Can Dogs Have Aspirin for Pain?
Pain from inflammation often affects dogs at some point in their lifetimes. Using over-the-counter drugs, like Aspirin for dogs, and other NSAIDs for dogs, as well as prescription anti-inflammatory medications, is not uncommon with pet parents. But that leads to the question, “Can dogs have aspirin for pain?” NSAIDs like Aspirin for dogs, and other OTC pain medications are chosen because they treat pain and inflammation quickly, but unfortunately, they don’t get down to the root of the problem. They mask the symptoms, but do not help the root cause of the pain and inflammation. Additionally, NSAIDs like aspirin are notoriously known for their poor side effects.
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How Does Aspirin Work?
When the body begins to produce inflammation, prostaglandins begin to form. Prostaglandins are a group of lipids, made at sites of tissue damage or infection, that are involved in dealing with injury and illness. They control processes such as inflammation, blood flow, and the formation of blood clots.
Aspirin is an NSAID, which stands for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. NSAIDs work by blocking enzymes known as COX-1 and COX-2; the enzymes responsible for creating prostaglandin. This in turn blocks the pain and inflammation. Unfortunately, NSAIDs are not selective in which of the enzymes (COX-1 or COX-2) it inhibits. This results in more side effects when using NSAIDs for dogs.
Aspirin Side Effects In Dogs
All NSAIDs, including Aspirin, have the ability to cause adverse reactions, some of which can even be fatal. Since NSAIDs affect the COX-1 enzymes responsible for the stomach and intestinal tract, one of the most common side effects is vomiting. The most serious side effect is gastrointestinal (GI) ulceration.
NSAIDs cause the inability of the GI tract to bring out what are basically the protective soldiers of the body. Since the enzymes aren’t able to do their jobs, the barrier protecting the stomach is not able to prevent injury to cells and blood vessels. This is where the ulcers come in. No protection, no barrier.
Other side effects can include:
- Bleeding in the GI tract
- Gastrointestinal ulcerations
- Abdominal pain
- Upset Stomach and Heartburn
- Liver problems
- Kidney problems
- High blood pressure
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Heart failure, or even death
CBD As A Natural Alternative To Aspirin For Dogs
CBD and the other cannabinoids in a full spectrum hemp extract offer a wide variety of health-boosting benefits, with specific applications to help alleviate pain due to inflammation, injury, chemotherapy, age, arthritis, and hip dysplasia in dogs.
Cannabis has been used as an effective analgesic dating back thousands of years. One of the ways it does this is actually by changing the way the recipients’ central nervous system communicates the sensation of pain to their brains. For example, when an injury occurs, like a dog hurting his paw on a sharp rock, the damaged tissue tells inflammatory and immune cells to begin repairing the damage. The cells release chemicals and proteins to activate receptors on nerves. These nerves move to the spinal cord up to the brain causing our dog to feel the pain in his paw. CBD products can be utilized long-term to reduce pain effectively by weakening pain signals.
Not only does CBD help relieve pain on a neurological level, but it also alleviates the physical conditions that cause pain. How you may ask? CBD helps reduce joint pain by providing inflammation relief for dogs.
Inflammation has long been a well-known symptom of most infectious diseases. However, research now suggests that chronic inflammation is not just a symptom, it actually causes and advances many common diseases. Allergies, anxiety, chronic pain, autoimmune disease, and diabetes are all examples of conditions associated with inflammation in the body. When we soothe that inflammation, we are addressing the cause of the problem and therefore the pain.
Related: Natural Pain Relief for Dogs and Cats
Research on CBD For Pain and Inflammation
A study published in 2006 in Current Neuropharmacology states that CBD has therapeutic benefits for both people and pets suffering from acute and chronic pain episodes. They concluded that compounds found in cannabis reduce inflammation. In fact, the most abundant phytocannabinoid in cannabis, CBD, has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, CBC, CBG, and THCV have also demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties, which is why we recommend a Full Spectrum Hemp Extract.
CBD also outperformed Aspirin as an anti-inflammatory, in a study involving mice, published in Pharmacology & Pharmacy. In the study, they also tested CBD isolate against a Full Spectrum CBD, with the full spectrum performing about 5x better than the pure CBD.
A Baylor College of Medicine study, using In vitro and in mouse models, found that CBD significantly attenuated the production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α while elevating levels of anti-inflammatory IL-10. In the veterinary study, CBD significantly decreased pain and increased mobility in a dose-dependent fashion among animals with an affirmative diagnosis of OA.
The benefits of Full Spectrum CBD are more than just anti-inflammatory. Research published in Nutraceuticals in Veterinary Medicine states that CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system in dogs to aid against cancer, improve sleep, resolve anxiety and stress, and alleviate inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and pancreatitis, improve pulmonary and cardiac conditions, and act as a neuro-protectant.
CBD Dosage for Pain in Dogs
Depending on the severity of your dog’s pain, we may recommend our Ease tincture or our Heal tincture for dogs and cats, as our best CBD for pain management.
Our EASE: CBD Oil for Dogs and Cats is a 550mg Full Spectrum Hemp Extract, formulated with added frankincense and turmeric, to target inflammation and joint pain. For most dogs and cats, we find that between 9-18mg of CBD is enough to manage aches and pains. Our Ease tincture is formulated so that 1mL of tincture has one standard dose, 9 mg of CBD. So if you’re looking for arthritis and joint pain relief for dogs or cats, collapsed trachea relief, or acute or temporary pain relief for dogs or cats, Ease is a great option.
Our HEAL: CBD Oil for Dogs and Cats, an 1100mg Full Spectrum Hemp Extract, is our most potent CBD oil for dogs and cats. For pain management, we typically recommend our Heal tincture for senior pets, higher levels of pain, or pets who have demonstrated a low sensitivity to CBD. This is our best CBD oil for pain management for dogs or cats with cancer, tumors, autoimmune diseases, Cushing’s disease, and severe chronic pain. For Heal, we recommend starting with a dosage of 37 mg of CBD, which is equal to 1mL of Heal.
We also recommend our Remedy salve for dogs, or our Soothe salve for cats, when a pet needs topical, localized natural pain relief.
Related: CBD Dosage for Dogs
CBD Success Stories
It comes as no surprise that many pet parents with dogs who are experiencing pain and inflammation turn to CBD for pain relief. Including my own schnauzer, Odie, who began experiencing joint pain and inflammation in 2016. Odie was having a hard time walking, and also suffered from debilitating noise anxiety. Within one week of giving him a daily dose of our Ease CBD tincture, he was able to walk without difficulty. He was walking so well, in fact, he felt comfortable going up and down the stairs again. His inflammatory response significantly decreased, resulting in better overall health.
