Rimadyl for arthritis???

My ii year old mix collie/norwegian elkhound has been having some pain about once or twice a week. My vet says it is arthritis. He prescribed rimadyl, I have in the past heard that this is hard on a dogs liver. I am leary about giving it to my dog. Has anyone else had trouble with this particular medicine?
Are there others who have dogs on arthritis medicine? What is it? Thanks.

My dog is on Rimadyl. He doesn't get it all the time except in the winter. He's fine but I don't know what a prolonged use of it would do. He's got some hip displaysia. You can probably find out a lot about it by searching for it on the internet. I've also heard accupuncture works well. But, you have to keep bringing them in for treatment. Also, look for MSM in your health food store. They were using it on horses a long time ago but now even people take it.

My 12 years old Golden also has arthritis. I give her Synovi MSM, which has glucosamine and Vitamin C plus organic flax seed oil to lubricate her joints.
We've tried every other antinflamatory drug before Rimadyl (they all may have side effects) and nothing worked. Now she's taking Rimadyl and doing much better. If you can have your vet do liver function tests every couple of months then you'll know how your pup is reacting to the medication. In my case, after trying everything else, I decided that giving her Rimadyl was better than seeing her in pain. So far all her blood tests have been fine.

My dog has been on Rimadyl a year now. We started out with 2 pills a day. Then we broke a pill in half & he gets half in the morning & half a night. It has taken the pain away & he is comfortable. He was hit by a vehicle when he was 2 years old & he is 12 years old now. His artheritis is the result of that injury. He also gets plenty of exercise to keep him in good shape. We go out for walkies.

Be sure to have liver enzymes tested every few months on Rimadyl.
Shiloh has mild HD caused arthritis. She is on CosaminDS 2x daily and Metacam when she starts to limp (rarely).

Thanks for the replies. I will goahead and see how he does on this medication. Also His name is Shiloh.

Good luck to your Shiloh!

Good Afternoon,
This is my first response, but I had to mention a product that may help. The name of the product is Sea Jerkey and it's made from sea cucumbers and full of natural Glucosamine . It looks like beef jerkey and most dogs love it. You can use it as a treat. I heard about it at a seminar on canine health. You can find it at feed stores & pet stores. I just looked it up on the net and it's made by NutriSea. I have a young lab and as he matures it will be part of his cupboard. I should probably try it myself...:)
Good luck,
Gary & Fatch

Im glad i found this thread, my Rott Face has mild hip dysplasia and i have been told to give him Rymidol when needed, (which isnt often) but i have been afraid after all the negative stories i have heard in the past.
But now that i see real people using it and that it helps i will use them sparingly. :)

If your dog is on Rimadyl have a liver profile run once every 3-4 weeks. Rimadyl can readily cause liver damage if given over a prolonged period of time. If it should start to cause problems you need to catch them early with the blood tests.

Deramaxx and Metacam both have better safety profiles. However most Vets still prefer Rimadyl- first to market, plus it relieves the pain the best.

You should strive to use the minimum dose of Rimadyl. If possible give it every other day or less often to keep the inflamation and pain under control. Definitely try the Glucosamine, although it may take several months for it to show any effect, if it going to have an effect.

Also if your dog is overweight, cut back on the food to get the weight down.

Hello,

I'm just brand new, and would like to ask the newcomer that also has this kind of a mix dog, if he/she has a picture of it.

I just adopted a dog 8 weeks ago, who I have fallen in love with, from the SPCA, a two year old female, who I am told by dog connoisseurs that I meet at the dog park, that this is the kind she probably is.

I have looked at pictures of both collies and norwegian elkhounds, and can see that this is probably her roots for sure, but would actually like to see a picture of someone else's dog who is this mix, to see if it looks like my "Twiggy", who basically looks like a little wolf to me, beige and blonde with that distinctive curled up tail.

She is so much fun, so loving, and so good... I never imagined a dog can add so much to my life, having had cats all my life. She is the perfect dog for a first time dog owner like myself!

If anyone has a picture of this mix, or can tell me where I can find one, I would greatly appreciate it, as up to now she is one of a kind, as I do not see any other dog quite like her!

Alas, my 4 year old baby (Border Collie X) was diagnosed Monday with medical dysplasia. He is currently on rymidol for 2 weeks to reduce the swelling, and relieve his pain. It is working but I also have the fears of long term use. Damien is currently on Fresh Factors, Joint and I have ordered Vet Balance's joint pills. I love him very much and want his life to be as happy and painfree as he has made mine. I am reading everything I find on the subject of both the condition and the treatment. Thanks for all the info, Judy:D

I'm not familiar with the 'joint pills' you mentioned however my guess would be they are a glucosamine/chondroiton product. That helps, but things like Rimadyl, Metacam, Duramaxx are NSAID's (non-steroidal anti inflamatory) which will do more for the pain than the glucosamine will.

I have a dog who has been on Rimadyl for more than two years now. We have his liver enzymes checked three times a year. If there were ever any indication that the medication might be affecting his liver we would have them checked more frequently. So far, no problems.

He's had problems with limping since we adopted him, due to an injury of unknown origin that healed poorly and went arthritic before he was part of our family. The Rimadyl helps tremendously. He only limps now if he exercises excessively. (Meaning regular walks are fine, but the day I took him on a five-mile hike he was sore afterwards)

For unknown reasons, Labs seem to be the most susceptible to liver problems from Rimadyl, but I have seen in successfully used in labs, as long as the doctor and the owner are both aware of the risk and are cautious when starting the pet on rimadyl.

the rescue with which I volunteer cites "the senior dog study" as finding that older dogs were more likely to have side effects on Rimadyl. So we volunteers are not reimbursed if we get that for the dogs, for any reason, as a pain reliever. We are told to ask for Tramadol, or Metacam. Both also have side effects, but did well in "the senior dog study."

I don't know any more than that. I've tried to google "senior dog study," haven't found it. But as I need reimbursement, I just follow their guidelines. (I have time and love to offer, not so much money.)

When Marlin had his dental work done, with 38 extractions, the Tramadol did not help his pain, so we switched him to Metacam. From what I've read, that is supposed to be among the strongest NSAIDs,and it DID help him.

I routinely ask for this for all my dogs, now.