Human medicines for dogs. When is it safe?

 

Is it ok to give human medicines to your dog?

When is it ok to use human medicines for dogs? You might be surprised to know certain medicines are not only ok but prescribed by vets for your dog. Others can be used with caution. Others may be unsafe for your dog, even though it’s fine for you. The best way to find out is to talk to your vet and get their recommendations.

Dogs and humans have many similarities

Dogs and humans are alike in many ways. Our bodies have a lot of the same needs and similar problems. For example, a medicine like Benadryl that relieves allergies in humans can also work for dogs. Our bodies process things differently, however, so the side effects could be different. There also might be drugs that are better at resolving a specific issue than human medicine.

Dogs are also different in some significant ways. They have sensitivities that we don’t have. The liver, kidneys, and other organs work a little differently from ours, possibly magnifying or diminishing drug effects. So if you’re giving something intended for people to your dogs, you need to do your research to be sure you’re not causing more harm than good.

When is it alright to use human medicines for dogs?

Before you use any human medicines for dogs, it’s best to have a conversation with your vet. You’ll want to be sure that you know what is going on with your dog so that the treatment is suited for the problem. Besides, you’ll want to make sure the medicine is safe for your dog and that it’s the most effective at resolving the issue.

Before I go on, I am definitely NOT a vet. I have owned dogs for quite some time and have worked with a wide range of vets and other animal practitioners, but what I tell you here is only my opinion. You should ALWAYS check with someone that’s licensed to treat your dog.

With that caveat, I use “Dr. Google” from time to time to determine if something is safe to give to my dogs and what the dose should be. It seems that problems are most likely to come up after hours and on weekends, so our regular vet isn’t available many times. The internet can be beneficial at times like that.

Something else you can find online paid veterinary advice. While these practitioners can’t put their hands on your dog and do a full examination, they are experienced and licensed. They can make recommendations based on their veterinary expertise and advise you of things to avoid doing to/for your dog.

Human medicines for dogs – what’s ok?

Again, check with your vet! I can’t state this enough. If you’re looking online, there are lots of resources that can help provide information, especially if you can’t easily reach your vet at the moment. Read this post from Top Dog Tips or this one from PedMD for more. These are some of the more common medicines that you can give to dogs.

Benadryl

Buffered Aspirin

Hydrocortisone cream

Zyrtec

Claritin

Prednisone

Pepcid

Prilosec

Miralax

Dramamine

Zantac

Tagamet

Imodium

Pepto-Bismol

Gas-X

Lomotil

Our top goal is the health of our dogs

We live in a rural area where the closest vet is 20 miles away, and they’re just as likely as not to be out delivering a foal or pulling a calf (ranch lingo). Sometimes, we do our best to meet our dogs’ needs, given our circumstances. So we keep several medicines, dog-specific and human intended, to be ready, just in case. We’ve talked with our vets to be sure of what we’re treating so we’re as prepared as possible. We also use alternative approaches when possible. Read Alternative dog health for more.

What kinds of human medicines have you used for your dogs? Tell me about it in the comments below.