My dog has joint pain. Should I force walks or give aspirin?

Please do not give him aspirin! It is not recommended to give it to dogs, as it causes internal bleeding and GI ulcers, and you should stop giving it to him now to prevent this from happening. The only safe pain medications for dogs are available by prescription from the vet. You will have to take him into the vet in order to get these medications. Paying for a vet UK: If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Carefree Credit online. http://www.carefreecredit.co.uk https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/vetcare http://www.easipetcare.com You can also give him glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis.

I am sorry to hear about Ellie Mae! I would recommend bringing her into the vet for an examination. She could be experiencing arthritis, an issue with a ligament or tendon, or she could have a herniated disk in her spine. The vet can examine her and based on their findings may recommend an x-ray or a trial of medication safe for your pet. I do not recommend aspirin in pets as it can be very hard on their stomach and we can see bleeding stomach ulcers with its use.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Annabel. Being a small breed dog and the signs you have described, I worry that she is experiencing back or neck pain. This is a common source of pain. The muscles lining the spine can spasm I response to inflammation within an intervertebral disk. In this case, she should see her veterinarian for a definitive diagnosis as well as prescription medications. While dogs can take aspirin, it is not as effective as other medications. It is hard on the gastrointestinal tract and can interfere with prescription drugs necessary for back pain. For these reasons, I would not give it. It is best for her to see her veterinarian today. In the meantime, keep her very quiet. I hope this information helps!

Poor Wednesday! Unfortunately, I am unable to prescribe any medication without examining Wednesday myself. I do not recommend giving her aspirin, as it may have some unwanted side effects in dogs such as damage to the kidneys, gastric ulcers, and bleeding issues when given in high doses. She should definitely be seen by a vet as soon as possible, especially because she is limping. Your vet can take x-rays to see where the trauma is, and perform blood work to make sure that Wednesday's organs are functioning properly to handle any pain medication, as well as place a cast or splint if necessary. You should try to keep her as calm and quiet, with as little activity as possible until she is examined by a vet. Good luck and I hope Wednesday feels better soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. In the meantime you can go to Petco and use the Well and Good Buffered Aspirin to provide some pain relief. I do not recommend using this product long term but for short term use over the weekend, this should be absolutely fine. This could also be an injury further down the leg such as the stifle joint (ACL injury). Your vet will know what to do based on the physical examination. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. When dogs are 'non-ambulatory'- not walking on a leg, this is usually a sign of significant pain. Also, swelling is concerning for either a significant injury (fracture/dislocation), an infection or abscess (pocket of pus), or in older animals we worry about cancers. I would recommend having Swayde seen by a vet to see if anything serious is going on, and would recommend x-rays. Best of luck with Swayde.

Poor Blitz. I would first make sure you have him at a healthy weight. These things can be so much harder to handle when they are overweight. I am most worried about the aspirin dose as it can cause an upset stomach and even a GI ulcer when given for too long. I would talk to your vet about trying Galliprant or rimadyl or something similar for pain and inflammation. Galliprant is the safest for the liver and kidneys. I would also look to see if you have an alternative or integrative vet in your area that specializes in Chinese herbs and acupuncture. I have had great success with these and dogs with severe arthritis and pain. Finally, I would look into a brace that helps these guys stand up. It is called orthodog hip hound brace. You can also look into Dr. Buzby's toegrips or pawfriction to help him with traction on slick floors if that seems to be troubling him as well. I hope this helps!