Because aspirin is available over the counter, a number of Your Dog readers have given it to their pets to relieve pain from such conditions as arthritis, gum disease, and post-surgical healing. On its face, such a decision makes sense. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, aspirin can reduce inflammation and can prove quite beneficial in relieving the inflammatory pain of arthritis or another disease. But it can also come with some serious side effects: GI ulceration and bleeding, vomiting, and sometimes out-and-out perforation of the gastrointestinal tract, which is frequently fatal. (Because of its potential to cause bleeding, aspirin has fallen out of favor for treating arthritis pain in people; other NSAIDs have been taking its place.)
How often do such untoward reactions occur in dogs? No one knows. Aspirin is not an FDA-approved drug for that species; its use by vets is what is called off-label. Therefore, manufacturers of aspirin do not have to keep track of reported adverse effects in our canine pets. It’s different for those NSAIDs that are approved for use in dogs — Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Onsior, Previcox, and Metacam, for instance. Manufacturers are required to tell the FDA about each adverse effect that is reported to them.
The use of aspirin is further complicated by the fact that unlike other NSAIDs, it inactivates platelets, which are important for blood clotting. Thus, bleeding because of ulceration of the stomach lining caused by aspirin will only be exacerbated if your dog’s blood does not clot well to begin with.
So what’s someone to do if they’re considering giving aspirin to their dog in pain? “Think of aspirin as a prescribed drug even though it’s over-the-counter,” says Alicia Karas, DVM, a veterinary pain specialist who is board-certified in anesthesia. “Talk to your dog’s doctor about whether the drug might be right for your particular pet and if so, in what particular dose.”
And if your dog develops vomiting, diarrhea, dark tarry stools, lethargy, or a refusal to eat, stop giving the aspirin immediately and speak to the vet. These are all potential signs of ulcers, which can progress to very serious consequences without appropriate medical intervention.
Finally, if your dog does well on aspirin and can get around better because of it, don’t increase the amount prescribed in the belief that if a little is good, more is better. It’s not.
