Question about medication/second opinion

[Baby doll mom]

Hello everyone,

I'm a new yorkie mom (19 weeks old) - never owned a dog before either - and I'm trying not to be the paranoid first time parent of a furchild. I was wondering if anyone would share any experiences with a fallen yorkie. Muñeca (translates to Baby Doll) fell early this week. We didn't rush her to the er vet because she limped for a bit, and when we massaged her leg she didn't cry, or seem to be in any kind of pain. After a couple hours she was walking normally. She ate and drank normally, and did all her typical things. We decided to watch her, and look for any signs that she was really hurt. In the following days, she played, jumped, ran, made my husband chase her all over the yard everytime he took her out - all normal activities, but every once in a while she'd limp. She wouldn't cry or complain, so we scheduled a vet check, just in case. We took her today and were given a medication that I'm not so sure about. I've researched it online and it has been shown to cause severe side effects, and it is mostly used for arthritic senior dogs. So, long story, long, what should I do? Should I give her this medication and hope of the best? Or should I get a second opinion? Any suggestions?

[marcerella02]

first off WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME!!

second- did your vet say WHY he was giving the meds? is it for swelling? Was it a front leg or a back leg?
Good for you for doing your research. Can you tell us what the medicine is? If at ALL you are uncomfortable- i'd get a second opinion- but if you can give us a bit more info i'm sure we can help you out

[Baby doll mom]

Thanks for responding and for the welcome The medicine is Rimadyl. It is her left hind leg, and the vet said it was for swelling. The vet also said if she wasn't better in 2-3 weeks she'd need surgery . I'm just confused and feeing so bad about the fall. I know yorkies are prone to patellal luxation (what a fancy name for loose knee caps), but I can't help to wonder if the fall is more the cause than the prone part. She's so young I just thought this would be an issue when she was older.

[marcerella02]

Originally Posted by Baby doll mom

Thanks for responding and for the welcome The medicine is Rimadyl. It is her left hind leg, and the vet said it was for swelling. The vet also said if she wasn't better in 2-3 weeks she'd need surgery . I'm just confused and feeing so bad about the fall. I know yorkies are prone to patellal luxation (what a fancy name for loose knee caps), but I can't help to wonder if the fall is more the cause than the prone part. She's so young I just thought this would be an issue when she was older.

Yikes- i just went and looked it up- and like you said it is for arthritic older dogs- and obviously your YOUNG puppy does not have arthritis and from what i've read it can cause death. So i would NOT be using that on your young pup.

Also- to say that she needs surgery is quite dramatic right now. Did he even mention LP? (Luxating patella?) What does he want to do surgery for? What is he fixing? If he gave you meds for arthritis you can't surgically fix arthritis.

If i were you i would go to another vet. I would also not give this medicine

How is she tonight?

Where did she fall off of? Falls are normal- it's ok- a dog can go from having NO LP- they can jump off the couch and suddenly be in stage 3- it just HAPPENS. so try not to beat yourself up- puppies are busy little things

I think you should get a second opinion. If she has LP (which it sounds like- running and lifting her leg but not yelping or limping) there is a supplement you can get that can help delay the progression. Layla has stage 1 and 2 in both of her knees- and it could stay like that for the rest of her life- or it could progress- it's a tough one. If there another vet you could go to?

Did he do x rays??? however if she IS walking on it- i doubt there is any bone damage

[Baby doll mom]

Thanks again! It makes me feel alot better Hmm, not to x rays, just an exam. I researched it just because I feel I should know what I'm giving her, and make sure that in the rush of the appointment, I may have forgotten to ask questions, or may miss information. Yeah my "gut" feeling is I should get a second opinion. Not that I don't trust my vet, I just think I should make sure two doctors feel they would go about it the same way, right? The vet didn't use the fancy term, just called it loose knee caps (but I researched what yorkies were prone to before deciding on getting a puppy in the first place). She fell off a chest I have at the end of the bed. She had been so afraid of it until now, I never thought she'd dare try to jump! She's getting very brave which scares me to no end. She's been fine all along pretty much. She's eating normally, playing, resting for the same amount of time as before. I really can't say there's anything unusual about her behavior. That's why we waited to take her, because she really didn't show any unusual signs.

I'm sorry to hear Layla has this, it must be hard to see her in pain. I know it has been for us, and it is recent. Thanks again for your help!

[PrincessDiana]

Maggie was given Rimadyl as a pain killer for after her spay. I learned afterwards that this is a dangerous medication. From what I understand, there is a larger risk after prolonged use, but nevertheless, it's better safe than sorry. Knowing the side effects, I will ask for a different medication in the future but she did absolutely fine on it.

[Ellie May]

Does she have any underlying diseases?

I personally would hesitate to give any NSAID to a Yorkie who hasn't been bile acids tested for liver function.

Rimadyl does have a higher reaction rate than other meds in its class but it is a very necessary drug for dogs who are in severe pain and would be euthanized otherwise. Most dogs will do okay on it but there is always a chance that they won't. I think you need to trust your vet and if you don't, get a second opinion. This drug is one that Ellie's vet would give to a healthy dog after abdominal surgery. I don't think it should be automatically considered horrible but it would depend on my dog's pain level (most likely) whether I'd give something like this....). Tramadol may not work as well but may be worth a try? Or another NSAID?

