Hi There
I have a small dog who has today been spayed and also had one of her ear canals opened up via surgery.  the vet has given me a couple of pain killers for her to take, But i am wanting to know if i can administer co codamol once these two tablets are used, i think i read on this site somewhere that co codamol was ok for dogs.  i may end up going back to my vet, but decided i would find out what tablets could be used in an emergency, as i think someone told me paracetamol was poison to dogs, im very confused on this issue so would really like some advise. My little dog is not happy as we speak, the vet told me to give her a pain releif tommorrow as she has had an injection today.  shes had a lot done and i think it is starting to wear off. im of the opinion she would be better off sleeping even if it is drug induced.

Absolutley not! Co-codamol includes Paracteamol and you could end up killing the dog. And it is quite strong, so if she's a little dog an overdose would be very likely. Speak to the vet about getting more medication for her if she seems to need it. However it is early days yet and you may well find she'll feel better tomorrow anyway. There is also a point to that if you give too much pain relief the dog may not rest enough as she'll feel TOO well.

Could not agree more with Goldmali, dogs have died from ingesting a small amount of ibuprofen, if these painkillers were suitable then the vet would have prescribed them, do not forget just because something is safe for us does not mean it is safe for other animals.

I agree with you both totally.  Thankyou for your advice.  I reserched painkillers for dogs and in an emergency aprin can be administerd at the correct dosage. i also noted the dosage. I did think that paracetamol was not good for dogs, which is why i posted.  at least i now have the information at hand should an emergency arrise.
My little girl is a lot better this morning, should i need more pain releif i will go to vets, no question about it.

we noticed late one evening that that my old boy rough collie was limping and had injured himself on contacting my vet (who taught at the Liverpool University small animal hospital and who I knew personally  had her home phone number) what my boy had done he seemed fine just had a sore leg and was having a bit of difficulty walking on it she told me to give him half  of a paracetamol then bring him in to see her the next day if I was happy with that which I was because I knew it wasnt an emergency as such.
On questioning her about it in the surgery she told me that in small doses and for him to have a restful night it was fine but obviously not something that you could use continually.

I am only writing this cause some of the replies I feel  would send panic out to any folk who may have done this in the past.
I would trust my vet with all of my pets she was of the old school of vet surgery and not one to always make sure you leave the surgery with tablets in you hand to make you feel better.Sadly for us she retired a short time a go.

Roni

Aspirin has the same problems in dogs that it has in people. It can cause gastrointestinal upsets and ulcers  It can cause renal failure if overdosed. It causes an increase in clotting time.

Paracetemol is also extremely toxic in excess, and only a little over the limit is enough to cause liver problems.

I would urge anyone who requries pain relief for their dog to only use veterinary prescribed pain killers or have a stock of arnica 6c or 30c in the house, the beauty of arnica is that both humans and animals can use it and it would be extremely difficult and unusual to OD on it.

herbal arnica http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/DVH/HerbsSideEffects/0,3925,4075%7CArnica,00.html

homeopathic arnica http://www.herbmed.org/Herbs/Herb92.htm#Category1Herb92

See how she is tomorrow. If you feel like she's acting as if she's in pain, give her the vet prescribed tablets. Then see how she is the day after. Dogs bounce back from major surgery a lot faster than humans, so you may find she's running round like nothing's happened tomorrow or the day after. I'd be very wary of giving a small dog any human painkillers without clear veterinary advice on approriate dosage for her weight - you could make her severely ill (internal bleeding and liver damage are just two possibilities) or even kill her.

Hi There
Thankyou for all your post, i have read them and taken the advice on board. 
My little girl is running around as if shes had nothing done, i have been having to restrict her freedom a little as she just wants to jump around playing, she took off from the garden wall yesterday, nearly gave me heart faiure.  she still has to wear an elizabethan coller for a couple of weeks, today i found her sitting letting the other dogs chew it, shes not daft, thought she would break out. you wouldnt know shes had anything done looking at her.  amaizing little creatures these pugs.
anyway  thankyou again for all you advice, i wont be administering any pain relief, unless its precribed by my vet.but i now think i was worrying unnessersarally.

dogs mostly feel pain from spaying on the day its done and the next day they are pretty ok and some dogs it doesnt bother at all if she had a pain patch or something similar when she left the vets then she should be fine with the pain

i have seen male dogs after being desexed come bounding out of the vets just releaved to be going hom and not looking like it need the pain patch at all females are different because the female gets cut open but from my experiennce after i had finished breeding a female i have her spayed she is sore for the first day and then the rest of the time she is itchy and thats the one you gotta look for because they can bust there own stiches

cna you give a dog nurofen? just asking for someone else.

i wouldnt never give a dog any human painkillers or medication same as you wouldnt take dog medication they are different

Nurofen? - No, nurofen is ibuprofen, which has already been mentioned in this thread as being fatal to dogs......

Thanks, thats what I told her but I was just making sure - cheers :)