Dogs are wonderful pets and companions. They are loyal, devoted, friendly, nonjudgmental and love unconditionally. Humans and dogs have a relationship going back thousands of years, and it looks to continue without interruption into the future. As with any pet, dogs can suffer illness and injury, and will need treatment for their pain. Knowing what kind of pain reliever is safe and how much to give is a real bonus for the dog owner.
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Happy, healthy dog
Types
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There are two types of pain and before you treat your dog you need to know which type of pain you are treating. The first type of pain is acute. This is the kind of pain that occurs immediately upon injury. The pain of a bone breaking or a cut are acute pains. The second type of pain is chronic pain. This is the kind of pain that lasts for a long time and will come back time and again. Arthritis is a type of chronic pain.
Identification
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Exact identification of what type of pain your dog is suffering is usually best done by a professional veterinarian. But in some cases, such as an immediate injury, it is obvious what is causing the animal pain. Treating the pain will depend on the situation. A veterinarian can give narcotic pain relievers that will work on intense acute pain. Chronic pain, such as arthritis pain, will be treated by the owner, and will be prescribed by the vet depending on the dog's weight, health and other conditions.
NSAIDs
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Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also called NSAIDs, are the most common, and most effective, drugs of choice for chronic pain. They include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, and others that fall into this category. Notice Tylenol was NOT mentioned. It can kill your dog. Do not use it. Check with your vet concerning how much and how often to give medicine for pain relief.
Narcotics
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Narcotics are a pain relief method that only your veterinarian can prescribe, as these substances are addictive and can be abused by humans. They are most often used for immediate and powerful pain control, such as that which is needed post-op. These medicines include morphine, Fentanyl, and Codeine. There are others, but these are the most commonly used and prescribed by the vet.
Function
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How pain relievers work vary. In the case of narcotics, the pain sensors are numbed and the messages being sent by the body to the brain are slowed and in some cases, stopped. The pain is still there, the medication simply interrupts the signal. In the case of NSAIDs, the cause of the pain is addressed. The inflammation caused by the disease or injury is reduced, thereby lowering the pain levels. In the case of arthritis, NSAIDs can loosen the affected joints, making movement easier.
Warning
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It is very easy to give your dog too much medication. Do not self-diagnose your dog and self-prescribe. It is better to take your dog into the vet and get a long-term diagnosis and action plan then to make a simple mistake and end up with a terminally ill dog because of your own misguided intentions. Remember, you are dealing with a canine and not a human. Dosing will be different, as well as medication schedules. Check with your vet before giving your dog any kind of pain medication.
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