[manolos mom]

Originally Posted by Baby doll mom

Hello everyone,

I'm a new yorkie mom (19 weeks old) - never owned a dog before either - and I'm trying not to be the paranoid first time parent of a furchild. I was wondering if anyone would share any experiences with a fallen yorkie. Muñeca (translates to Baby Doll) fell early this week. We didn't rush her to the er vet because she limped for a bit, and when we massaged her leg she didn't cry, or seem to be in any kind of pain. After a couple hours she was walking normally. She ate and drank normally, and did all her typical things. We decided to watch her, and look for any signs that she was really hurt. In the following days, she played, jumped, ran, made my husband chase her all over the yard everytime he took her out - all normal activities, but every once in a while she'd limp. She wouldn't cry or complain, so we scheduled a vet check, just in case. We took her today and were given a medication that I'm not so sure about. I've researched it online and it has been shown to cause severe side effects, and it is mostly used for arthritic senior dogs. So, long story, long, what should I do? Should I give her this medication and hope of the best? Or should I get a second opinion? Any suggestions?

WELCOME TO YT. YOU WILL GET PLENTY OF GOOD ADVISE ON THIS SITE..GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND YOUR NEW BABY

[PrincessDiana]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

Does she have any underlying diseases?

I personally would hesitate to give any NSAID to a Yorkie who hasn't been bile acids tested for liver function.

Rimadyl does have a higher reaction rate than other meds in its class but it is a very necessary drug for dogs who are in severe pain and would be euthanized otherwise. Most dogs will do okay on it but there is always a chance that they won't. I think you need to trust your vet and if you don't, get a second opinion. This drug is one that Ellie's vet would give to a healthy dog after abdominal surgery. I don't think it should be automatically considered horrible but it would depend on my dog's pain level (most likely) whether I'd give something like this....). Tramadol may not work as well but may be worth a try? Or another NSAID?

Out of curiosity, does the pre-op blood work qualify as sufficient testing before giving this medication, or is BAT necessary? Also, when/how often should a BAT be done?

[krisknr]

Just my 2 cents.
I tend to be a minimalist. If she is OK but limps a little I would just leave her be. I know we like the thought of making our dog pain free but that might not be best. If the dog has no pain she won't take care and may hurt it worse. A dog doesn't under stand " I twisted my ankle so have to be careful even though the pain meds have worked completely." I am not saying if your dog is in terrible pain you shouldn't medicate them. But a little pain is the best way to make sure they won't hurt it worse.

[marcerella02]

Originally Posted by krisknr

Just my 2 cents.
I tend to be a minimalist. If she is OK but limps a little I would just leave her be. I know we like the thought of making our dog pain free but that might not be best. If the dog has no pain she won't take care and may hurt it worse. A dog doesn't under stand " I twisted my ankle so have to be careful even though the pain meds have worked completely." I am not saying if your dog is in terrible pain you shouldn't medicate them. But a little pain is the best way to make sure they won't hurt it worse.

I semi- agree. Layla picks up her leg here and there but i would never put her on medication for it unless it affected her daily life. I hate overmedicating if it is not needed.

[zoeybear]

We have a Mini Schnauzer that has been taking Rimadyl for months. It was given as an anti inflamitory to prepare her for cataract surgery. She has had no bad side effects or any reaction. She is 11 years old and I think it has helped her feel better all around. She may be a bit stiff from being old, so it had an added benefit for her. I never suspected it was dangerous and was prescribed it by a veterinary opthamologist. My personal experience with Rimadyl has been great. Phoebe is scheduled for cataract surgery next week. Hope your baby feels better soon.

[Ellie May]

Princess Diana, it is my opinion that it is best to bile acids test Yorkies before using NSAIDS just because these meds wouldn't be given if there is a shunt or MVD issue. They can do okay on it but it isn't worth the risk. Before Ellie was tested, she took Metacam and did okay but that med wouldn't have been given if we knew that her bile acids were high.

Preop blood work is not sufficient for this because sometimes there needs to be significant liver cell death for the enzymes to go up.

If a Yorkie is tested at 20 weeks or after and shows no symptoms and liver function is never in question... they would only need to have a BAT once.

Most Yorkies breeders probably wouldn't even worry about BATing before NSAIDs but it's safer for the dog.


As for not medicating if the dog is in some pain, there are lots of vets who agree. For the most part, I do not. If a dog has LP and is in pain once a week for 5 minutes while on a walk, of course it wouldn't be wise to use a medication with such horrible side effects. If a dog is in pain/limping more often, it may be unfair to the dog to withhold meds. Dogs don't always show pain. Limping and shaking are signs that something is wrong. If your child was limping, would you withhold meds to keep them calm? It depends on the level of pain that the dog is thought to be in but if they are in enough pain to limp often, meds need to be considered. The same goes for post spay care. I'm not going to withhold meds just to keep Ellie quiet.

[Baby doll mom]

Well after surviving my first semester of graduate school, becoming a new mom to this precious furbaby, and the holidays and the mayhem that comes with all of this, I'm happy to report that my baby is doing great! Never gave her the meds, just kept her activity limited and took her for short walks instead of letting her run in the yard. We didn't even feel the need to get a second opinion.


She has been growing so quickly and just last week figured out how to jump on and off the couches! It's so cute, she gets a running start and takes a huge leap and just plops down on the couch almost as if it takes alot out of her to jump. She was the center of attention when we hosted New Years Eve! Everyone thinks she's soooooo cute! She has her spay scheduled for next week - wish us luck!


Thank you to those who responded to my original post and for all your advice, it was very helpful. Hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday season with their furchildren and families. Happy New Year!!!! - Sergio, Carolina, & Muñeca