Pain Medication for Puppies & Dogs With Sprains

Aspirin, Tylenol and Ibuprofen are the three types of over-the-counter pain medications that could help your dog.

Dogs actually can be given over-the-counter pain medications for pain from sprains. Regardless of whether the injured dog is a puppy, it should be given aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen based on how much it weighs.

Types

Dogs and puppies with sprains can actually be given over-the-counter human pain medications, especially if the sprains are not severe or have already been treated by a veterinarian. Types of pain medications that puppies and dogs can use include aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Aspirin

Aspirin and ibuprofen are both non-steroidal anti-inflammatory Drugs. This means they will help the pain in the dog's limbs, but also could come with other side effects. Aspirin can be tough on the dog's stomach and should only be administered for three to five days.

Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is generally the over-the-counter medication least recommended for dogs. It can irritate the stomach, hurt the stomach lining and be hard to digest. Some veterinarians say ibuprofen should not be used at all in dogs.

Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen can be used for a few doses, but its side effects could include kidney and liver damage. A children's liquid dose can be used in puppies in some cases.

Doses

Doses should be based on the severity of the dog's pain. For aspirin, 10 milligrams per pound of dog should be administered twice a day. For acetaminophen, 5 milligrams per pound should be administered each day.

References

• Vetinfo
• Dogchannel