For at-home oral analgesia in dogs and cats, an NSAID is the first-line agent for mild to moderate pain in both species, combined with buprenorphine oral transmucosal (OTM) when additional analgesia is needed. WSAVA Global Gu…
NSAIDs are the cornerstone of outpatient pain management. Multiple NSAIDs are approved for chronic pain control in dogs in the United States, including grapiprant, which blocks the EP4 prostaglandin receptor and has demonstrated safe and effective reduction of osteoarthritis clinical signs. AAHA Clinical G… No NSAID is approved for long-term use in cats in the United States, though meloxicam and robenacoxib are approved for long-term musculoskeletal pain control in cats in Europe. AAHA Clinical G… NSAID therapy is generally administered for 3–7 days following oral/dental procedures, and can be extended in cats after aggressive oral surgery such as full-mouth extraction for chronic feline gingivostomatitis. WSAVA Global Gu… Renal, hepatic, and gastrointestinal toxicity are associated with NSAID use, though the true incidence is likely low. AAHA Clinical G… Long-term NSAID use in dogs does not show increased organ-based toxicity with longer treatment duration and shows a positive trend toward increased efficacy. AAHA Clinical G…
Buprenorphine OTM is a practical and effective adjunct for home use in cats. The standard home dosing range is 0.03–0.05 mg/kg OTM two to three times daily. AAHA Clinical G… Buprenorphine provides moderate analgesia with a duration of 4–8 hours depending on pain intensity, concentration, and dose, and adverse effects are generally mild. AAHA Clinical G…
Gabapentin (10 mg/kg PO q8h in dogs; 10 mg/kg PO q12h in cats) may provide benefit for pain with a neuropathic component, though published evidence supporting its use in acute pain is limited; it is better suited to naturally occurring chronic pain with a neuropathic component. WSAVA Global Gu…
Tramadol is not recommended as a primary oral analgesic in dogs due to demonstrated lack of efficacy, and cats show a strong aversion to its taste. AAHA Clinical G… Long-term oral opioids are not recommended for chronic pain in dogs due to poor oral bioavailability from pronounced enterohepatic recirculation and elimination, and no oral opioid-type drug achieves reasonable, repeatable drug levels after oral administration in dogs. AAHA Clinical G…
Acetaminophen can be tried as a broad analgesic in dogs only when NSAIDs are contraindicated or not tolerated, though supporting data are lacking — and acetaminophen is never appropriate in cats. AAHA Clinical G…
| Drug | Dose / Route / Frequency | Key Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| NSAID (dog) | Per label; multiple approved for chronic use | Monitor renal, hepatic, GI; grapiprant approved since 2016 AAHA Clinical G… |
| NSAID (cat) | Per label; 3–7 days post-procedure typical | No long-term US approval; European approvals exist AAHA Clinical G…+1 |
| Buprenorphine OTM (cat) | 0.03–0.05 mg/kg OTM BID–TID | Moderate analgesia; 4–8 hr duration AAHA Clinical G… |
| Gabapentin (dog) | 10 mg/kg PO q8h | Limited evidence in acute pain; best for chronic neuropathic pain WSAVA Global Gu… |
| Gabapentin (cat) | 10 mg/kg PO q12h | Same caveat as dog WSAVA Global Gu… |
| Acetaminophen (dog only) | Per label | Dogs only — never use in cats; limited efficacy data AAHA Clinical G… |
| Tramadol | Tier 3 / not recommended | Lack of efficacy in dogs; taste aversion in cats AAHA Clinical G… |
Would you like to go through the specific NSAID options approved for long-term use in dogs, including grapiprant versus traditional NSAIDs?