My dog's paw hurts. Can I give human pain meds or try an Epsom soak?

Question

My 10 year old Boston has a hurt or very bothersome foot. Won't let me touch it unless I force her while trying to bite. Obviously she is hurting. Is there something for people that I can give her tonight to help until I can get her to the vet tomorrow. A couple hours ago I gave her a Benedryl incase she had a few ant bites of some sort of reaction to something she stepped in. She is just getting more irritated. Asprin, Tylenol, epsom soak....anything at all? Pet's info: Dog | Boston Terrier | Female | spayed | 9 years and 11 months old | 19 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

Poor EmmaLee. Unfortunately, dogs cannot safely have any human pain medication, so I would not recommend giving her anything. However, an Epsom Salt soak is a great idea. I recommend making it according to the package instructions with cool water if you are possibly dealing with an insect bite. I generally make it in a tall container, but only put in enough solution to cover the foot (that makes is less likely that she will splash it out of the container). Soak the foot for 5 minutes, then gently dry it (no need to rinse it). If she did get an insect bite, the other important thing can be to prevent her from licking and chewing at the foot because she will make it worse. You might consider an e-collar, sock or bootie for this. Good luck! I hope EmmaLee feels better. Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog's paw hurts. Can I give human pain meds or try an Epsom soak?

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