Can I Give My Dog Panadol? What Australian Vets Say

Not from your own cupboard, no. But the honest answer is more interesting than the “never” that you will find on the majority of pages out there, because Australian vets do prescribe paracetamol for dogs, and more often than in the past.

It has nothing to do with the name of the product. It has to do with the dose and the formulation that is used to treat the dog.

Never give Panadol to a cat and never give it to a dog without first checking with your vet about the correct dose. Never give Panadol Osteo, Panadeine or any Cold and Flu medicine product to either a cat or a dog. If your dog has accidentally taken some Panadol, immediately ring the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738. This is free and available 24 hours a day.

Four reasons not to dose it yourself

A standard tablet of Panadol is far too much for most dogs.

The standard tablet is 500 mg. A 10 kg dog requires around 100 mg. That's five times the dose for a dog. It is not accurate to try and split a tablet into fifths. Paracetamol has a narrower margin for dogs.

The second reason has to do with what is in Panadol Osteo.

Panadol Osteo is a modified release tablet. The intention is for the tablet to slowly release the Paracetamol over a period of many hours. For dogs, this is much more difficult to manage and decontaminate at the clinic. Any slow release or extended release product is more dangerous than less.

3. The combination products are the ones that put dogs in hospital

Panadeine contains codeine. Cold and flu products contain decongestants. Panadol Night contains an antihistamine. These all have their own issues regardless of the paracetamol content. Read the box not the brand.

4. Pain is a symptom, and you are treating it blind

This is the one the vets care about most. If a dog is in enough pain to warrant a visit to the medicine cabinet, there is something wrong that is being masked for two days.

Never in a cat. Not once, not a quarter of a tablet

Paracetamol cannot be processed by cats in the same way as dogs and humans. The dose that causes toxicosis in cats is between 40 and 50 mg per kg of body weight; some cats have shown signs of toxicosis at doses of as low as 10 mg per kg. A cat of 4 kg can easily reach this dose from a fraction of a single tablet of paracetamol.

The same survey that revealed that most vets prescribe paracetamol to dogs also revealed that 98% of them named it an absolute contraindication for cats. At doses of paracetamol, cats can display brown or muddy gums, swollen face or paws and laboured breathing. If your cat has had even a fraction of a tablet of paracetamol, this is an emergency now, not in the morning. More on how to read the language of a sick cat here.

What an overdose looks like in a dog

The MSD Veterinary Manual lists clinical signs in dogs above roughly 100 mg per kilogram of body weight, with red cell damage noted above 200 mg per kilogram. For a dog that weighs 10 kg, that's two standard tablets.

According to Lort Smith, signs of an overdose in dogs include depression, weakness, fast or laboured breathing, blue, yellow or brown gums, swelling of the face or paws, and vomiting.

However, there is a danger in waiting for the appearance of these signs. As with humans, there is no way of visually detecting the presence of liver damage in a dog, so it's possible for a dog to have taken the tablets an hour ago and be wagging at the door happily. In that case, there is no substitute for proactively ringing the vet's bell.

If your dog has already had some

• Ring the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738 on the way, not instead of going.
• Take the packet with you. The strength of the poison, the tablets and how many there are will determine the treatment.
• Do not make your dog vomit unless the vet tells you to. Lort Smith, the author of the article, makes it clear that inducing vomiting is not something to do for a dog struggling to breathe.
• Work out your dog's weight and how many tablets there are in the packet before you call the Animal Poison Helpline.
• If it is after hours, go to the nearest 24 hour emergency hospital for dogs.

What your vet will reach for instead

The first line of treatment for pain in dogs is a veterinary anti-inflammatory rather than paracetamol. Meloxicam is the one most Australian dog owners will recognise and it comes in a dose that is given to the animal in liquid form.

Ibuprofen and aspirin are the other two tablets that people will reach for. However, both medications are not kind to a dog's digestive system and kidneys and should not be given to dogs without the direction of a veterinarian.

If the pain is from arthritis due to the slow process of getting older, there are a variety of treatments available that go beyond a simple over-the-counter tablet for dogs.

The practical answer

If your dog is currently sore and you are standing in the bathroom, the best solution is to make a phone call. A vet can tell you within two minutes whether paracetamol is an appropriate treatment for your dog and at what dose to give it.

You can speak to a vet by video call, ask a vet to come to your home, or see how much a mobile vet will cost before you commit to paying for their services. Most of our vets work weekends and Sundays.

Frequently asked questions

How much Panadol can I give my dog?

None, unless your vet has given you a dose for your specific dog. Vets who do use paracetamol in dogs work around 10 to 15 mg per kilogram twice daily. That's usually a fraction of a tablet for most dogs. This is a number a vet will apply to your dog, not something you will be able to work out for yourself.

My dog ate one Panadol tablet. Is that an emergency?

It depends on the size of your dog and the strength of the tablet. A 500 mg tablet for a 30 kg lab is very different from a 4 kg terrier. Ring 1300 869 738 on us with your dog's weight and the packet in hand and we'll give you a straight answer in a few minutes.

Can I give my cat Panadol?

No. Not a quarter tablet, not once, not for a limp. Paracetamol is one of the most dangerous things in an Australian home for a cat. If it has already happened, go now and ring on the way.

What about Panadol Osteo or Panadeine?

Neither, for either species. Panadol Osteo is a modified release medicine so an overdose is harder to reverse. Panadeine contains codeine on top of the paracetamol. Never give a combination product to either cat or dog.

Is there anything I can safely give my dog for pain at home?

Nothing from the human medicine cabinet. A rest for your dog at home is a great start. Give them a soft bed and no stairs or jumping into the car. Give them a ten minute check up at home to show the vet what you are seeing. If your dog is in pain, call the vet on the same day.