Dogs are also sensitive to the effects of paracetamol where it can cause extensive liver damage leading to failure of the liver; a life-threatening complication. Early signs can include vomiting and reluctance to eat, which progress to diarrhoea, abdominal pain, jaundice, bleeding and collapse.
"Paracetamol is licensed in dogs as Pardale V for 5 days. The dose in Pardale V works out at 33mg of paracetamol for every kg of body weight, three times daily. The listed dose in most vet formularies is 10mg/kg twice to three times daily," Nick explains.
The short answer is NO. You should never attempt to treat your pets with human medication, precautions should be taken to keep household medications out reach of your pet to avoid a potentially harmful or fatal reaction.
Paracetamol is a very popular painkiller in humans but it can be toxic or fatal in small animals. Dogs are less sensitive to paracetamol than cats. A 20 kilogram dog would need to ingest over seven 500mg tablets in order to suffer toxic effects. In cats, one 250mg paracetamol tablet could be fatal.
Acetaminophen can cause liver damage or decrease the red blood cell's ability to carry oxygen (methemoglobinemia). Dogs may become depressed or weak, with rapid breathing, a high heart rate, panting, abdominal pain, vomiting or drooling. Affected dogs may also stop eating.
A dose as small as 150mg of paracetamol per kg of body weight is considered lethal in dogs. However, any dose larger than 75mg per kg of body weight is considered toxic to dogs and will likely cause serious illness, including damage to your pooch's liver and kidneys.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, help reduce swelling, stiffness, and joint pain in humans, and they can do the same for your dog. They can bring relief to a dog with arthritis, or one who's just had surgery.
Should your vet prescribe paracetamol for your dog, it's likely that it will be a dosage of 10mg per kilogram, and should only be given once a day for one or two days.
Paracetamol is particularly toxic to cats and dogs. If it doesn't kill them immediately the toxic substances can be stored and accumulated in internal organs. Other common over-the-counter pain killers such as Ibuprofen are also toxic to pets.
NSAIDs are used to treat mild to moderate pain and discomfort. Opioids. Used for more severe pain, this class of pain-relief medication includes morphine, codeine, fentanyl, buprenorphine, and hydromorphone.
Generally speaking, the recommended dose is 10mg to every kilo of body weight. So, a 40kg dog could take a whole 400mg tablet. Smaller dogs will require a smaller dose. As always, make sure that you check in with your vet before giving paracetamol to your pooch.
The most available painkillers for dogs are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including carprofen (Rimadyl or Novox), deracoxib (Deramaxx), firocoxib (Previcox), meloxicam (Metacam), and grapipant (Galliprant).
Dosage and strength
They come in different strengths: tablet – 500mg or 1g. capsule – 500mg. syrup you swallow (oral solution) – 120mg, 250mg or 500mg in 5ml.
Paracetamol is licensed in dogs as Pardale V for 5 days.
In most cases, kidney and liver damage is not reversible. Ingestion of large doses of paracetamol can also cause coma or death. Quick treatment is essential for your dog's full recovery without permanent damage to the liver or kidneys.
OTC pain relief for dogs is available in the form of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but not all OTC pain relief for dogs is safe.
The most commonly used dose rate in dogs is 10 mg/kg orally every 12 hours. NEVER go above this does rate without first checking with your veterinarian.
There may be no symptoms for the first day. A feeling of sickness (nausea) and being sick (vomiting) may occur a few hours after taking the overdose. After 24 hours there may be pain under the ribs on the right side (where the liver is) and there may be yellowing of the whites of the eyes and the skin (jaundice).
Adults can usually take 1 or 2 tablets (500mg) every 4-6 hours, but shouldn't take more than 4g (8 x 500mg tablets) in the space of 24 hours. Children under 16 need to take a lower dose, depending on their age or weight – check the packet or leaflet, or ask a pharmacist or doctor for advice.
Talk to a doctor at once if you take too much of this medicine even if you feel well. This is because too much paracetamol can cause delayed, serious liver damage.
Each tablet contains 500 mg paracetamol. For the full list of excipients, see section 6.1.
In most cases, kidney and liver damage is not reversible. Ingestion of large doses of paracetamol can also cause coma or death. Quick treatment is essential for your dog's full recovery without permanent damage to the liver or kidneys.
Should your vet prescribe paracetamol for your dog, it's likely that it will be a dosage of 10mg per kilogram, and should only be given once a day for one or two days.