Dog Painkiller Side Effects

What the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words "best friend"? I bet there is a lot of names that come to mind - but let my tell you what comes to mind when I hear those words - Pip my dog. My dog Pip is a good dog but know that he is older he need special care.

Like with everything old age creeps up on them before it even begins to touch us and they begin to experience certain diseases and conditions that can be caused by the old age. Many of the problems that they have to deal with will cause them a large amount of pain. Watching them deal with this pain is hard for us to watch and we wish there was something that we could do. The good thing is there is something. In order to help them cope with the pain and the problems from certain health problems vets will prescribe special pain killers.

The most common pain killers that are prescribed to dogs are anti inflammatory medications that are referred to as NSAIDS. This medication is more specifically given that are between the age of five to eight years old and dogs who are suffering from osteoarthritis or other joint problems. Like with any type of medication given to humans or dogs there are certain precautions that must be taken to make sure that they can use them.

There are some dogs who will suffer mild to severe side effects from due to these pain killers. These mild effects can include; vomiting, lethargy, and anorexia. The more severe side effects include; renal failure, acute hepatopathy, perforation, and gastrointestinal. The vet and the owner will work together to see if these side effects are affecting their dog.

The two most common types of NSAIDS that your vet is most likely to prescribe to your dog is Rimadyl and Aspirin. Both of these can cause side effects - but studies show that Aspirin has some of the more severe side effects associated with it. Never mix your dog's pain relievers in any way unless the vet has specifically ordered you to. Mixing drugs could kill you dog.

If you spot any side effect that you believe has been caused by the pain reliever contact your vet immediately. Makes sure you provide details about the side effect and tell your vet how much and how often the dog has been using the pain reliever.