If you’re wondering can dogs take Tylenol, the short – and long – answer is no.
Let’s start with some basics.
What Is Tylenol?
Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol products. Tylenol is the brand name while acetaminophen is its generic or chemical name.
Tylenol is most often taken by people to relieve moderate pain and reduce fever. It’s not an anti-inflammatory so if you’re giving your dog Tylenol for inflammation, it won’t help anyway. There are better natural remedies to help your dog with pain and inflammation, which will be discussed later.
Just to be clear, aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and isn’t safe for dogs either. Other “pain relievers” that are very toxic to dogs are ibuprofen (Advil) or Naproxen (Aleve). Never give your dog these drugs.
How Does Tylenol Manage Pain?
Acetaminophen blocks cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes that form prostaglandins, natural substances in the body that trigger pain and inflammation. That can be good for lessening pain … but sometimes the body needs pain, inflammation and fever to help with the injury healing process.
And your dog can have a bad reaction to Tylenol.
Is Tylenol Bad For Dogs?
Yes. Tylenol can cause liver damage and destroy red blood cells in dogs. It can also cause kidney and gastrointestinal damage. Just 2 tablets can be toxic to a 50-pound dog.
You’ll see these signs of Tylenol toxicity in dogs …
- Trouble breathing
- Weakness and lethargy
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Swelling of the face
- Odd behaviors
- Difficulty walking
- Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes, skin and mucous membranes
- Death
7 Reasons Not To Give Your Dog Tylenol
Tylenol isn’t a magic pill when trying to relieve your dog’s pain or discomfort. Here’s why you shouldn’t give it to your dog.
- Even small amounts of Tylenol are toxic to dogs.
- Tylenol is obtained over the counter and not by prescription so it may react with other medications if a veterinarian or pharmacist isn’t there to provide warnings.
- It doesn’t manage inflammation (sometimes appearing as itching, a major concern among pet owners.
- This drug is registered for use in humans only. It’s not approved for animal use by the Food and Drug Administration, although it can be prescribed by veterinarians.
- Tylenol has other variations like cold medications (containing xylitol) with ingredients that can seriously harm dogs.
- Dosing a dog with a human drug can be dangerous if done incorrectly.
- Your dog can’t tell you if what you’ve given him is bothering him … and by the time you see signs it might be too late.
In general, it’s a bad idea to use human pain medications for dogs.