Mary Allen
Buscopan is a popular and well-known drug that quickly provides relief from gastrointestinal infections and relieves abdominal pain and stomach cramps.
If your dog has such symptoms, it is natural to consider whether you can help him with this preparation.
You can find out whether you can give your dog Buscopan in this article.
In a nutshell, can I give my dog Buscopan?
Buscopan is generally well tolerated by dogs. However, the dosage is important when administering it.
During treatment with Buscopan, you should monitor your dog closely for any side effects.
Dosing of Buscopan dragees and tablets
Buscopan is available from pharmacies without a prescription. There are two dosage forms.
The dosage of the classic Buscopan dragees and the stronger Buscopan Plus film-coated tablets is therefore different.
It is best administered with a small treat or pressed into a small piece of sausage.
How much Buscopan can my dog take?
Veterinarians recommend a dosage of 50 mg metamizole and 0.4 mg butylscopolamine per kilogram of body weight for dogs.
This corresponds to 0.1 ml Buscopan compositum solution for injection per 1 kg body weight.
But what about tablets and dragees?
One dragee contains 10 milligrams of the active ingredient butylscopolamine.
Assuming the recommendation of 0.4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight of the dog, this results in a dragee for a 25 kilogram dog.
For smaller dogs, the dragee must be divided accordingly.
Buscopan Plus in tablet form also contains 10 milligrams of the active ingredient butylscopolamine. Therefore, the dosage is initially the same as for the dragees.
However, the film-coated tablets also contain the pain-relieving active ingredient paracetamol.
While acetaminophen is generally well tolerated in humans, unexpected and unstudied side effects can occur in dogs.
Good to know:
In addition to the dragee and tablet form, there is also an injection solution, but this requires a prescription and is mainly used by clinics and doctors.
Buscopan compositum is also used in veterinary medicine.
How often do I give my dog Buscopan?
The time interval between two doses should be eight hours. This results in a maximum administration of three times per day.
Danger
You should only use the solution of using medication from your medicine chest anyway if there is no other option, for example at night, at the weekend or when you are on vacation with your dog.
If no relief is noticeable after two or three days at the latest, you should definitely consult a veterinarian.
What happens in the event of an overdose and what can I do?
Tablets and dragees are indeed difficult to divide. This can quickly lead to an overdose, especially in very small dogs.
Uncontrolled or prolonged intake can lead to an intestinal obstruction in your dog. Gastrointestinal problems are often accompanied by diarrhea. So watch your dog’s stool.
Once your bowel movements return to normal, you should also stop taking Buscopan. However, if you observe that your dog is now even struggling to relieve itself, there could be an overdose or too long treatment with the drug.
Discontinuing Buscopan and using a laxative would be the wrong approach. The drugs could interact. If an intestinal obstruction has already set in, a laxative will not help either.
Rather, you should consult a veterinarian immediately.
Effect of Buscopan
First and foremost, the main active ingredient butylscopolamine has an antispasmodic effect on the muscles and thus provides rapid relief, especially for abdominal cramps.
In addition, the active ingredient inhibits the formation of prostaglandins. These messenger substances are significantly involved in the development of pain, fever and inflammation.
Paracetamol is also used for the film-coated tablets, which also helps quickly and effectively against pain.
Fields of application of Buscopan
Buscopan is mainly used for abdominal pain and abdominal cramps.
Although an overdose can lead to intestinal obstruction, especially in dogs, the drug should not be used to combat diarrhea.
What are the side effects of Buscopan?
Little is known about side effects in dogs, apart from the described risk of intestinal obstruction.
In general, the remedy is well tolerated and in a few cases can lead to reddening of the skin, itching, and dry mouth
Conclusion
If your dog has massive abdominal pain or cramps, Buscopan is certainly a good emergency solution for initial relief.
You should dose carefully and watch your four-legged friend closely at the same time.
If relief doesn’t come quickly, don’t be afraid to go to the vet.
Have you perhaps had experience with Buscopan in connection with your dog? Let us know!