Did I Kill my Dog With Medicine?
My dog died today…he wasn’t well yesterday, I
gave him a pain killer because he couldn’t walk…is
it because of the medicine that he’s dead? Please
be honest.
Nikita
Delhi, India
Probably not. But honestly, I don’t know.
I am very sorry to learn of the loss of your dog. Please accept my deepest sympathies.
Severe adverse reactions to pain killers can cause animals to die. You do not state what sort of medicine you used. Some human medicines are not safe for dogs. Some canine-specific pain killers are not safe in dogs that are sick.
So, honestly, there is a chance that the medicine caused your dog to pass away.
However, in my opinion the medication is not the most likely cause of death. You mention that your dog could not walk the day before he died. I suspect that he may have been weak from a disease such as kidney failure or internal bleeding due to cancer.
It is most likely that your dog died because of whatever sickness made him unable to walk.
Regardless of what happened, I do not feel it is appropriate for you to blame yourself for your dog’s death. Once again, I am sorry for your loss.
Photo: Michelle Tribe. Photo license: CC.
You have questions. 
Hi Doctor,
I think this sad tale, much like the cougar episode, illustrates how very sensitive canines and felines can be to analgesics. Obviously, with 20/20 hindsight, it’s very easy to say that an animal already not well should not have been given a pain killer except after an exam by a qualified vet. Having said that, however, I do also realize that medical attention for animals is neither easily accessible nor affordable in far too many parts of the world. In fact, it’s very possible that Nikita’s action may well have shortened rather than prolonged the misery of his dog. Several years ago, I felt it necessary to have a much loved cat euthanized because of ongoing renal failure. Watching a pet die by inches is not a pretty sight!
So So So Sorry for your loss….Losing a beloved pet when you know the cause is hard enough but to lose one without knowing why and whether you could have done something more or different is the worst….My husband and i have had several dogs and a couple died unexpectedly.I felt so much guilt not knowing if i had done something to cause the problem and beating myself up for not taking them to the vet sooner…..We can only do so much for our beloved pets and as they say hindsight is 20/20….So please try to believe that it was simply their time to go and that they would not want for you to blame yourself
I have a six year old rescued min pin named Lucky. Recently he has begun to hold up his right hind leg when moving around. He has been twice to my vet and she has not done any xrays only told me he is fine and maybe it has fallen asleep. Lately it has gotten worse and he is using it very rarely. I have moved the leg and he does not seem to be in pain. Could this be leggs perthes or luxating patella? I know min pins are prone to these things.
My dog had to be put down yesterday. He was fine expect he had hurt his leg and the vet gave him Rimadyl he had a reaction to this medication. The vet did not tell me that this medication lead to deaths of many animals he said the reaction was not serious. I spent this morning on the net found that just one treatment was enough for some dogs as mine to lead to liver problems and death. I am broken hearted and so anrgy!!! But in his behalf will take action. I am sorry of about your dog but since you are not a license vet I think you should not continue to blame yourself your intentions were good. Finance being as they are I know you were doing all you could.