Aspirin in Dogs, Not Wise

 

Aspirin

Aspirin is a good pain reliever for people, but not so good for dogs because it causes ulcers.

The ulcers can be subclinical, that is, the ulcers are in the dog’s stomach but you won’t know that just looking at your pet.

If your dog becomes stressed, the ulcers can become clinical and your dog will look as sick and painful as any human with gastric ulcers. It will walk with its back hunched, not want to eat, vomit, and pass dark bloody stools. Many families think that a pet with gastric ulcers has disc disease because they walk stiffly and cry out in pain when touched.

COX 2 Meds Safer Than Aspirin

• carprofen (Rimadyl)
• deracoxib (Deramaxx)
• etodolac (EtoGesic)
• piroxicam (Feldene)
• Safer pain relief comes from using drugs similar to aspirin but less likely to affect the stomach. These are the COX 2 specific non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): meloxicam (Metacam)

 While these NSAIDs are safer than aspirin and more likely to spare your dog’s stomach while helping with pain, these NSAIDs don’t actually make your dog’s joints better. Meds that actually improve joints are called disease modifying agents (DMO). Acupuncture, Adequan, and fish oil are DMOs.