxide to your pet. If it doesn’t work, he’ll ask you to come to the clinic. Your veterinarian will quickly be able to give your dog a medicine to make him vomit everything under close supervision.

And if your dog doesn’t vomit, a proper plan will be developed with you, depending on the situation. In some cases, inducing vomiting in your dog will not be recommended; therefore it’s always best to discuss with your veterinarian before trying anything at home.

Giving Tylenol or Advil to your dog

Your dog ran after a squirrel and comes back with an injury?

Can you give a dog aspirin, Advils or Tylenol?

What you need to know about anti-inflammatory drugs and your dog

Anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used in humans for headaches, muscle aches and fever. Know that dogs are much more sensitive than humans to anti-inflammatory drugs. Giving aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can cause vomiting, diarrhea or even kidney damage to your dog. This could have serious consequences for the rest of their life. Don’t think a smaller dose will be safe.

Are acetaminophen and ibuprofen safe for dogs?

Dogs are not humans. Their metabolism is very different from that of man so they don’t react to drugs like we do. So even a baby dose can be problematic for dogs. Depending on his condition, he could be hospitalized under intravenous fluids for 2 to 3 days with blood follow-ups close to his kidneys. He will also need medication to decontaminate his digestive system, to avoid stomach ulcers and to stop vomiting and diarrhea.

Giving acetaminophen (Tylenol) is even more dangerous for your dog because his liver will not be able to properly use this drug. In addition to digestive problems, severe liver toxicity can occur, including the destruction of red blood cells, which can cause anemia. For your information, intoxication is even more serious in cats who can die more easily!

Acetaminophen intoxication in dogs can be fatal

In the case of acetaminophen intoxication in dogs, monitoring of the liver and red blood cells will also be required during hospitalization. In addition, an antidote may be given in an attempt to minimize adverse effects. Be aware that serious poisonings can be fatal especially if they are not addressed quickly.
What if you can’t use Tylenol or Advil for your dog?

There are good anti-inflammatory drugs for dogs under veterinary prescription that will be much safer. A blood test to check the kidneys is always recommended before making sure your dog will tolerate them well. If you have previously given your dog human anti-inflammatory drugs, your veterinarian will certainly no longer be able to prescribe animal anti-inflammatory drugs to your dog at the risk of worsening the situation.

And if your dog has inadvertently found your aspirin pot don’t wait for it to get sick and go immediately to a veterinarian for treatment before it’s too late.
My dog has diarrhea can I give Imodium?

Your dog woke you up all night because he had abundant diarrhea.

You wonder: Can you give your dog Imodium in case of diarrhea?

Why not give your dog loperamide?

Imodium is used in humans to slow intestinal transit to avoid diarrhea. However, this drug is contraindicated when diarrhea is secondary to bacterial infection, when fever occurs, or if blood is present in diarrhea (black or red) in dogs. As you can hardly know the cause of the diarrhea of your sick little beast, it is therefore best to refrain from giving Imodium to his dog.

What to do: keep in your closet canned veterinary food for gastrointestinal problems that you can offer your pet in diarrhea. It is also possible to get probiotics for your dog to mix with his food.

However, it will be imperative to consult your veterinarian if the diarrhea persists, if your dog becomes amorphous, vomits, has a loss of appetite or if there is blood (black or red) in its diarrhea.

So, should human medications and ibuprofen be given to dogs?

 

In conclusion, whether your dog scratches, has a “hot spot”, a bump on his head or a tick infection, make sure you have a vet’s approval before giving him any medication. As your dog’s health is very precious to you, it will always be wise to ask an animal health professional for information when your dog’s condition concerns you.

If your regular veterinarian is closed, know that there are several emergency centers open 24 hours a day that can answer your questions and inform you if the situation requires an immediate assessment by a veterinarian. The call is simple and easy and could reassure you in addition to saving you several troubles.

This article is purely informative, we do not have the competence to prescribe veterinary treatments or to carry out any diagnosis. We invite you to bring your pet to the vet if it shows the symptoms of any illness or disease.