There have certainly been occasions when I have prescribed ASA for dogs. And what about cats? A single dose of aspirin remains in your cat’s body for three weeks! That is, if your cat survives the other potential side effects of gastric ulceration and kidney failure that might result from the use of human NSAIDs in a species for which they are not designed. Over the long term, this can dangerously inhibit your dog’s ability to clot his blood. This means that, if you give your dog one dose of aspirin daily, you are giving each subsequent dose when there are still significant quantities of aspirin in his body from the previous day’s dose. When a dog takes a single dose of aspirin, detectable levels of the drug persist for three days. When a person takes a single dose of aspirin, all traces of the drug have been eliminated from the body within 30 hours, which makes daily dosing reasonable. The good news for humans taking this medication is that our bodies metabolize and eliminate the drug fairly rapidly and it does not build up in our system. This is the reason that low doses of aspirin are used as a “blood thinner” or anti-coagulant in human patients who are at risk of forming blood clots that may lead to certain heart diseases or stroke. The administration of ASA inhibits the production of the particular prostaglandin that makes platelets work properly. In order for platelets to form a clot, they must be able to adhere together once the clotting reaction has been initiated. Platelets are the tiny little structures floating around in your bloodstream that allow you to clot your blood when you are injured. One of the prostaglandins that ASA inhibits is the prostaglandin that makes platelets sticky. When prostaglandin production is inhibited, renal blood flow is compromised and kidney failure can easily develop within a few days of ibuprofen administration.Ī third human pain reliever that clients frequently administer to their pets is aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid or ASA). Prostaglandins also promote a healthy blood supply to the kidneys. Dogs and cats are more sensitive to this process than humans, and are far more likely to suffer from ulcers as a result of NSAID use, even at very low doses. When prostaglandin production is inhibited by NSAIDs, the protective mucus barrier disappears. Without this lining, highly acidic and corrosive stomach juices can easily start to digest the lining of the stomach, leading to stomach ulcers. One of these important actions is that they promote the secretion of the protective mucus lining in the stomach. Prostaglandins also have some other important functions. By inhibiting the production of prostaglandins, NSAIDs are decreasing inflammation and the perception of pain. Prostaglandins chemicals that are involved in the development of inflammation and the perception of pain. NSAIDs such as ibuprofen work by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins. Allow me to explain how this non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) works. Tylenol can, in rare instances, be safely used in dogs however, not only must the dose be carefully calculated by a veterinarian, but the dog’s bloodwork requires frequent evaluation to ensure that no long term damage is occurring.Īdvil (ibuprofen) is another pain reliever that I see used non-judiciously by pet owners. Because felines lack this critical enzyme, even a minuscule dose of Tylenol is rapidly fatal to an otherwise healthy cat. One of the enzymes that catalyze these chemical reactions is called glucuronyl transferase, or GT. When a human takes Tylenol (acetaminophen), a variety of complex chemical reactions occur in the liver to break the drug down into non-toxic components that are harmlessly excreted by the kidneys and into the urine. Dogs and cats are vastly different physiologically from people. It is important to understand that dogs and cats are not little people in fur suits. Although most pet owners give relatively low doses (often using baby aspirin or Advil), this is still a potentially life-threatening practice. It is surprising how frequently a pet owner will mention to me that they have given their pet a human pain reliever. Thank you for asking! I am always so relieved when owners take the time to ask this question before medicating their pets at home.
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