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I have to take Zeke to the vet on Tuesday. (I worked all day today and tomorrow. The office is closed by the time I'm off which is why I have to wait til Tues) He's been limping a little bit off and on, but today it seems to be an all day thing. I feel like he must be pretty sore, is there something I can give him? I have a feeling this is all due to his old age, but I hope it goes away soon :( It's really hard watching them get older...
You could try Ibuprofen, or half, depending on his weight. I don't think I would give him anything myself, dogs have a way of sucking up pain, they aren't wussy like us. He's made it this far without anything so why not wait till you see your vet tomorrow...you never know what it can be so it might be better to wait it out. I'm sure if the pain was out of control he would refuse to put weight on the leg , and usually their appetie diminishes with severe pain.If he's eating and drinking well then don't worry so much.
I would wait and see the vet, you don't want to just the mask the pain without knowing the source. If it's arthritis, you'd treat it differently than a pulled muscle, etc.
They make Doggy Aspirin (PetSmart has it), and you can read the instructions for administration for the weight of your Dog, BUT...
That's no substitute for a visit to the Vet to determine the problem. You could just put him on light duty until you can do the Vet.
I'm waiting til tomorrow. I'm pretty sure he did something to his paw...He seems worse today.
You and he will be in our prayers.
I think he just hurt his paw. It was sensitive last night and today he's barely limping. I decided to cancel the appointment for now. I'll take him tomorrow or the next day if it gets worse again. He has been running a lot outside with Clover lately so I'm thinking he hurt it some how then. Sometimes he forgets he's an old dog :rolleyes:
Aww, that's a dog for ya! Glad he's feeling better!
Glad Zeke is feeling better, but I wanted to mention that Ibuprofen(Advil, Motrin) is actually toxic to dogs, as is Acetaminophen(Tylenol). OTC aspirin is safe for dogs on a short term basis; the buffered, daily dose stuff is about right for a 50 pound dog.
If Zeke is an older fella, you may want to talk to your vet about keeping a stash of meloxicam or Metacam(the canine version of meloxicam) on hand. My Pingo, who is 16 this month, took Metacam occasionally for several years, when she forgot she is an old dog. Now she takes meloxicam every day...she can't turn her head without it!
I agree with what Glacier said here. I`m no expert, but I have heard from a dog owner I`m friends with that Metacam works well. If the pain is very intense or uncomfortable, like my ex-boyfriend`s dog was in a lot of pain (I don`t remember the reason, sorry) he was prescribed Ultram (the generic is called Tramadol) by the vet. I`ve done research on it recently when Tucker (the dog it was prescribed to) started taking it, because I used to work as a Pharmacy Technician and I had seen it prescribed to adults for chronic and temporary pain and had not known it was also prescribed for dogs. I found out that Tram is a highly recommended medication for dogs to treat chronic, long-term pain (I later discovered my German Shepherd Lady, rest her soul, took Tram for her hip dysplasia shortly before she was put to sleep), and temporary pain as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Glacier
Either way, I`m very glad to hear that Zeke is doing a bit better. He doesn`t seem like he would need a strong medication like Ultram, but I agree with Glacier about having some Metcam handy if possible especially since NSAIDS and Acetaminophen, like Glacier also said, can be harmful.
* I`m not speaking as a vet, vet tech, pharmacist, or any type of professional on the subject. I`m just speaking from experience and what I`ve researched regarding the subject of pain medication for dogs.
Thanks. I'll be sure to ask the vet if he continues to have trouble. He hasn't really been showing a lot of signs of being in pain or anything other then his paw. He plays/wrestles with Clover everyday. He just can't keep up with her if they're running. Anyway he's doing better today. He was out for a short walk and i think it was starting to bother him again a tiny bit so I think I'll hold off until he's completely healed up.
Actually, Tylenol was what the vet told us to give Lady as a break from Meloxicam, as they are cleaned out of the bloodstream by different organs. Ibuprofen is an absolute no-no. (per our vet)Quote:
Originally Posted by Glacier
Interesting! My vet is dead set against both drugs for dogs! We use Tramadol when a dog needs a break from Meloxicam or when they are need to take prednisone plus something for pain. Meloxicam can't be mixed with a steriod.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady's Human
Sometimes living in close proximity to Cornell has its advantages.