You may think that giving your cat something like Aleve will be good for them, as it will alleviate some of their pain and get them back to feeling better faster. However, it’s typically not a good idea to give a cat medicine that is for humans.
Aleve is a pretty powerful painkiller, and should not be given to a cat because it is not tested for use on cats, and therefore there is no documented dosage level that you can give them and be assured of their safety. There are special medicines for pain that are specifically for cats, and you can get them from your vet if your cat is in legitimate pain.
So even though you might see people saying it’s OK, you shouldn’t give a cat an NSAID, which Aleve falls under. They are toxic to cats.
Can I Give My Cat Aleve? Answer: No.
Although it’s nice that you’re thinking of your cat’s well-being here, pain is just something that comes with the life of an animal, both domestic and wild. As humans we medicate ourselves for every little ache and pain and common cold we get. But that is not a very natural thing to do, and we shouldn’t push our lifestyle onto our pets. For most bumps and bruises they’ll be fine, and the pain response will help them heal.
For example, if a certain paw is hurting them, they instinctively know not to use it and they will lift off the ground when they walk. They will also lick at it, so if it’s a flesh wound they will clean it out. If it’s not a fracture or a sprain, you can simply allow it to heal on its own. If you had given them Aleve or some other form of pain medicine, they wouldn’t feel their paw and they wouldn’t know not to walk on it, or to lick at it. This could cause further injury or infection to a cut.
Figuring Out What’s Wrong
A proper diagnosis of what’s ailing your cat is key, as you don’t want to treat them for something they don’t have. By giving them a general painkiller, you are could be masking something potentially life-threatening for your cat, so you don’t want to medicate them for every little pain they experience. Cats are resilient animals and can take a lot of what life dishes out.
Watching for Signs of Pain
Cats are used to dealing with a little bit of pain, and are pretty good at masking it and keeping their composure. You can observe your cat to see if there are any signs that they aren’t their usual self. Aside from avoiding use of a leg, or yowling when they normally don’t, you might have a hard time figuring out that there’s anything wrong with them. Cats are basically set and forget types of pets, so unless you spend a lot of time observing their normal behavior, it can be tough to spot any changes.
When to See the Vet
So how do you know how much pain is too much pain, and when is it a good time to take your cat in to see the vet? Basically if they are not acting like themselves, and have never been treating for anything like this before, you’ll want to take them in to get them properly diagnosed. In the future if the problem ever happens again you can
Why Other Owner’s Opinions Don’t Matter
If you search hard enough you’ll find some cat owner out there saying that they give their cat Aleve all the time, and saying what dosage they give them. But that’s just one owner and one cat, and that doesn’t mean it is the best advice you can get for your cat and your situation. Some people take a more carefree approach to cat ownership than others. We like to be on the safe side, and aren’t recommending you give your cat any NSAIDs.
You’ll even find people saying that their vet told them that they could give their cat Aleve, and they will post what dosage their vet told them to give. But again that’s just one vet, and one instance, and not enough information to make a good decision with.