Can Aspirin Be Used For Pain Relief in Dogs with Arthritis?

Aspirin can be used to give your dog relief from inflammation and chronic pain, but should always be given with food as it can cause stomach problems, so please take caution. The weight of your dog will determine the amount of aspirin that can be given, but please first check with your vet before giving your dog any medication or aspirin.

Aspirin in dogs is mainly used for treatment of arthritis and other joint pains. If your dog is in pain aspirin can give some relief. Swelling can be reduced with the great anti-inflammatory properties of Aspirin. It is also used for treating pain and fever. This will make your dog feel more comfortable. It is important to remember that a dog is not a human. If your dog looks like it is in pain and not feeling good it doesn’t mean this is a reason to give your dog some aspirin. This is only used as a temporary solution to give your animal some relief from major discomfort. It is best to consult a vet and get medication prescribed for your dog like Rimadyl which acts the same way as aspirin but is safer for dogs.

Caution should be taken when giving your pet any kind of medication. A too large dose of aspirin can be toxic to your dog. Your dog could also not tolerate the medication which could lead to an upset stomach. Aspirin is very toxic to dogs given in high doses. 30mg per pound of dog could be toxic. 320 mg would be very toxic to a 10pound dog. Be very cautious when administering to small breads of dogs. Aspirin is poorly handled by young dogs and cats and should not be given to young animals due to their lack of enzymes needed in the process. Once again we recommend you speak to your veterinarian first.

Gastrointestinal upset and ulcers can be caused by administering aspirin. It is advised to watch your dog closely if they have been given medication to make sure they don’t have an upset stomach. If there are any signs of ulcers, namely blood-tinged vomiting one should immediately stop inducing aspirin. It is recommended to crush up an aspirin with your dog’s food to reduce the chance of damaging the stomach lining.

Tytenol, advil or similar non-aspirin relievers should not be used for dogs and cats and could kill them. These were designed purely for human ingestion.

Dosage recommendations are 5 – 10 mg per pound of the dog’s weight for a 12 hour period. It is always a better idea to use smaller dosages so not to cause any side effects in your dog. Enteric coated aspirin will not work for dogs and isn’t recommended as the coating cannot be dissolved properly by dogs and so the aspirin never gets into the system.

It is best to start off giving smaller doses, if this relieves your dog’s pain then that’s a bonus, if not then slowly increase the amount given. Use the following chart as a guideline only – this is not a medical chart.

The correct dosage can provide your dog with much needed relief just be aware that you need to be very careful with the amount of medication given to your dog so as to avoid any complications. Dogs are not human and should not be given aspirin for minor pains. It is always advisable to speak to your vet before administering any medication to your animals.