In the life of your dog, chances are there will come a time when they’ve had an injury or are recovering from something like surgery, and you’re thinking about pain medication. Without question, your first stop is your veterinarian, who can recommend a medication based on your dog, its history and its current needs. In fact, your vet may have already prescribed a medication, which means you’re all set.
But what if you’d just like to know more about canine pain treatments, and what’s available? Short of bombarding your vet with 1,000 questions, how do you know what’s effective and what isn’t, and what kinds of medications you should avoid?
For answers, let’s take a look at the types of canine pain meds.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
NSAIDs reduce inflammation, which is often the cause of pain. Most of us are familiar with human NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen and aspirin. Most of these medications, however, can be highly dangerous or even deadly for pets, and should never be given to your dog. Ibuprofen and naproxen can cause kidney and liver damage and seizures, and acetaminophen can cause serious red blood cell changes and liver damage. While aspirin was used in veterinary medicine for decades, today it’s been replaced by prescription NSAIDs which have fewer side effects.
Some of the most widely-used NSAIDs for dogs include Carprofen, the COX inhibitors Deracoxib, Firocoxib, Meloxicam and Robenacoxib and the PGE 2 antagonist Galliprant, all of which relieve pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis and can control pain following surgery. Each of these medication has its own list of side effects and contraindications, so always inform your veterinarian of any prescription or nonprescription drugs your dog is taking, including supplements and holistic remedies.
Analgesics
Unlike NSAIDs, analgesics do not reduce inflammation, but simply ease pain.
However, they are often used in combination with NSAIDs to provide more complete pain relief, and to reduce the amount or frequency of NSAIDs needed. Some of the most commonly-prescribed analgesic medications for dogs include Amantadine, which controls the pain response by antagonizing receptors in the central nervous system, and is used in conjunction with other analgesics to relieve chronic pain; and Gabapentin, used to treat neuropathic pain, the burning and tingling resulting from nerve damage.
Opioids
Opioid medications are used as a remedy for severe surgical or arthritis pain, pain from advanced cancers, and chronic pain. The most common drugs in this class are codeine, morphine, tramadol and fentanyl.
Cortisone
Cortisone drugs such as prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone and dexamethasone have powerful anti-inflammatory effects and can be extremely effective in treating pain.
Supplements, other therapies
Both glucosamine and chondroitin, available over the counter, are often used for arthritis pain in dogs and to support cartilage repair and maintain joint fluid. Omega-3s, found in fish oils, have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects for dogs with arthritis. (Be sure to use a natural, veterinary-grade fish oil product that comes from a reputablesource, as some fish can contain high levels of toxic metals.)
The injectable drug Adequan, which has been used in horses for over 30 years, is the only FDA-approved medication that has been proven to slow down and even reverse arthritic cartilage deterioration in dogs. The drug blocks the release of enzymes that can degrade cartilage, cause joint inflammation and improve the quality of joint fluid.
As much as we’d all love to hope our dogs will never experience pain, that’s probably not realistic. But it’s nice to know there are things we and our veterinarians can do to ease their pain if it ever does arrive.
Joan Merriam lives in Nevada City with her new golden retriever Frankie, her Maine coon cat Indy, and the infinite spirits of her beloved goldens Joey and Casey. You can reach Joan at joan@joanmerriam.com. And if you’re looking for a golden, hop on over to Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue.
