There are many different types of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs available today that are perfectly suitable for pets. Most of these are suitable for dogs and cats, however there are a number of medicines that are also available and suitable for all other types of animals like horses.
There are a number or brands and types that are available and many of them are available as over-the-counter treatments and are commonly known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but this category of medicines comes under the different disguises of brand names.
Those brands are Rimadyl which is made for dogs and contains Carprofen as the active ingredient. Found in tablet form it is given in dosages of either 20mg, 50mg or 100mg.
Previcox consists of the active ingredient Firocoxib. This is created for dogs and is in tablet form in either a 57mg tablet or 227mg dose.
Anti-inflammatory painkillers are often administered for a pet to help solve one of two possible issues. The most common issue that anti-inflammatories are prescribed for is Arthritis, although Osteo-arthritis is another problem that causes swelling and pain in and around the joint. This results in pain and discomfort for the animal and severely inhibits its ability to move around. The anti-inflammatory will help to ease the symptoms and make life a little easier for the pet.
Metacam is another anti-inflammatory treatment and the main ingredient in this brand is meloxicam and this is available for cats and dogs. This comes as an oral suspension which makes it suitable to add to foods.
Another use for anti-inflammatory painkillers is to help the pain and swelling after an operation. These are often symptoms experienced following most surgical procedures and the administering of an anti-inflammatory will help to relieve and reduce the symptoms helping to speed up recovery by making the animal more comfortable.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often found in tablet form but also as an oral suspension and when given to dogs they are flavoured so that they are easier to give to the dog. The other option is to add the drug to the food which helps to hide it.
The amount given depends on a number of factors. This is the size of the pet as well as the problem that is being treated. For inflammation experienced after an operation, it is usually a stronger dose, usually stronger than that given to an animal with arthritis. The type of drug will also have an effect on how many times it will be given to the animal as well as the amount of active ingredient found in each dose. However, most treatments are given once or twice a day.
As with any drug there are possibilities of side effects occurring, however this very rare. Side effects are dependent on the drug used and the majority of Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs often have a chance of causing gastro-intestinal problems such as ulcers or bleeding.
Kidney or liver failure is another potential side effect, but this is often the case in rare and very extreme cases. This is very uncommon but can occur after taking any of the well-known anti-inflammatory drugs.
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