Rimadyl - Page 1

I used half tablets for the last 1 1/2 years of my last male GSD's life.  He had a hip injury when he was younger that was untreated and effected his mobility later in life.  With it, he would go up and down the stairs.  Without it, he would not.  I'm glad I used it since it gave me another year with him!

Rimadyl is very hard on the liver, but effective. Check the blood liver values every 6 months or so. Tramadol can also be added for pain control. I have heard Metacam works well and is easier on the organs, but have no personal experience with it. You can buy the generic at Costco and it is very reasonable.  

I have a suggestion: My sister's 8 year old Border Collie, Tango, was limping about 4 months ago. It is something that came about slowly,but got to the point where after 5 minutes of frisbee throwing she was ready to stop and she'dimp the rest of the day. My sister took Tango to the vet, had hip x-rays done and found that due to an old injury (prior to my sister getting her)  there was a calcium deposit in the joint. The vet said there was nothig that could be done and put her on Rimadyl, which worked great. I emailed Dr. Dodds of Hemopet asking her for alternative treatments. She recommeneded Dog Gone Pain and it helped, but the dog still needed at least a half dose of Rimadyl. The same company who sells DGP also has a product called Dog Pain Away which is stronger and they suggested that my sister try it. I was very skeptical, but figured there was no harm in trying it. Tango has been on it for 6 weeks and she is a new dog. No more Rimadyl at all and she is doing things she hasn't done in the past two years. She also has more energy and her coat looks better. Here is the website: http://www.dogpainaway.com/   You may not be able to cut out the Rimadyl entirely, but you should be able to reduce the dosage.

Good luck to you and you pup. 

Linda have yu thought of seeing your vet to see if he is up to going to a hydropool for swimming.i attend a hydropool with Chiki(female gsd)who goes on the water treadmill for show fitness but they see a lot of dogs for the pool itself for swimming re hip problems as its non weight bearing.just a thought.Carole Spelman Rheinmeister gsds.

hi,i have used rimadyl,but more so for pain relief(tendon).maybe metacam might be better,used to have a 17 year old collie and for her last two years i gave her metacam for her sore joints.found it very good!she was running around like a puppy!bless her!

I have used Metacalm with my last GSD and found it great. All drugs have their side effects, but my vet was not so keen on Rimadyl. In any event I know  friend used it to great effect with her elderly dog, but dog had regular bloods to monitor. Good luck.

I like meloxicam (Metacam) always give with food :)
Always,
Cee

I used Rimadyl whenever my shepherd had an attack, he had front leg joint pain from a puppy and later scoliosis of the spine-neck area, any hip issue seemed minor to the other in his last few years.. I taught him how to stop and lie down instead of him crying and moving in panic till the neck pain attack ended. and  I would give him a Rimadyl which always worked fast. I tried not to abuse his body, didnt like having to use any more than neccessary,  Tried to limit it to one a day if at all possible.One always worked well so if i didnt have to  till the very end.  But when he needed it, it worked fast. So I'm a big fan of Rimadyl   it got us thru some rough times. Lost him right before his 11th birthday.

Carly was on it for about 3 months after surgery to remove a giant calcium deposit on her shoulder and subsequent complications.  It worked fine for her, no side effects at all.

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Seraquin is a supplement made up of chondroitin and glucosamine and a lot of people find that this helps their dogs and aids their joints.

 If Rimadyl or Metacam is prescribed, as other posters have recommended, have regular blood checks to keep an eye on the kidneys and liver. Also it would be a suggestion to have bloods taken before giving the medication so you have a base line to refer to. My mum used to give her lab metacam in his later years and she found it worked wonders for him and really helped. But not all dogs are suited to either medication. My youngest boy was prescribed metacam because the vet thought he had a grass seed in his nose and it was prescribed to reduce any swelling. However he had a reaction to it and was vomiting after a few days on the metacam which the vet said was an allergic reaction to it.  He was fine the following day after stopping the medication. But it's like anything, some dogs can't tolerate certain medications in the same way that some people can't.

Cosequin is another supplement that contains chondroitin and glucosamine and has received positive feedback. It may be worth asking your vet about Seraquin and Cosequin. Some people have used these with their dogs without having to use the drug option of Rimadyl or Metcam, it depends on the dog and the severity of the problem.

I hope this helps some. All the best with your boy. Let us know how he is once he has started his medication. Best wishes. xxx