Pain Relief for Dogs: Natural & Safe

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Is there anything worse than our pets in pain, and we cannot do anything to help them? It is one of the worst feelings in the world that makes us want to help our dogs any way we can. We can easily end up hurting them more if we don’t know what we are doing in our attempt to do that.

The best thing you can do in this situation to help relieve the pain your dog is feeling is to call your vet for advice. Ask them the safest option for your dog and never self-medicate or give human drugs to your pet.

If you are going to be a responsible dog owner, you should know how to safely help your dog if they are in pain. Here is how you do it.

When to give your dog pain meds?

Medicating for no reason should not be done. There has to be a reason you give your dog pain medication, and it should be done if you notice your dog is in pain. There are pain symptoms similar to ours, and there are symptoms unique for dogs, which you, as a dog owner, should be familiar with.

Check your dog for signs of:

• Limping
• Sleeping more
• Irritability
• Decreased appetite
• Yelping
• Not playing as much
• Lowered tail
• Not walking on stairs

Safe pain relief for dogs

Some human medications might be safe for your dog, but there is always the possibility of your dog being allergic to a specific drug. Giving them a drug without consulting a vet is a bad idea.

Relieving your dog of pain can be done through medication, and if you noticed your dog showing signs of pain, your vet could prescribe a medication based on your dog’s medical history. There is a group of medications that can be safe for your dog, called NSAID’s.

NSAID

NSAID is short for Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs that are usually given to dogs in pain. There are also NSAID drugs given to humans, and they help fight the same issues as in dogs. These drugs help with stiffness, swellings, and joint pain. These drugs are often prescribed to dogs after they had surgery.

You mustn't give your dog human pain relief medicine like ibuprofen or acetaminophen because they are highly toxic and harm them. Your vet will let you know which available option is the best for your dog. Usually, these four drugs are prescribed:

• Meloxicam (Metacam)
• Firocoxib (Previcox)
• Deracoxib (Deramaxx)
• Carprofen (Novox or Rimadyl)

What about over-the-counter medication?

There are many over-the-counter pain relief medications humans can get, but they should rarely be given to dogs. Some of them are very toxic and can seriously harm them. Popular OTC medications are aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen.

Some OTC pain meds fall under the NSAID group, but you should never give them to your dog without consulting your vet. One of the most popular options is aspirin, and giving that to your dog can have bad long-term effects on developing ulcers and various bleeding disorders.

Natural pain relief for dogs

Some dog owners would like to avoid medicating their dogs and themselves, especially because long-term exposure to medication can have many side effects for our dogs and us. There are some “natural” options dog owners have available.

CBD oil

The most popular option in the past couple of years is CBD oil for dogs. Scientists and vets started to study CBD effects on dogs, and the results were very promising. CBD oil was proven to ease pain, inflammation, and arthritic joint problems for dogs.

Salmon oil

One other natural pain relief for dogs is salmon oil. Well, not salmon oil exactly, but the omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon oil. This supplement is great for osteoarthritis in dogs.

Turmeric

One of the most popular choices for at-home pain relief is turmeric. However, dog owners stopped using it as a pain relief since turmeric is not properly absorbed by the dog’s gastrointestinal tract. Turmeric remains a good human anti-inflammatory supplement but not too effective in dogs.

World Dog Finder team