Painkillers for Dogs with Arthritis UK: A Comprehensive Treatment Guide
A dog with arthritis needs pain relief, arthritis can be a debilitating condition, and without any pain medication, a dog can be disabled by the pain and other symptoms that stem from it.
Finding the right painkillers for your dog isn’t always easy as each dog responds differently to the medication available. It is crucial to trust your vet and know that they have your dog’s best interests at heart and are trying to find the right pain relief for your dog.
We offer the following information as a guide to what is available to your dog. It should be treated as such; not as a guide of how to treat your dog at home without a vets help.
Painkillers available for arthritis in dogs
NSAIDs are the painkillers that are most widely available for dogs with arthritis. NSAIDs is an umbrella term for anti-inflammatory drugs like carprofen, meloxicam and firocoxib. They help to reduce the swelling around the joint and thus the pain that your dog is in. NSAIDs are typically fairly safe for your dog, but they do come with side-effects and some can cause liver, kidney and digestive issues.
Typically vets do not prescribe other medication to dogs with arthritis other than NSAIDs. The reason for this is because a dog is going to have to have the medication for a long time and it is the safest and best option for them to have. Vets can prescribe stronger opiates for short periods of time if they see fit to. However, there are some natural alternatives that we are going to explain below that can be used in conjunction with NSAIDs and even on their own once they have begun their work.
Natural alternatives for treating arthritis in dogs
Now, painkillers are exactly that; they kill the pain that a dog is in. They are very good at their job, but they don’t do much to help the condition that a dog has. A condition like arthritis needs to be treated with things that are going to help the dog in the long run. Natural alternatives like supplements are the perfect long-term substitute for painkillers that can help with a lot of the symptoms of arthritis. NSAIDs do help with the swelling that surrounds the joint, but supplements can go deep inside the joint and help from the inside out.
Supplements help with the pain that stems from arthritis by alleviating the symptoms of it. The stiffness that comes with arthritis is caused by the lubricating fluid in the joint running out. Some supplements help to restore this fluid; others help with the damage that is caused by not having the fluid. This damage is cartilage and bone within the joint wearing down and so the supplements can help to rebuild this and more. Although supplements do not really fit the dictionary definition of a painkiller, they are in many ways, nature’s painkiller and a must-have for any dog with arthritis.
If you would like to find out more about NSAIDs or supplements, please take a look around our website, there is plenty more about them on here. If you would like our help with treating arthritis in your dog, then please get in touch. We are always more than happy to help a dog with arthritis to live a long and happy life.
