However, you can’t give these drugs to your dog or puppy: No human painkillers are safe for dogs. You can only give your dog pain medications specifically designed for canines and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These drugs also have to be prescribed by a vet, since there are no FDA-approved OTC painkillers for dogs.

"It is wrong and it's dangerous to give human medication like Ibuprofen or Naproxen to dogs or cats, and Tylenol Extra Strength can be deadly to cats," Klein warns. Human NSAIDs, such as Ibuprofen and Tylenol, are toxic to dogs, even in small doses.

Unless under the direction or supervision of a veterinarian, dogs should not be given human medications like ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol), or aspirin. If your dog is in mild to moderate pain, your vet will most likely prescribe a different and safer drug than acetaminophen, such as a specific dose of baby aspirin.

First of all, never give your dog your prescription painkillers. Many active ingredients in human pain medicines, such as opiates, are very toxic to dogs and can even kill them. This is because opiates have pronounced effects on the central nervous system and can really slow things down in the body.

Animals are not people. For this very reason, they should not be given pain medications labeled for human use without explicit instructions from their veterinarian. Dogs and cats metabolize and react differently to medications than we do. We all know of someone who gave their pet over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication and the pet was fine.