Aspirin and dogs?

[leontet]

I read somewhere on the internet the lethal dose of aspirin for dogs is of about 100mg/kg. In other words, a 10lb dog would be killed by a single aspirin pill (10lb=4.5kg and 1 aspirin pill = 500mg)!

Still, I read in these forums in the past, and I also received some PMs stating aspirin was sucessfully administered to dogs, even in doses comparable to the above mentioned lethal one...

Sharing your experience or knowledge in the field would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance,
Teo

[shybird]

My vet instructed me to give one 325mg aspirin to my 85 pound girl once a day for arthritis.

[moondog]

Hi Teo,

The recommended dosage is from 10mg to 25mg per kg (2.2 lbs), administered twice a day. So, for an 85 lb (38.6 kg) dog, a safe dose would be from 386mg to 965mg, twice a day.

One of the problems associated with aspirin is the potential for gastric ulcers to develop, especially with frequent and/or prolonged use. This can be minimized by either using Ascriptin, which is aspirin combined with antacids or, if this is not available to you, the alternative would be to give a dose of antacid (cimetidine, for example) along with the aspirin each time you dose your dog.

Buffered aspirin is not the same as aspirin with antacids. It does not provide sufficient buffering to neutralize gastric acid or prevent ulcers in dogs, so even if buffered aspirin is used you should give an antacid along with it as a precautionary measure.

Aspirin is very effective as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever and used in combination with an antacid at recommended dosages is very safe. :)

[Bruce Lanthier]

I always give aspirin with a meal (usually dinner). I think, with "extra" stuff in the stomach, there is less chance for the ulcers to get any kind of foothold.

[Rottlva]

"Buffered aspirin is not the same as aspirin with antacids. It does not provide sufficient buffering to neutralize gastric acid or prevent ulcers in dogs, so even if buffered aspirin is used you should give an antacid along with it as a precautionary measure."


Wow...I did not know that! I use enteric coated aspirin or baby asprin.... any knowledge on those?

[moondog]

I added that because I didn't know it either and I figured I wasn't alone ;) ! Generally, the medications we use for our dogs were (and are) primarily formulated for people, because that's where the money is for research.

Enteric coated aspirin is no exception, it was designed for people to be gentle on the stomach (and by the way, should NOT be taken with antacids). The info I found says that the problem with its use for dogs is that the digestive systems of a dog is not the same as a person and it isn't able to consistently digest the enteric coating off the aspirin. They will frequently pass through the system intact and be found whole in the stool, which obviously makes the aspirin ineffective. So they won't get ulcers from enteric coated aspirin, but they may not get any aspirin, either! :D

I didn't specifically research baby aspirin, but I assume it's the same as adult buffered aspirin in a lower dose.

I think Ascriptin is the way to go........:)

[rottmommie]

my dad gave his chihuahua baby aspirin only with meals....
seemed to work very well, however it is only 81 mg.
Poor little thing had arthritis!
I used to give the husky/chow mix ascriptin, it is aspirin with maalox. The vet recommended it....

[Grendl]

When my malamute was examined for hip dysplasia at the U of Ga veterinary college, the orthopedic specialist advised me to treat the pain due to arthritis with buffered aspirin. I used this with apparent success on my boy for many years. I should mention that I was given this treatment program in the mid-1980s.