Hi all, I'm hoping someone out there can help me tonight.  My 8 month old Golden Retriever woke up from sleeping on the floor at my feet and couldn't get up, we had a feel all over her and gave her a massage thinking she had a dead leg.  It's not got better and she is struggling to get up, she seems to have pain in her "ankle"joint but seems nervous to put weight on either back leg.  Before she went to sleep she showed no signs at all of any problem.  Now my problem is I live in rural France and we've had our first day of very bad weather, I can't get out and my vet can't get out either, I have searched my house from top to bottom and can find no painkillers - I could kick myself I always have something here, but had a clearout before Christmas I have reordered from the UK but due to the snow it's not arrived.  I have some childrens/babies painkiller containing 2.4g of paracetamol in 100 ml.  My vet has said this is ok to give to my girl, approx 12 ml for a 30kg dog, I just wanted to double check that nothing has been lost in translation and it would be safe to give to my girl for tonight, any help gratefully received.
Thank you
Jan

i know aspririn is safe in OCCASIONAL doses, definitely not ibuprofen, but believe paracetamol is ok occasionally too.... will do a quick search then get back to you

http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/35674.html
a few bits on here about calpol

>Apparently just 1 paracetamol tablet would have been enough to kill her.

found this from http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/119593.html

Thank you Tanya, I had found one of the links when I did a search but not the other one, conflicting advice I think, I'm still searching on Google, but still everything seems to be one says yes one says no.  I don't really have a choice, I have to give her something she is in pain and can't walk.  I'm using a towell under her belly but she is very uncomfortable.
Thanks for your help
Jan

There's a big sign in our vets saying not to give ANY human painkillers at all. I know someone who dosed their dog with paracetamol & it caused internal bleeding. I was with her when the dog died as the vet was about to open him up & he thought a tumour was involved. Sorry to be a scaremonger & it must be a very difficult position to be in.

I was told by my vet human medication is a definate no,

Sheila.

Thanks for your help last night, I phoned the vet again and she said in these circumstances it was safe to give her the medicine but only the once, so I went ahead.  It worked it calmed Megan down and that helped us to get her out to go to the toilet, she then settled for the night and slept a little, I didn't!!  The vet phoned me this morning to say that she had arranged for a tractor to clear a path for her to get out onto a main road, and that her husband would drive her down to the surgery in his 4 x 4.  She had also arranged help for me to get out!  Megan this morning was putting more weight on her leg and was at least able to go out to the toilet.  The vet has said it looks like a sprain the leg is swollen today but at least she is a bit calmer, and so are we!!
Thanks again for your help.
Jan

Only just seen this thread. Wow, what an awful worry for you.

> The vet has said it looks like a sprain the leg is swollen today but at least she is a bit calmer, and so are we!

Great that she is feeling a bit better and I hope she is back to her normal self soon.

Glad things are getting sorted.

Sheila.xx