Can I Give my Dog OTC Pain Medication?
Did you know? Dogs are great at masking pain...
As humans when we have a headache or a slight pain we might take an advil or over the counter (OTC) pill to help us feel better. Even as children, we vocalize our pain to our parents and they do what they can to help us. That might be why we find it hard to empathize and understand the science of pain in dogs.
In the wild, showing pain is also showing vulnerability. It’s in a dog’s best interest to mask mild pain. Only when it becomes serious will they bring it to your attention. So where we might think a small anti-inflammatory pill is helping our suffering pup, it’s likely not strong enough for what they truly need. And it could even be prolonging their suffering if the cause of their pain is more serious. Check out the infographic below from PetMD for more on this.
Some veterinarians prescribe small doses of human grade pills for dogs, but that’s only when the dog’s full medical history is evaluated and a condition is properly diagnosed. We love our dogs and it’s easy to think we understand all their wants and needs. But the best thing we can do for them is let the vets do the prescribing.
Head over to petmd.com for more useful information!