What is the problem with rimadyl? My 5 mo old GSD is limping (pano) and the vet said give him Riadyl.

 Quote: EDWARD RAWLS

What is the problem with rimadyl? My 5 mo old GSD is limping (pano) and the vet said give him Riadyl.

http://leerburg.com/pano.htm
My vet said the same thing when my GSD pup had a very mild case of it. Apparently, it's worse in older dogs, and when I asked my puppy's breeder about it, he said use it only when you need it. It went away the day we took to her to the vet(figures) and has only popped up once more, and my mom insisted we give her a dose, and I did w/out ill efect, though I must say I was reluctant to give it to her. (sorry for that gigantic and confusing sentecne :eekMy advise would be look for something else that's safer, do a little research (you'll find the answer to your first question), or only give it to him when he REALLY needs it, not just if he's limping slightly.

 Quote: EDWARD RAWLS

What is the problem with rimadyl? My 5 mo old GSD is limping (pano) and the vet said give him Riadyl.

I do not use Rimadyl (Carprofen). My research (extensive research) led me to two NSAIDs introduced after Rimadyl: Deramaxx (my choice) and Metacam (Meloxicam), both of which have better safety records.

HOWEVER, NSAIDs are NSAID's (including aspirin), so you want to learn all the warning signs and have the pre-protocol bloodwork done, then repeat the tests a few months in.

Stop giving any NSAID if you see any G.I. distress of any kind, and call the vet.

Deramaxx:
QUOTE: Of all the oral NSAIDs currently available for dogs, this is probably the most expensive but depending on the results obtained may be well worth it. It is not only the safest NSAID but probably the strongest pain reliever. END from http://www.marvistavet.net/html/body_medications_for_degenerative_a.html

I am not a health professional.

BTW, I am a firm believer in pain management when needed. Uncontrolled pain can cause a host of problems.

But informed use is the ticket. Too often, I'm afraid, vets don't even tell the owner what to watch for, or, in fact, have any discussion of choices at all.

All JMO.

well I have to say that I did use Rimadyl on my older dog when his arthritis got so bad that he couldn't make it up the stairs by himself anymore. And it did help him immensely. I tried the others that Connie mentioned, but the Rimadyl gave him the most relief. Now with saying that, I did make sure all blood work was done, and I took him in for blood work every 6 months, just to make sure his Kidney's etc. weren't being affected.
He was fine on just glucosamine when the arhtritis first started, but after a couple years, it just wasn't cutting it for him anymore.
I didn't know about giving glucosamine until the Vet recommended it when I had brought Taz in for limping, but by that point he was around 11.
I now give it to my new dog on a daily basis just to give his joints a fighting chance.

i would just make sure to be diligent with watching his reactions to it. Each dog is different. Taz had absolutely no problems with the Rimdayl, and when I had to put him down at 15 it was due to the Rimdaly not being able to ease his arthritis pain, and he couldn't move around very well anymore.
DO THE BLOOD WORK on a regular basis. It will cost a bit to have it done every 6 months, but that was what my vet recommened when we put him on it. And I didn't have a problem with doing it.

We used Rimadyl on our four year old Rottweiler when she showed signs of arthritis this spring. Day one was fine, in fact she seemed 95% back to her normal active self. Day two she had a bad reaction to the medication and her face swelled up like a puffer fish! Luckily her breathing wasn't affected too seriously--she snored that night louder than ever--but was fine two days later. Vet said she'd never had an animal show a bad reaction to it in all her years...but count on my dog to be the one, ha ha ha!

Tried Metacam next and it worked well. To save money (it was about six dollars a day) we used a combination of Metacam and Meloxicam (the human equivilant) with a dosage determined by the vet.

Turned out that our dog didn't have 'real' arthritis...instead it was immune-mediated polyarthritis caused by lupus. We have no signs, at all, of arthritis now that we have her on Prednisone.

Good luck with your dog!

We had our 13 yo GSD/lab on Rimadyl for several months after she suddenly developed pain and difficulty walking. It helped a great deal, and we weaned her off it after a time. She was good for a few months. Now, several months after removing the drug, I am going back to the vet to put her back on, as she is clearly in pain again. She had blood work before starting, as part of the diagnosis, and had no visible side effects. It worked very well to control her pain and give freedom of movement. In her case, unless she develops serious complications, I will keep her on it from now on, because this is a quality of life issue, she was really miserable last summer, and at 13, we don't expect her to live that much longer.