Many a time, man’s best friend is afflicted by the same diseases the man himself suffers. From allergies to pain relief to something common like gas discomfort – many dog ailments can be treated with human medicines that are freely available in the market.
Allergies and irritations
Benadryl – a common anti allergy medicine also works for allergies and itching in dogs. The dosage size should be 1 milligram per pound of your dog. Two pounds is approximately one kilogram. So if you have a small 10-15 kg dog, you will have to give it half of a 50 mg tablet. Hydrocortisonecream can also give relief to a dog from itching or irritated skin if applied topically up to twice a day.
Upset stomach
Just like humans, PeptoBismol works great for a dog to cure diarrhea, vomiting and gas but they are fatal to cats. The dose is one teaspoon per twenty pounds of the dog. Similarly you can give common gas medicines to dogs to minimize flatulence or gas discomfort. They should be a quarter of a human dose for small dogs, half a dose for medium dogs and an adult human dose for large dogs. Medicines like Famotidine and Ranitidine which are found in popular over the counter brands like Pepcid AC and Zantac are regularly used to reduce stomach acids caused by ulcers, acid reflux or bellyache in dogs. You can give a quarter of a pill to dogs under twenty pounds, half a pill to a dog under sixty pounds and a full tablet if the dog weighs more than sixty pounds. In case your dog is suffering from diarrhea, you can give it Imodium A-D, one milligram per pound of the dog.
Sometimes a dog eats up things that it shouldn’t. To induce vomiting after any such accidental ingestion of toxic substance, simply put 10 millimeters of hydrogen peroxide by mouth.
Pain relief and other sicknesses
You can use buffered Aspirin to relive pain and inflammation of your dog. If it is a puppy or a very small dog weighing less than ten pounds, use half of baby aspirin tablet. If the dog is between ten to thirty pounds, use a whole baby aspirin. Give half a pill of regular aspirin for dogs between thirty and fifty pounds and a whole pill for dogs up to a hundred pounds. If your dog is coughing or hacking, give it Robitussin DM – one teaspoon per ten pounds of your dog’s weight. If your dog is suffering from motion sickness, you can give it a small dose of Dramamine- 12.5 milligrams for small dogs, 25 milligram for medium dogs and 50 milligram for large dogs.
It is best to always ask a vegetarian before giving any medication to your specific dog breed. Even ‘safe’ human medicines can be toxic to certain breeds or some pets with preexisting conditions.
