Are Human Drugs The Best Anti Inflammatory For Dogs?

Todays pets are well fed and cared for allowing them to live to a ripe old age. As dogs get older, past injuries,disease or joint wear may create inlammation and pain. If your dog is displaying any of the following symptoms, there may be an arthritic or inflammatory joint condition involved:

Constant licking of particular joints
Not able to keep up with you during walks
A noticeable lessening of muscle size
Reluctance to climb stairs
Swelling, redness/heat in the joints
Some stiffness when rising or attempting to lay down

Analgesics Versus Anti Inflammatories

Let's just clear up any confusion here.You can identify inflammation by its tell tale swelling and redness, along with pain in a specific area of your dogs body. Anti Inflammatory drugs counter act the swelling and redness symptoms present in these conditions. Pain killers do exactly that - they stop the pain without necessarily reducing the inflammatory symptoms.

Are Human Anti-Inflammatory Medications Safe For Dogs?

Certain drugs formulated for humans, such as buffered aspirin, are generally safe for dogs. Some formulations, like enteric-coated aspirin, are not as effective when used for dogs (as opposed to humans) because of the differences in human and canine physiology. It is much safer for your dog to be medicated with canine anti inflammatories than the human specific dugs readily available OTC .

The Cost Differences

Canine medications are more expensive than the human equivalent as there are less manufacturers and the volumes of drug produced are significantly smaller. Anti inflammatories are available at bulk pet produce stores and vetenarian practices.You may be shocked by the price differences, but it is safer for you pet than using drugs designed for humans.

Unsafe Human Over-the-Counter Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

The ASPCA cites NSAIDS as the most prevalent cause of poisoning of pets. Even small doses are dangerous!.Some of these types of medication may include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ketoprofen (Orudis).Liver damage may be an outcome of long term use of these drugs on dogs.

Ibuprofen, although viewed as safe for human beings, is not safe for use with dogs as it is the number one cause of accidental poisoning in cats and dogs. Dogs given ibuprofen have experienced kidney failure, internal bleeding and ulcers and in some cases death.

Signs To Watch For

Even very low doses of ibuprofen can cause stomach ulcers in dogs. A dog should never ingest more than 50 mg of ibuprofen per pound of body weight.If you are administering ibuprofen to your dog beware of the following symptoms:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Staggering
Lethargy
Pain in the stomach region

See your vetenarian immediately should your pet display any of the above symptoms.

Natural Anti Inflammatories

The alternative to pharmaceutical drugs lies in homeopathic, herbal, dietary and environmental strategies, some of which have proven to be just as effective. Solutions containing Rhus toxicodendron are very effective at reducing inflammation, paralysis and rheumatic complaints. Rhus Tox, as it is known, is prized for its anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties.

By: Paul Madden

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When it comes to your dogs health and safety don't be misled into thinking that all medications made for humans are appropriate for your pet.Paul Madden reviews and researches the various remedies and approaches to treating pain and inflammation in dogs - so you don't have to. Go to the Anti Inflammatory For Dogs site now at www.antiinflammatoryfordogs.com If you want to know the best Anti Inflammatory For Dogs or effective ways to treat Dog Joint Pain check out the site.