My dog is Limping - Can I give her pain meds?

Hey everyone,

I recently adopted a rescue from a local rescue group. The new dog is about 1-2 and my dog, Hero is about 8.

They are doing great together and love to romp and wrestle. About 2 weeks ago, I noticed Hero was a little stiff and limping slightly on her right front leg.

I recently switched her to senior dog food at the recommendation of my vet for the added glucosamine, etc.

Anyways, I checked her leg and paw all over...and have continued to check it out. No signs of lesions, abrasions, cuts, etc. And she doesn't seem to be sensitive to the touch at all. The stiffness/limping seems to be mostly happening when she's been lying down for a while and gets up to walk around. Sometimes she appears to be perfectly fine.

My question is, what is the recommendation for pain medicine? I've looked online and it seems like there are contradictions as to whether it's OK to give ibuprofen. My dog weighs 55lbs.

I called my vet and they said they only recommend Rimadyl for pets for pain. A girl I work with, however, said her vet told her it was OK to give ibuprofen.

I am thinking I will just keep an eye on her and make sure it doesn't get worse...which it hasn't to this point. Also, restrict her activity for a while to let her heal.

Let me know what y'all have been told by your vets.

Thanks!

I wouldn't give it no. It can be toxic and extremely dangerous even a fairly low levels. Sounds like she has arthritis. Try adding a glucosamine chondroitin supplement. I also use SynFlex for my arthritic dog, she does much better on it. She is better off if you can manage her without medication for as long as possible and if medication becomes necessary, obtain it from your vet.

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Originally Posted by Hero715

Hey everyone,

I recently adopted a rescue from a local rescue group. The new dog is about 1-2 and my dog, Hero is about 8.

They are doing great together and love to romp and wrestle. About 2 weeks ago, I noticed Hero was a little stiff and limping slightly on her right front leg.

I recently switched her to senior dog food at the recommendation of my vet for the added glucosamine, etc.

Anyways, I checked her leg and paw all over...and have continued to check it out. No signs of lesions, abrasions, cuts, etc. And she doesn't seem to be sensitive to the touch at all. The stiffness/limping seems to be mostly happening when she's been lying down for a while and gets up to walk around. Sometimes she appears to be perfectly fine.

My question is, what is the recommendation for pain medicine? I've looked online and it seems like there are contradictions as to whether it's OK to give ibuprofen. My dog weighs 55lbs.

I called my vet and they said they only recommend Rimadyl for pets for pain. A girl I work with, however, said her vet told her it was OK to give ibuprofen.

I am thinking I will just keep an eye on her and make sure it doesn't get worse...which it hasn't to this point. Also, restrict her activity for a while to let her heal.

Let me know what y'all have been told by your vets.

Thanks!

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Ibuprofen is prone to causing kidney failure in dogs. Most doggy NSAID drugs can also affect the kidneys, although they tend to cause liver problems more often. RImadyl is extremely effective for pain, and has the highest incidence for liver failure in dogs. It can damage the liver irreversibly after one dose- low incidence but possible. I usually tell the Vet to prescribe Duramaxx, or Metacam instead if my puppies are in need of pain relief.

You could try Aspirin (10mg/lb), or Bufferin. The Vets claim otherwise but most of my dogs have become nauseated on Aspriin. Although this was the days before OTC acid blockers. You could try giving 1/2 of a 75 mg Zantac about 30 minutes before giving Aspirin or Bufferin. If puppy still gets nauseated, you could up the Zantac to 75 mg. Follow your plan of watching the dog for a few days to see if it improves. It could easily have injured itself while running around. If it doesn't improve then take the dog to the Vet and get some Xrays to see if there is any evidence of structual problems.

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Originally Posted by Hero715

Hey everyone,

I recently adopted a rescue from a local rescue group. The new dog is about 1-2 and my dog, Hero is about 8.

They are doing great together and love to romp and wrestle. About 2 weeks ago, I noticed Hero was a little stiff and limping slightly on her right front leg.

I recently switched her to senior dog food at the recommendation of my vet for the added glucosamine, etc.

