nutrition/pain reliever questions

Question
my dog's (walter) information:
breed: basset hound
age: 3 years
weight: 43-48 pounds
-inside (owns-all-the-furniture-in-the-house) dog
-health problems: megaesophagus and glaucoma
-walter is not yet neutered. (we will get him neutered, but he has the previously mentioned more pressing, expensive health concerns)

walter is extremely healthy, despite the fact that he has megaesophogus and primary glaucoma. he visits the vet regularly, particularly for regular glaucoma check-ups. i feed him a home-made diet (equal parts people-grade meat and rice, a variety of fresh + cooked vegetables, and a calcium/phosphorus supplement bc he is allergic to dairy. this is blended into an oatmealish consistency, because of the megaesophagus), which i did consult my vet and a couple of books about.

my question:

Is buffered aspirin the only pain reliever that can be used for dogs?
I ask because I think my boyfriend may have pulled walter's leg (walter started limping all of a sudden, and the only thing that could have caused it is being picked up so that he was sitting upright in my boyfriend's lap, for hugging). walter never cried out about the initial cause of the limping, nor does he cry out when i apply gentle pressure to any of the parts of his leg. his leg does not feel swollen or "odd" to the touch, in any way. walter has stubbed his toe/pulled his leg before, and i freaked out and took him to the vet immediately. I ended up making a huge, expensive deal out of nothing; the vet found nothing and assumed he simply stubbed his toe on the stairs, and the problem cleared up on it's own within 3 days.  this time, i want to wait a day or two before i take him in for an exam or x-rays. of course, if he begins to cry, or it appears to be getting worse, i will rush him to the emergency vet (today is saturday, and tomorrow is sunday, which is also another reason why i would like to wait a couple of days before having him checked out).

however, in the meantime, i would like to be able to give him something for the pain.  again, he does not seem to be in a *lot* of pain (he is still very interested in food, he doesn't cry out even when i touch his leg, he does still move around, BUT he is limping, so he must at least be uncomfortable). i feel bad for him. i mean, if i were to pull my arm, i would have the luxury of taking a tylenol. i would like to do the same for him, but i want to be careful about it and go about things in the right way.

Answer
I wouldn't give him any pain relievers if he is not showing any other signs of pain other than limping. However, you can give a dog buffered aspirin or ibuprofin, but NEVER Tylenol. I would advise you to call your vet and ask what might be the best thing to give him, and the dosage amount. Your vet should be able to tell you this over the phone without you having to bring the dog in. If there is no inflammation, aspirin is probably the better choice.