Can I Give My Dog Paracetamol? Dolo, Crocin, Calpol, Tylenol

No. Don’t give your dog paracetamol from your own medicine box, whether it’s Dolo 650 or Crocin in India, Calpol in the UK, Panadol in Australia or Tylenol in North America. Vets do sometimes use paracetamol in dogs, but at a dose they work out for that dog and its liver. A human tablet can be too much, especially for a small dog. Ibuprofen and aspirin are worse. If your dog is in pain or seems feverish, call your vet tonight. If it has already swallowed a tablet, call now.

Why a human tablet is risky

Paracetamol is the same drug everywhere, sold as acetaminophen in the US and Canada. Vets use low doses in dogs for some problems, and in the UK there’s a prescription dog tablet that contains it (VMD). But:

• The tablet is sized for an adult human. A Dolo is 650 mg. What a big Lab might cope with can poison a small dog or a puppy. A UK puppy needed emergency treatment after chewing one cold and flu sachet with 1,000 mg of paracetamol in it (PDSA).
• It harms the liver and the blood. Too much damages a dog’s liver, and at higher doses its red blood cells can’t carry oxygen (VCA). Small doses given over a few days can damage the liver too.
• Some syrups have xylitol. Sugar-free children’s syrups can contain xylitol, a sweetener that is very dangerous for dogs (Vets Now).
• Combination tablets hide other drugs. Combiflam, for example, is ibuprofen plus paracetamol. Read the packet.

Ibuprofen and aspirin are worse

Ibuprofen (Brufen, Nurofen, Advil, the ibuprofen in Combiflam) can cause stomach ulcers and kidney damage in dogs, even from a single dose. Vets Now says one tablet can make a Labrador seriously ill. The Merck vet manual says ibuprofen is no longer recommended for dogs at all (Merck).

Aspirin (Disprin) and naproxen also cause ulcers and bleeding in the gut. Vets sometimes prescribe aspirin, but owners shouldn’t give it. For Meftal (mefenamic acid) and diclofenac we found no vet guidance at all, which is reason enough to leave them in the box.

If your dog swallowed a tablet

1. Call your vet or a 24-hour vet now, even if your dog seems fine. Signs can take hours or days.
2. Have the packet in hand. Tell them the name, the strength (650 mg, 500 mg), how many are missing, when it happened, and your dog’s weight.
3. Don’t make your dog vomit unless the vet tells you to. It can do more harm than good. Don’t give food or home remedies either.
4. Take the packet with you to the clinic.

Poison lines that can help, all charging a fee:

• US: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, (888) 426-4435, or Pet Poison Helpline, (855) 764-7661 (also Canada)
• UK: Animal PoisonLine, 01202 509 000
• Australia: Animal Poisons Helpline, 1300 869 738 (New Zealand 0800 869 738)
• India and elsewhere: we found no animal poison line. Your vet or the nearest 24-hour vet is your poison line. Save their number today.

Watch for: vomiting, not eating, belly pain, trembling, low energy, a fast heart or fast breathing, a swollen face or paws, yellow gums or eyes, or gums that look brown, muddy or bluish. Pale or bluish gums, heavy panting or struggling to breathe mean go to a vet straight away (VCA Canada).

If your dog is in pain or feverish

• Call your vet and describe what you see. Ask whether it can wait until morning.
• Vets have painkillers made for dogs, such as meloxicam and carprofen, on prescription only (FDA). Your vet picks the drug and dose for your dog’s weight, age, liver and kidneys.
• Is it a fever? A dog’s normal temperature is about 37.5 to 39.2°C, higher than ours (Merck). A dog with a fever is usually tired, slow to move and off its food. A warm nose on its own tells you nothing.
• In the meantime: keep your dog calm and rested, offer water, and don’t give anything from your own medicine box.

A fever in India can be tick fever; a dog that’s panting and hot after a walk may have heatstroke, which is cooled, not treated with tablets.

Keep tablets out of reach

Dogs eat dropped pills and chew through strips and bottles. Keep medicines up high or in a closed cupboard, as you would with a toddler, and pick up any tablet that falls. For what else to keep at home, see our dog first aid kit.