O/T Advice about administering pain meds

[wheezie23]

In addition to Zoe, we have a Rottweiler/Golden Retriever mix who is 6 yrs. old. He has become very inactive this past winter and has put on a good bit of extra weight. I've had him on a weight management program with some results beginning to show. However, he's also showing signs of arthritis. We started walking him more with Zoe, but she's much faster than him and I think he aggravated it by trying to keep up. Now he's limping and very stiff. I can't get him to the vet for another week but I hate to see him in pain. Can anyone tell me if I can give him Ibuprofen? I know he needs treatment by a professional, and I am not trying to avoid that. I simply want to help him feel better until I can get him to the vet. Any advice is appreciated.

[kayharley]

I'm sure if you gave your vet a call he'd be more than willing to advise you on what or what not to give your dog. I know when my 10 year old Cairn had eye surgery a few weeks ago, our vet had me give 1/2 of a buffered aspirin to her for post-op pain. She tolerated it well but every dog is different. Call your vet and ask what you can do and if you encounter problems, maybe he/she can get you in for a visit sooner. Good luck

[bradl]

I might try a baby aspirin (or an aspirin from Petsmart, etc.). I would not use ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen is a popular and effective over-the-counter medication available to treat pain and inflammation in people. For dogs, ibuprofen can easily exceed toxic levels.

from http://petplace.netscape.com/Articles/artShow.asp?artID=1045

More on pain relievers here: http://www.canismajor.com/dog/nsaids.html

[Toto times 2]

I agree with the baby aspirin suggestion but use sparingly. While you want your dog comfortable you don't want to mask symptoms. Call your vet. That is part of their service and most are willing to give some advice over the phone. Have you by any chance tried glucosamine suphate for the arthritis? My vet swears by it and I've really noticed a difference with some older dogs. Good luck with your dog.

[wheezie23]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Thanks for the information about Ibuprofen, Brad. I would've never guessed. My vet is out of state right now and has listed another vet for emergencies. Since this really isn't an emergency, and they don't know Rocky, I hesitate to call. I have started him on the glucosamine (sp?) supplements tho. I'll give this other vet a call and see what they say bout the baby aspirin. Thanks, again!