Anyways, I checked her leg and paw all over...and have continued to check it out. No signs of lesions, abrasions, cuts, etc. And she doesn't seem to be sensitive to the touch at all. The stiffness/limping seems to be mostly happening when she's been lying down for a while and gets up to walk around. Sometimes she appears to be perfectly fine.

My question is, what is the recommendation for pain medicine? I've looked online and it seems like there are contradictions as to whether it's OK to give ibuprofen. My dog weighs 55lbs.

I called my vet and they said they only recommend Rimadyl for pets for pain. A girl I work with, however, said her vet told her it was OK to give ibuprofen.

I am thinking I will just keep an eye on her and make sure it doesn't get worse...which it hasn't to this point. Also, restrict her activity for a while to let her heal.

Let me know what y'all have been told by your vets.

Thanks!

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Okay- for 55 pounds you can give up to 3/4 of a regular 325 mg aspirin twice a day- at least 8 hours apart.
IBUPROFEN CAN KILL HER- I am shocked the vet told you that! One 200 mg tablet can be lethel.. Maybe you need a new vet..
Also- you can get glousimine tablets at petsmart. I give glycoflex 3 at the stage we are at, but we started with those tablets a few years back. It usually takes 24 hours to see improvement, but it works. You also can tell if you take them off of the glycosimine. It would be fine to add it to her food that already has it, as what she doesnt need, she will pass. But do not exceed the dose on the bottle of the tablets.

Just for clarification, her vet didn't tell her to give the dog ibuprofen, someone she works with said HER vet told her that. =)

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Originally Posted by Vela

Just for clarification, her vet didn't tell her to give the dog ibuprofen, someone she works with said HER vet told her that. =)

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whew... thank you... ( lowering the blood pressure...)

I'm really shocked that knowledgable pet owners would actually recommend exact dosages of over the counter medications for an 8 year old dog without knowing anything of her health history. Opinions based on personal experience are one thing. But even those opinions should always be followed by "Don't give her anything without checking with your vet first!

Even a licensed vet with years of veterinary school under their belts won't prescibe medication for a dog they've never seen!

The vet already said rimadryl. Which is a very strong pain killer. That has much more side effects than aspirin as you know...

I wouldnt give her any. I would try more of a holistic approach. Like a heating pad but on low heat. Also if you massage her leg when she first stands up might help. It could be just a knik in the muscle as well. Thats what happened to my little one.

"I called my vet and they said they only recommend Rimadyl for pets for pain.

She didn't say the vet had actually recommended Rimadyl for Hero or that Hero had been seen and evaluated to determine the true cause of the limping.

Everyone that has had a little more experience in animal care than the average pet owner has a responsibility to be very careful about offering any sort of medical advice.

We're all here because of our love of animals. The last thing any of us would want to do would be to inadvertantly cause harm to someone's pet by giving advice that would be better coming from their vet...

Well I quit giving my dog any meds, including Rimadyl. The glucosamine and SynFlex has worked wonders. She is still stiff but not three-legged lame. Those are safe supplements to use so I would recommend those. I have given Ascriptin before as well, buffered aspirin, but it didn't work well enough to make it worth the risks.

Very much so but a little heat and massage wont kill a dog!! It would be like if you had a cramp and put a little heat on it or massaged your leg until it went away You got your point across so no need to puh it further

I'm really shocked that knowledgable pet owners would actually recommend exact dosages of over the counter medications for an 8 year old dog without knowing anything of her health history. Opinions based on personal experience are one thing. But even those opinions should always be followed by "Don't give her anything without checking with your vet first!

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Originally Posted by mr.chiwawa

Very much so but a little heat and massage wont kill a dog!! It would be like if you had a cramp and put a little heat on it or massaged your leg until it went away

You got your point across so no need to puh it further
I'm really shocked that knowledgable pet owners would actually recommend exact dosages of over the counter medications for an 8 year old dog without knowing anything of her health history. Opinions based on personal experience are one thing. But even those opinions should always be followed by "Don't give her anything without checking with your vet first!

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Push it further than what? :confused:


Massage can hardly be considered an OTC medication.

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Originally Posted by applesmom

I'm really shocked that knowledgable pet owners would actually recommend exact dosages of over the counter medications for an 8 year old dog without knowing anything of her health history. Opinions based on personal experience are one thing. But even those opinions should always be followed by "Don't give her anything without checking with your vet first!

