Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs are drugs with analgesic (pain-relieving) and anti-pyretic (fever reducing) properties. In higher dosages, they are able to suppress inflammation as well. Being nonsteroidal means that they are used as an alternative for steroid-based medications such as cortisone that also have the same properties. The most popular examples of NSAIDs are aspirin and ibuprofen.
NSAIDs are able to reduce pain and inflammation by inhibiting the pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. In veterinary medicine, there are two kinds of NSAIDS: the new ones and the traditional NSAIDs. The difference between the two is that the former only inhibits COX-2 prostaglandin while the latter inhibits both COX-1 and COX-2 prostaglandins.
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We share many things in common with our furry friends, one of them unfortunately is allergies. Just like human allergies, dog allergies are a result of an immune system reacting to an allergen, a substance that is usually harmless, but which in allergic animals, causes the immune system to overreact. Commonly, the immune system’s irritation is manifested through the skin. Hence, an allergic dog will experience redness, itching, skin infections, and hair loss.
Consider this too: allergies can affect our treatment of dog arthritis, so it is worth understanding them.
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