Can I give my dog paracetamol?

Pet Poison Helpline says paracetamol has a narrower margin of safety in dogs and is especially dangerous for cats, causing gut upset, blood abnormalities and liver failure. The Merck Veterinary Manual says jaundice and liver damage are more common with paracetamol poisoning in dogs than in cats, while in cats the drug quickly damages red blood cells so they cannot carry oxygen, turning the gums brown or muddy.

Many poisonings start with kindness. Merck notes that animals are exposed to human painkillers either by accident or deliberately, by well-meaning owners who do not know the risk. A tablet sized for an adult human is also not sized for a dog of any weight, and online dose charts cannot account for your dog's liver, kidneys, other medicines or illness.

The US Food and Drug Administration gives the simplest rule: do not give human medications to your animal unless directed by the vet.

Merck says the first aim of treatment is early decontamination, which is why calling quickly matters. Vets may also use an antidote, N-acetylcysteine, along with fluids, anti-sickness medicine and monitoring of the blood and liver. These are hospital treatments chosen for each dog, and none of them can be done safely at home.

In India a dull, feverish dog that stops eating may have a tick-borne infection. TroCCAP's guidelines for tropical countries describe babesiosis with non-specific signs such as loss of appetite, depression, vomiting and lethargy, and pale gums, and say it is diagnosed from a stained blood smear or a PCR test. A painkiller treats none of this, and may hide the signs your vet needs to see. If your dog is unwell while you are away, a Petym sitter follows your vet's written plan and, in an emergency, calls you and takes your dog to the nearest 24-hour vet.