Is My Dog In Pain? How Can I Help?

A Dog in Pain

Champ, an 11 year old pup, lay in the corner of the living room. John had noticed he was whining earlier while trying to get up and now he seemed restless. After watching Champ for a few minutes, John went over, petted his old friend, and asked, “What’s wrong boy?”.

The day before John and Champ had played at the dog park. Champ had run around like he did when he was a pup, but now John could tell he wasn’t feeling like a puppy anymore.

The next morning John called the veterinarian and scheduled an appointment.

Types of Pain

There are two types of pain that you should know about because your dog’s treatment varies between them. Acute pain comes on quickly in response to a type of injury. Typically after the injury heals, the pain will go away. Chronic pain continues after the injury has fully healed and exists because of a medical condition like arthritis.

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What Can You Do to Help?

There are many signs that your dog is in pain. Dogs may demonstrate pain by licking or biting an area that hurts or vocalize their pain by whining or whimpering. In the case dogs with arthritis, it may be a matter of watching them get up and down as they go about their daily activities. They may guard against a certain part of their body and not want anyone to touch it. Your always good natured friend may even act aggressive when you try to inspect the area. It is important to carefully examine your dog and try to find the source of discomfort.

Aspirin to the Rescue?

Aspirin may be an option to help your dog with pain. However, as with any medicine, it should only be administered with approval from your veterinarian. Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory and helps provide temporary relief of joint pain.

There are, however, some things to keep in mind when giving your dog aspirin. Aspirin has many of the same risks with dogs as it does with humans. It should be given with food to prevent stomach upset. Some vets recommend crushing the aspirin into the dog’s food to minimize the risk of stomach upset. If given on an empty stomach over a prolonged period of time, it can cause ulcers. Aspirin is not good for puppies or cats as they lack the enzymes to digest it. Enteric coated aspirin is not a good form of aspirin for dogs because they may not be able to digest it.

One choice is to select a brand of aspirin that is made for dogs. There are several to choose from and can typically be found at your local pet store.

Dosage

Too much aspirin for dogs can be toxic. Some vets recommend 5-15 mg per pound every 12 hours. This means that a standard baby aspirin (80 mg) should not be taken by a dog less than 5 pounds as it would exceed this level. Please consult your veterinarian to decide the best dosage. Tylenol and Advil, while they may be fine for humans, should not be given to dogs as it can be toxic.

Your veterinarian may also prescribe other drugs for pain relief. One example may be Rimadyl, a non-steroidalanti-inflammatory drug which is stronger than aspirin.

Summary

If you believe your dog is in pain, please seek the help of a veterinarian as soon as possible. Talk with your vet about different options and find out if aspirin is the right for your dog.