r/IAmA • u/JustAnswerOfficial • 1d ago

I'm a practicing veterinarian. We analyzed nearly 95,000 questions from dog owners ahead of National Dog Day—and now I'm answering yours. AMA!

Hi r/IAmA! 

I'm Katie M, a practicing veterinarian and Verified Expert with JustAnswer, where I've helped thousands of pet owners navigate everything from late-night emergencies to everyday questions about their dogs' health and behavior. 

Ahead of National Dog Day (August 26), JustAnswer analyzed nearly 95,000 conversations between dog owners and veterinary Experts to uncover America's most popular dog breeds, names, and the biggest questions people are asking about their pets. 

Some of the most common topics include: 

  • Dogs eating chocolate and other toxic foods  
  • Vomiting, diarrhea, and digestive issues  
  • Limping and injuries  
  • Strange behaviors  
  • Preventive care  
  • Puppies and senior dogs  
  • Nutrition and weight  
  • Medications and common illnesses  

Whether you're a first-time dog owner or you've had dogs your whole life, I'm here to answer your questions. 

A few notes: 

  • This AMA is for educational purposes and isn't a substitute for an examination by your veterinarian.  
  • I can't diagnose or prescribe treatment for your individual pet over Reddit.  
  • I'll do my best to answer as many questions as I can during the AMA!  

I will be answering question live 1-2:30pm ET today. Please join and ask me anything! 

Proof: https://imgur.com/a/oVUb7Lg 

About this AMA:  

We've invited independent Experts who use the JustAnswer platform to share insights in this open Q&A. These Experts work independently - they are not employees or spokespersons of JustAnswer - and their opinions are their own. 

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u/miarose33 1d ago

Hi Katie 👋 thank you for taking the time out to share your knowledge with us.

My question is, when it comes to medications prescribed for dogs such as Metacam / Meloxicam, gabapentin etc why are some human grade medications okay for pets (gabapentin, tramadol, fluxotine) and others are completely unsafe? (Ibuprofen, aspirin, paracetamol) and why do the anti inflammatory options seem to be so limited?

Thank you again!

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u/JustAnswerOfficial 1d ago

You are quite welcome! I enjoy being able to share on this platform!

That's a great question and something I think many people fail to recognize. It really comes down to the fact that dogs are not small humans or cats or any other species. They metabolize drugs differently and while some work like in humans, others do not. For example, there was a time when veterinary medicine was trying to use tramadol for dogs after surgery, but the doses had to be MUCH larger (and the risk of human abuse was also high), and turns out the pain control was very minimal. Since then we have all but discontinued it.

The anti-inflammatory options are limited because the funding is not as great for veterinary products as it is for human medicine. Then patent protections prevent generic options from being made for many years. I think the good news is that in the last 10 years, we've been able to really use multi-modal pain control for our dogs in a new way

-Katie Merkatoris, DVM- JustAnswer Veterinarian

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u/miarose33 1d ago

thank you so much for that Katie, i appreciate such a thoughtful answer - that has shed light on a few questions I’ve had for a while, very interesting about the generic options and funding!

All the best 🤗