You'd take their pain away if you could. Our dogs give us so much joy, so when they’re in pain, we want to do anything possible to help them feel better. One of the most commonly asked questions that I get as a vet is what can I give my dog for pain? Well, there are many options out there including very effective and safe veterinary prescribed products as well as some natural and over the counter remedies.
From anti-inflammatories such as carprofen and opioids like morphine to cold therapy and exercise, we’ll lead you through the best options you have for pain meds for dogs as well as what pain can look like in dogs and when to see your veterinarian.
Understanding Your Dog’s Pain
Dogs possess similar pain receptors and pathways as humans do, so how does their pain stack up to ours?
Why Dogs Hide Pain
Some dogs have figured out how to play the sympathy card quite well and will readily tell you about their pain and discomfort, but most dogs prefer the stoic approach, hiding their pain until it becomes nearly unbearable. While this is less than helpful for you as the pet parent, it’s actually an evolutionary behavior that helps protect them. You see, for animals in the wild, vulnerability could equal death. Illnesses or injuries are like a bright red target for predators, so hiding pain is a way of staying alive.
This innate behavior has helped dogs in the wild for thousands of years, so it’s not something that will easily be forgotten in our domestic pets.
Veterinary Pain Scale
In humans, we use a scale of faces ranging from very sad to overly happy as a way to describe our level of pain. While our dogs can feel all of those same levels, they can’t point to the corresponding picture to tell us about their pain intensity. Instead, vets and pet parents need to rely on the signs they are showing.
Fortunately, Colorado State University came through with a handy pain scale to help determine how severe your dog’s pain is so that proper treatment can be started. For mild pain, most dogs may act a little uncomfortable or withdrawn, while more intense pain may show up with whining or crying, inability to be distracted, aggression, or unwillingness to move.
Types of Pain in Dogs
Not all pain is the same. The pain caused by a broken bone and a sliver in your finger is extremely different. The same goes for your dog’s pain experience. Some pain is much worse than others and will need to be treated accordingly.
Acute Pain
This is the type of pain that starts quickly. It can be mild to severe and is often caused by surgery or a sudden injury or illness. The signs you see will depend on the area of the body affected: Musculoskeletal Issues (Connective Tissue, Muscle, or Bone)
Lameness or limping
Refusing to bear weight on a specific limb
Stiffness or reluctance to move
Urinary Issues (e.g., Urinary Tract Infection - UTI)
Frequent and painful urination
Accidents in the house
Gastrointestinal Issues (Stomach Illness)
Not wanting to eat
Vomiting (may be accompanied by diarrhea)
If pain is severe, accompanied by other signs, or lasts longer than a day or two, see your veterinarian.
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is long-term. It typically comes on gradually, gets a good foothold, and then just doesn’t go away. It often gets worse over time as the cause progresses. Things like arthritis and gingivitis are common causes of chronic pain that may show up with subtle signs in the beginning, such as slowness in getting up or not wanting to chew hard food. These signs typically progress until a dog isn’t able to jump or climb stairs or eat at all.
Neuropathic Pain
Though dog pain is dog pain, it can feel different depending on where it’s coming from. Muscle pain can feel different than digestive pain, and nerve pain can feel different than bone pain. Neuropathic pain stems from damage to the nerves either from an injury or an illness. Depending on the severity, it can also be accompanied by decreased function even going as far as paralysis in spinal cord issues.
Cancer-Related Pain
Cancerous tumors can cause pain in a variety of ways. They can compress organs, tissues, and nerves, cause inflammation, and impede normal bodily functions. Cancer-related pain is typically chronic though it may seem to come on suddenly when the tumor reaches a size where it’s causing problems, such as in osteosarcoma. You may see the tumor itself or a decrease in appetite, weight loss, and lethargy.
Visceral Pain
Though any pain in your dog may seem visceral to you, visceral pain in a medical sense is when illnesses or injuries affect their inner organs. You may see: Stomach Pain
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Chest Pain
Difficulty breathing
Coughing
Kidney or Bladder Issues
Bloody urine
Veterinary-Prescribed Pain Medications
The body is an amazing machine with some clever ways of making sure that things work. By manipulating these mechanisms, we can also control pain. There are many different pain relievers that work by either targeting the inflammation that’s causing the pain or blocking the pain pathway itself. Of course, there’s also therapies that work to correct the cause of the pain. Let’s look at some of the common types of pain medications that your veterinarian may prescribe.
Medications for Acute Pain: Fast-Acting Relief
When your dog is suddenly in pain, you want to fix it fast. Fortunately, there are a few different medications that will provide fast-acting pain relief in dogs. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) are a common choice with options such carprofen, firocoxib, meloxicam, and deracoxib. These work by decreasing inflammation in the body related to sudden illnesses or injuries.
Opioids/opiates are another option for quick pain management. They work by blocking the actual pain receptors instead of targeting inflammation. Tramadol, morphine, butorphanol, fentanyl, and buprenorphine are a few that veterinarians reach for, but as we know, opioids come with a number of risks, so these will be used cautiously and under supervision.
Medications for Chronic Pain: Long-Term Management
Chronic pain is treated similarly to acute pain just with a long-term outlook, and depending on the cause may require a combination approach. When it comes to chronic pain, your veterinarian may also choose to implement other management, such as physical therapy, to help treat the problem and decrease pain for the long haul.
