Rimadyl and senior dogs? Anyone with experience trying to make senior dogs comfortable? (My apologies for the length, but hoping an expert can stick with me!) Eddie is 12 and, other than two cranial cruciate surgeries when he was younger, has been a model of good health his entire life. Other than a general slowing down, especially getting out of bed in the morning, I see very few signs that he's uncomfortable, even though I suspect arthritis is kicking in. He still runs on our walks and hops down from the couch, though not up on low steps any more. On a recent visit to a new vet, the doctor said Eddie is probably good at masking his pain and is probably very achy most of the time. He suggested trying a twice-daily 25 mg Rimadyl supplement. We did a baseline blood panel in advance, then tried him for a couple months of twice-a-day Rimadyl. We did a new blood test, then dropped him to twice-a-day one week, once-a-day the second week for a couple more months. Here's how his ALT numbers changed: June 29 before going on Rimadyl: ALT (115) (Ref. range is 12-118) August 27 after two-a-day Rimadyl: ALT (216) October 12 after one-a-day for a week followed by 2-a-day for a week ALT (173) The doctor agreed that the level changes suggest his liver is reacting to the Rimadyl, but since I've reported that he generally seems to have more energy while he's on it he suggested that we continue at the lower level and retest in 6 months. That feels wrong to me. I would love to keep him on it, but since his liver is definitely reacting I'm inclined to discontinue the long-term use entirely. There are horror stories on the internet about some dogs on Rimadyl, and I don't want Eddie to become one. I do believe his aches and pains are going to continue to get worse as he reaches his teens and wish there was something else I could do. There is glucosamine in his food, and he is on a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement as well. Anyone still reading? Thank you! Any suggestions? |
Not that I'm an expert by any means, but I'm with you and wouldn't feel comfortable with those liver function lab changes. Max has had Rimadyl for short term pain relief a couple times, and I felt comfortable giving it to him. I would think there would be a better alternative for long term use for arthritis. I would also seek out alternative therapies. Hoping you can find the right thing to help Eddie. |
You may have already found this article written by a vet: Rimadyl: The Controversy | petMD She writes about how lowered dosages of Rimadyl or alternative NSAIDs are prescribed for long term use when there is evidence of effect on the liver. With Eddie's liver function values trending positively back toward the normal range, maybe lowering the dose and frequency more would be beneficial. It would also depend on whether the med would provide him the same benefit at those lower levels. |
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I think I'm gonna keep him off for a couple weeks and see what I notice, then maybe use it only as needed to manage instances of specific pain. It's just so scary knowing it's affecting his liver when all I'm doing it for is pain relief. |
Oh, and I hadn't seen that particular article. It was helpful and believable. Thanks. |
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NSAIDs can have side effects for humans too, but my dad takes Advil twice daily for his old age aches and pains. He has been doing it for a few years with no negative effect on his liver, kidneys, or heart. You could ask your vet if a milk thistle supplement would help. Dogs who are on meds that are hard on the liver, like phenobarbital for seizures, sometimes benefit from milk thistle. I don't know if there is any downside to the supplement. Save |
Hi Mike! I didn't vote in the poll bc my answer I wanted to make wasn't there :D; I wanted to say "it can be a miracle drug if liver levels can be managed". The nurse in me says don't judge out-of-normal liver levels too quickly. In humans and in pets, liver/kidney levels can go way out of wack - and come back very nicely too. When you see an abnormal level in either of these, it's not always a huge concern as long as you know the source and can re-check it in a few months time. What I'd want to know from the Vet is: - what is the out-of-normal range that is considered still "acceptable" while on Rimadyl - what is the range / number where you think instead that the liver is being too compromised - with respect to Rimadyl, what would make the liver levels "unrecoverable", if anything? (ie, why do we see/read of these "horror stories" you speak of?) Arthritis pain can be so darn miserable, especially for dogs who mask so much. So if it were me, I'd want to see if there was a way to give an effective dose and keep liver levels stable, even if somewhat out of range. And if not Rimadyl...what are the alternatives...? Have you tried acupuncture on him yet? That can have FAB results. :) |
rimadyl can cause stomach bleeding, did in my friends pom. she switched to tramadol. my yorkie gets diarrhea & passes blood with it & just tried tramadol yesterday. gave her 1/2 the recommended dose , hasn't ate last evening or today, had diarrhea hour ago :( she does hav a liver problem , takes denamarin, milk thistle, every other day. Afraid to try anything new on my sassy!! |
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