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Pain Drugs for Dogs:
Be an Informed Pet
Owner
A decade ago, few drugs were
available to treat pets in pain at home. Pups were spayed or
neutered at the animal hospital, stitched up, and sent home
without pain medication. And dogs with painful arthritis
limped along without drugs that were safe and effective for
long-term use.
Today, a new generation of
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is bringing
relief to millions of dogs with joint problems or with pain
after surgery.
"NSAIDs are extremely effective
for controlling pain and inflammation in dogs," says Stephen
F. Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D., director of the Food and Drug
Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). "These
are very valuable drugs that help many pets live to a ripe old
age."
Safety and
Effectiveness
The CVM, which regulates
drugs for use in animals, has approved some NSAIDs for use in
dogs with pain from degenerative joint disease
(osteoarthritis) or with pain after surgery.
NSAIDs help to control signs of
arthritis, including inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and
joint pain. Inflammation--the body's response to irritation or
injury--is characterized by redness, warmth, swelling, and
pain. NSAIDs work by blocking the production of
prostaglandins, the body chemicals that cause
inflammation.
The FDA considers approved
NSAIDs to be safe and effective when used according to the
label and when dog owners are informed about common NSAID
adverse reactions.
And veterinarians are becoming
increasingly aware of the advantages of recognizing and
controlling pain, says Charles Lemme, D.V.M., a member of the
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Clinical
Practitioners Advisory Committee. "We recognize that pets are
healing better and faster with pain
control."
Lemme says that the emphasis on
pain management may be partly because of the availability of
the newer NSAIDs. "The NSAIDs we have available now are a lot
safer than what we've had before and we're seeing far fewer
side effects than before."
If a pet is prescribed an
NSAID, the CVM recommends that pet owners take the following
steps to make sure they are fully informed about the drug and
can make the best decision for their pet's
health.
Medicate Under Veterinary
Supervision
The FDA has approved
some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for use in
dogs. But pet owners should not give their own drugs to pets
or otherwise medicate their animals without veterinary
supervision, says Michele Sharkey, D.V.M., in the FDA's Center
for Veterinary Medicine.
Different species metabolize
drugs differently, she says. "You take aspirin or Tylenol on
any given day for a headache and not think twice about it, but
dogs are more sensitive to aspirin than humans, and one
Tylenol can kill a cat. Pet owners should always work with
their veterinarians to make medication
decisions." |