Even a licensed vet with years of veterinary school under their belts won't prescibe medication for a dog they've never seen!

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How many examples do you want of online Vets who freely give the dosage for aspirin?

Smith and Foster

Smith and Foster placed several references to stomach irritation in their article. That is a widely known side effect of aspirin in dogs. And no you wouldn't want to give aspirin to a dog with a previous history of an ulcer. Presumably the original poster would shy away from such a suggestion if their dog had previous ulcer problems. Common sense.

A lot of medicating your own dog is a combination of doing your own due dilligence along with common sense. Part of that due dilligence might be to contact your Vet. In fact my assumption is that the original poster will confirm with their Vet anything they read if they have never tried it with their dog before. The other major part is for the dog owner to educate themselves.

So, applesmon where do you want to go with this? Should the standard reply to any medical problem post be hugs and kisses, or something about prayers?

For example is the suggestion of massaging any different? After all there might be an undiagnosed fracture or joint problem that could be made worse. But then again massaging isn't in the same class as a OTC drug so it gets a free pass? What else should be given a free pass- unproven holistic treatments? Should any reply to a health problem be totally neutral with no information in it?

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Originally Posted by dragondawg

How many examples do you want of online Vets who freely give the dosage for aspirin?

Smith and Foster

Smith and Foster placed several references to stomach irritation in their article. That is a widely known side effect of aspirin in dogs. And no you wouldn't want to give aspirin to a dog with a previous history of an ulcer. Presumably the original poster would shy away from such a suggestion if their dog had previous ulcer problems. Common sense.

A lot of medicating your own dog is a combination of doing your own due dilligence along with common sense. Part of that due dilligence might be to contact your Vet. In fact my assumption is that the original poster will confirm with their Vet anything they read if they have never tried it with their dog before. The other major part is for the dog owner to educate themselves."

So, applesmon where do you want to go with this? Should the standard reply to any medical problem post be hugs and kisses, or something about prayers?

For example is the suggestion of massaging any different? After all there might be an undiagnosed fracture or joint problem that could be made worse. But then again massaging isn't in the same class as a OTC drug so it gets a free pass? What else should be given a free pass- unproven holistic treatments? Should any reply to a health problem be totally neutral with no information in it?

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Perhaps you should re-read the quote you just posted since Smith and Foster also suggest confirming anything one reads with their own vet.

"A lot of medicating your own dog is a combination of doing your own due dilligence along with common sense. Part of that due dilligence might be to contact your Vet.

In fact my assumption is that the original poster will confirm with their Vet anything they read if they have never tried it with their dog before.
The other major part is for the dog owner to educate themselves."

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Originally Posted by applesmom

Perhaps you should re-read the quote you just posted since Smith and Foster also suggest confirming anything one reads with their own vet.

"A lot of medicating your own dog is a combination of doing your own due dilligence along with common sense. Part of that due dilligence might be to contact your Vet.

In fact my assumption is that the original poster will confirm with their Vet anything they read if they have never tried it with their dog before.
The other major part is for the dog owner to educate themselves."

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Then what's the problem? We both made the same assumption. I like Turquoise.

I'm against giving pets anything on the advice of a pet owner's advice. What may be good for one, could be fatal for another. Rimadyl is a very potent pain killer, but lots of dogs throw up bile and have to discontinue it. It is hard on the liver, as are most meds. I would take the dog in for x-rays, she might have a hairline fracture or another fixable problem...at least you would have peace of mind.

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Originally Posted by dragondawg

Then what's the problem? We both made the same assumption. I like Turquoise.

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:D :D :D I like turquoise too! :D :D :D

Several comments here...

1) Always call your vet before doing ANYTHING! A phone call can't possibly cost that much and they are far better trained to answer specific questions concerning your own dog that they have a history with and know any existing medical conditions about that would affect treatment.

2) It's possible what's wrong with the dog could be arthritis, but it could also be a torn ligament, a boney tumor, or even a fracture. NEVER assume you already know what's wrong with your pet and treat the animal based on your assumptions or what you read on the internet unless you have a degree in veterinary medicine.