Medications for Neuropathic Pain: Targeting Nerve Signals
Nerve pain is a slightly different monster than other types of pain, and so it requires slightly different pain medications. Nerve injuries or diseases may be treated with gabapentin, amitriptyline, and pregabalin.
Medications for Cancer-Related Pain
Cancer encompasses many forms of issues in dogs, so the pain medication involved in managing it will come in many forms as well. Some dogs may have pain related to inflammation while others may have pain from tumor itself. Some dogs may need surgical pain management while others need palliative care in an end-of-life scenario.
With this in mind, your vet may use a combination of NSAIDs, opioids, neuropathic pain meds, supplements, and alternative therapies.
Medications for Visceral Pain: Internal Organ Relief
Most forms of visceral pain respond well to opioids, NSAIDs, or neuropathic medications depending on the cause. There may be room for supplements and alternative therapies as well.
Natural and Alternative Pain Relief for Dogs
There are many reasons to think outside the box when it comes to pain management in dogs. First of all, not all dogs can tolerate common pain medications as their side effects may outweigh the benefits. Secondly, some pet parents just have a hard time getting on board with things like opioids and similar products. Don’t worry, pain management doesn’t have to come in the form of medications and many of these therapies work well in combination with pain meds to further increase a dog’s comfort.
Supplements
Supplements are little extras that can be given to dogs to boost what the body’s already doing. Vitamins and minerals are common ones, so is glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega fatty acids for arthritis. Other natural anti-inflammatories include turmeric and Boswellia. Honey may also be used as a natural way to boost healing.
The issue with supplements is that they are not regulated, so it may be difficult to know exactly what you’re getting when you buy one. That’s why it’s important to only use supplements under your veterinarian’s recommendation.
Physical Therapies
For some types of pain in dogs, nothing beats good old fashioned physical therapy. This may include icing the area, exercises to stretch and strengthen, and massage to increase blood and lymph flow as well as relieve muscle tension. Electromagnetic therapy, laser therapy, and acupuncture are other ways to get relief from localized pain, and hydrotherapy is a fun and effective way to increase mobility while decreasing pain.
Lifestyle Modifications
All of the medications and therapies in the world may not be enough to completely control pain in some dogs. They may require some lifestyle modifications as well. Weight loss is a major one as excess weight puts a lot of strain on the body, often leading to pain. Using ramps or stairs to help dogs onto furniture or into the car may play a role since jumping isn’t great for pain management. You may have to change the way you exercise your pup, opting for low impact options such as walking and swimming over running or agility. You may also want to invest in a more supportive bed and limit the number of throw rugs or other obstacles your dog encounters daily.
Special Considerations by Life Stage and Condition
The way your dog’s pain is managed may change throughout their lifetime. Puppies, for example, typically can’t tolerate stronger pain medications, such as opioids, so your vet will likely opt for natural options like icing and massage.
On that same note, some senior pups may not be able to handle some forms of pain medications due to health conditions such as liver or kidney disease. Your vet will also consider the long-term effects that some medications may pose and prescribe a treatment plan aimed at reducing those side effects.
Pain Management and Your Dog
If your dog is in pain, consulting your vet should be your first step. Proper diagnosis of the cause of pain is necessary to ensure proper treatment.
No matter what pain management plan your dog is on, safety is the number one concern. Your vet will carefully weigh the potential risks of a therapy with the benefits, so be sure to follow their prescribed plan exactly. Give the right dose at the right time and keep medications securely stored to prevent accidental ingestion.
Carefully monitor your dog while they’re taking pain medication and note any side effects. Consult your veterinarian and discontinue use if necessary.
That’s a lot of veterinary mentions, I know, but when it comes to the question of what can you give a dog for pain, your vet is the only one with real answers.
Pet Insurance for Dogs in Pain
When your dog is in pain, time is critical, and treatment options can be complex and expensive. Pain management often requires diagnostics (like X-rays or blood work), multiple medications, and long-term supportive therapies. Having dog insurance can help cover the costs associated with a painful illness or injury, so that you can focus on getting your dog pain-free. Pet insurance ensures you can say "yes" to the best possible care without agonizing over the cost. This typically includes:
Advanced Diagnostics: Getting a quick, accurate diagnosis to pinpoint the source of pain (X-rays, MRI, blood tests).
Effective Pain Medications: Accessing the full range of pain relief, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), neuropathic medications, and even pain patches.
Long-Term Therapies: Covering costly, but highly effective, long-term treatments like physical therapy, hydrotherapy, and acupuncture.
While pet insurance covers the treatment of unexpected illnesses and injuries, a robust pain management plan also relies on prevention and early detection. A wellness plan for dogs is a great way to ensure your dog sees a veterinarian regularly to help prevent and catch issues early on.
So, What Can I Give My Dog for Pain?
Pain is no one’s friend, especially when it’s plaguing your best friend. Whether your dog is showing subtle or severe signs of pain, you’ll want to get them relief. Fortunately, there are many options of what you can give your dog for pain including medications, therapies, and lifestyle adjustments.
See your veterinarian to diagnose your dog’s cause of pain and to get the best treatment plan tailor-made for them. Just remember, don’t give your dog any medications unless advised by your vet.
The best answer to "What can I give my dog for pain?" is quick, comprehensive veterinary care. That's the closest we can get to making their pain magically disappear.