Can a 5 pound puppy take advil for children?

[Miss_missy]

My daughter is taking care of a puppy that was left at the house shes staying in and when she came home from school the puppy was limping and acting like he was having pain. She is pregnant and doesn't have money for a vet visit. Does anyone know if she can give advil for children to the puppy? Is it safe? Any sugestions are greatly apperciated. Thank you so much. I don't know anything about meds for dogs, I love them but I just don't feel comfortable enough to tell her what to do besides to try to massage it and use a heating pad. It bothers him when he tries to put weight on it and he doesn't have any ovious wounds or broken bones. We don't know why he limping. Her room mate has children also. I am hoping that her children didn't do anything to the pup.:confused:

[Karen]

I would not give the puppy any medication right now, people meds are not necessarily safe for dogs, pain-killers especially. They should ask the kids if they know what happened, but keep an eye on the pup and see if it gets better after he sleeps some. Pups often pull muscles or twist things that might heal on their own, but if it seems to really be in pain, you can call an emergency vet and ask them what would be safe. They can give you more guidance, especially as they will know what is safe and what dosage a puppy of his size can take. She should weigh the pup, as they will likely ask for that info!

Here is the number for Angell Memorial, it is in Boston, near me, but they will answer calls from anywhere, and have people on staff 24 hours a day for such matters! 617-522-7282 (press 1)

[pomtzu]

Absolutely not! Most OTC pain killers for humans are very toxic to dogs, and really the only one on the safe side, is aspirin. This too can be dangerous. My small dog was on baby aspirin a few years ago (with her vet's blessing), and took one in the morning and one at night and only with food. In less than 2 weeks she developed a bleeding ulcer and nearly died.
Being that the puppy is so small at 5 pounds, I would not give it anything without first consulting with a vet to see what is safe and also what dosage - if any. By playing doctor, you could do much more harm than good.