3) Ibuprophin is DEADLY to pets!!!

4) Aspirin should ONLY be given on the advice of your vet. Aspirin can cause upset stomach, and cause certain known or unknown medical issues with your pet worse! If it turned out your pet does not have the ailment you assumed, then aspirin could seriously interfere with any medications your vet needs to use to help your pet! We just had a case like that yesterday, now the poor dog has to go a whole week without any kind of pain medication because the owner went ahead and self prescribed aspirin without knowing what was wrong with the dog had nothing to do with arthritis!

5) Rimydal is not the safest arthritis drug available. Our hospital stopped using it a few years ago, and now use Metacam, Previcox and a few others.

6) Most vets will require lab work before starting, or periodically during treatment with true arthritis drugs to make sure there is no organ damage going on.

My 10 year old Golden has arthritis and disk disease, so I have been through the range of pain relief options for him. When he first started having problems, I put him on Synflex (google it, you'll find website, and can order. Its a liquid, I put on his food and he has no trouble chowing down). After about 10 days he was like a new dog. As things got worse, we added metacam (same class as rimadyl), then acupuncture.

Since your dog is just starting to have problems, I'd try the glucosamine. Synflex is an excellent preparation, is well absorbed, and tastes ok apparently. Give it a week or two, I'll bet you see improvement if arthritis is his problem.

Jake's mom

Thanks everyone for the replies. I hope I didn't stir up too much trouble.

I talked to another friend who is also a vet and she also said NO NO NO to ibuprofen, naproxin and tylenol.

My dog isn't getting any worse and actually seems a little bit better. I've cut down on her walks and been giving her some good rub downs.

My friend suggested the glucosamine/chondroitin supplement...so I'll probably pick up some of that as well.

Take care everyone!

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Originally Posted by GSDOG

I am a Vet Tech and have been for over 7 years. I see this almost everyday, aspirin is fine to give, BUT you have to be careful, in that I mean, if she needs to have surgery or for whatever reason needs to be put on Prednisone(which is a steroid) you would have to wait for a wash out period before giving any NSAIDS(non-steriodal anti-inflammtories), and in some dogs it can cause GI upset..ie ulcers or just a yucky tummy. It would in the long run be more benifical for her to be on Rimadyl , or another kind like Deramaxx or Previcox, all NSAIDS. these would require her having bloodwork done on a regular basis to make sure there are no liver changes. SO there are things you need to consider and your best bet would be to have your vet do a through exam on her, bloodwork, maybe x-rays.

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I just got done leaving my Clover Ann doggy off at the Vet. Seems that when puppies and barb wire encounter each other (old farm land/woods), the barb wire always wins. One of the things I told the Vet was no Rimadyl. Reports of irreversible liver damage with the first dose -rare but possible, doesn't seem worth it. On the other hand Duramaxx or Metacam seems to be safer NSAIDs. As you point out any prolonged use of the NSAIDs should have liver panels once every 4-6 weeks. There are some Vets who overlook this. Little Clover (70 lbs) will have Torbutrol the first night, and then Duramaxx.

A curioso I've run across in the literature is that Enteric Aspirin tablets given as a means to protect the stomach has the draw back that they are unable to dissolve in the dog's stomach, and several may collect in the stomach dependent on the amount of gastric motility present, along with Enteric tablet size. The net affect is therapeutic levels in the blood are never obtained. Also ran across a couple of articles that concluded the H2 acid blocker Cimetidine (Tagamet), or the proton pump blocker Omeprazole (Prilosec) will not prevent stomach ulcers with prolonged aspirin use, but will decrease the severity.

The elimination of Aspirin from a dog including its secondary metabolites is probably in the range of 72 hrs. Quite unclear, and probably the reason the Vets err on the side of caution of waiting a week. In keeping with the spirit of the thread I won't mention the therapeutic dosage for Aspirin is 25 mg/kg every 8 hrs. Encountered an article that suggested most dogs will have gastric irritation after 15 days of use. Also one report of a 12 yr old greyhound that had massive bleeding after 5 doses, and required multiple transfusions to stabilize. Ironic- as the greyhound is the universal blood donor of the dog world.