Current perceptions and use of paracetamol in dogs among veterinary surgeons working in the United Kingdom.

Background: Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is recommended as a first-line drug in the management of pain and pyrexia in humans due to its minor gastrointestinal, renal and vascular side effects.

Objectives: To explore the perceptions and use of paracetamol in dogs by UK veterinarians.

Methods: Veterinarians were invited to complete an online survey. Questions addressed career history, previous use, and personal perceptions of the use of paracetamol in dogs.

Results: A total of 450 veterinarians were included in the survey; 96% (n = 431) of whom worked in small animal practice only. The majority reported a frequency of use of 1-3 times a week (n = 197), with oral dosing being the most common route of administration (n = 440). Only 8 had never prescribed paracetamol. Paracetamol was more commonly used to provide analgesia (n = 431) than for the treatment of pyrexia (n = 292) and was predominantly used as an alternative to NSAIDs (n = 408) or as part of multimodal analgesia (n = 406). Hepatotoxic (n = 311) and gastrointestinal (n = 120) side effects were a common concern, although the majority perceived a low risk of side effects and felt they were likely to be mild if they did occur (n = 279). Only 5% (n = 24) of respondents reported having experienced side effects, with gastrointestinal signs (n = 14) and hepatotoxicity (n = 6) being the most common.

Conclusions: Paracetamol is widely used by veterinarians working in the UK. Most veterinarians have changed their perception on the use of paracetamol over the last decade and consider it to be associated with fewer side effects and with more effective analgesic and antipyretic effects than they had previously believed.