Be sure to consult your veterinarian before using any of these for a prolonged period. No advice is better than from a trained veterinarian. There is no guarantee that your pet will do fine on these medications. Giving your pet medications could cause serious injury or even death. Please see your veterinarian if at all possible before administering medications.
Benadryl
Benadryl can be used to help alleviate allergy symptoms.
Benadryl Dose for Dogs (1mg per pound)
| Weight | Dose |
| 10lbs | 10mg |
| 25lbs | 25mg |
| 40lbs | 40mg |
Benadryl Dose for Cats
Benadryl is non-effective for cats and should not be given.
Aspirin
Aspirin can be used to help control pain as well as thin the blood but must be used with extreme caution. If you do administer an aspirin you should do it with a meal to help ease stomach irritation.
Aspirin Dose for Dogs
| Weight |
Dose |
| Less than 10lbs | 1/2 Baby Aspirin |
| 10 – 29lbs | 1 Baby Aspirin |
| 30 – 49lbs | 1/2 Adult Aspirin |
| 50 – 100lbs | 1 Adult Aspirin |
| 101lbs+ | 2 Adult Aspirin |
Aspirin Dose for Cats
Aspirin should never be given to cats! This causes salicylate toxicity ( aspirin toxicity ) because the cat’s body can not metabolize the aspirin. Aspirin toxicity may cause gastrointestinal problems, respiratory difficulties, neurological problems, bleeding disorders due to thinning of the blood, and kidney failure.
Zantac, and Pepcid-AC
Zantac and Pepcid-AC can be used to help alleviate stomach upset due to acid reflux. Never give your dog more than 1 dose of these medications a day. Also be sure to never use the extra strength tablets. Get the lowest mg tablet when administering to pets. Zantac, for example, should be 75mg tablets for the doses below and Pepcid-AC should be 10mg tablets.
Zantac (75mg tablet), and Pepcid-AC (10mg tablet) Dose for Dogs ( 1 dose per day )
| Weight | Dose |
| 1 – 19lbs | 1/4 Low dose tablet |
| 20 – 59lbs | 1/2 Low dose tablet |
| 60lbs+ | 1 Low dose tablet |
Zantac (75mg tablet), and Pepcid-AC (10mg tablet) Dose for Cats ( 1 dose per day )
1/4 tablet for any sized cat of the lowest mg tablet.
Gas-X
Gas-X can help alleviate symptoms of gas in dogs. In the case of bloat, you should administer 2 adult tablets and take the animal to an emergency vet care center immediately!
Gas-X Dose for Dogs
| Weight | Dose |
| 1 – 25lbs | 1/4 Adult Tablet |
| 26 – 45lbs | 1/2 Adult Tablet |
| 46lbs+ | 1 Adult Tablet |
Gas-X Dose for Cats
1/4 Adult Tablet for all sized cats.
Melatonin
Melatonin is great for relieving anxiety and stress brought on by thunderstorms, car travel, vet visits, fireworks, and other stressful events in your pet’s life.
Melatonin Dose for Dogs
| Weight | Dose |
| 10 – 25 lbs | 1.5 mg |
| 26 – 100 lbs | 3 mg |
| 100 lbs+ | 3 – 6 mg |
Melatonin Dose for Cats
.25 – .5 mg for all sized cats.
*Note: Be sure your brand of melatonin does NOT contain Xylitol, an artificial sweetener toxic to pets.
