Paracetamol for dogs

TheresaW

TheresaW

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Aled was at the vets today for his boosters, and he didn’t see our usual vet. OH took him whilst I was at the horses. He had a good check up, and the vet has suggested we give him paracetamol alongside the tramadol he’s on for his arthritis. Half a tablet morning and evening.

I’ve just had a google, and it says paracetamol is bad for dogs? Any help please.
 
paracetamol used to be used for dogs back when I was first a vet receptionist. I'd not use it without a vet's say so these days (its not licensed) but I'd not worry at that dose. has he been on any NSAIDs previously?
 
Does it work? My old boy is on loxicom but hes great in the AM but in PM i find he stiffens up again...i don't know if i should split the dose of loxicom or look at something like this for PM...
 
He is showing signs of kidney issues, raised urea in his blood test. I took in urine sample, which apparently was ok, and our regular vet did say if he wasn’t doing well on the tramadol, or had odd days where he struggled, it probably wouldn’t hurt him now and again to have an NSAID as long as we checked his urine regularly. He’s been doing ok on the tramadol. OH said the vet he saw tonight specialised in joints and arthritis etc, explained how tramadol doesn’t work quite the same for dogs as humans, and how the paracetamol would have a different affect.

I think my biggest problem is that I wasn’t there myself, not that I don’t trust OH or the vets for that matter.
 
I have been advised in the past to give paracetamol to dogs, particularly one who had been stung by multiple wasps. I rang for advice and that was what was given. Tramadol is known as a 'dirty' drug by human medics apparently and is rarely the first choice of drug given.
 
I was googling this a couple of weeks ago and found a very interesting answer from a vet on Mumsnet (I think) to someone who'd come home to find her labrador had eaten the Beecham's cold and flu capsules. The response was given the number of tablets eaten and the dog's weight, it was within safe limits which I understood as meaning the risks are the same as with humans, i.e. liver failure in overdose.
 
My 12yo lab has just shown to be going into mild kidney failure.
Vets have switched him from metacam to paracetamol, half tab twice a day
 
Our old lab was on paracetamol for the last few years of her life (we lost her a year ago age 16), it was a replacement for metacam as her kidneys were failing, tried tramadol but she seemed worse and spaced out on it. She had no issues with paracetamol, was on 1 tab twice a day.
 
My 10yo GSD is on Pardale for his hip arthritis which is a mixture of paracetamol and codeine. He has 2 tabs twice a day, and we've taken him off metacam.

He seems much happier just on the pardale. I don't think it's anything to worry about. From our perspective long term drug use isn't ideal no matter what the drug is. We've accepted that he may not live as long a life but it'll be a much comfier one.
 
Thanks everyone.

SadKen, he’ll be 13 in January, so has had a reasonably long life, and if we can keep him comfy for as long as he has left, that’s the important thing.

He has taken himself upstairs today, something he hasn’t done for a while. He still likes to sleep upstairs when we go to bed, but won’t normally go up unless one of us is behind him.
 
SadKen said:
My 10yo GSD is on Pardale for his hip arthritis which is a mixture of paracetamol and codeine. He has 2 tabs twice a day, and we've taken him off metacam.

He seems much happier just on the pardale. I don't think it's anything to worry about. From our perspective long term drug use isn't ideal no matter what the drug is. We've accepted that he may not live as long a life but it'll be a much comfier one.
Click to expand...

Our lab is 13 too and on 2 pardale a day. I buy them on line. He also has youmove. We are taking him a day/week at a time but the pardale are definitely keeping him comfortable.
 
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