Is the dog slender? (I mean for the breed.)
Also:
A few years ago I did some research on NSAIDs for dogs (dogs are more vulnerable to certain side effects from NSAIDs than humans are) and found that the best histories at that time were Deramax and Metacam (meloxicam).
Rimadyl (carprofen) has had more SARs and deaths than any other pain reliever for dogs. Ed was advocating (strongly) against Rimadyl as far back as the early 2000s.
The makers of Rimadyl countered the wave of bad press (after the huge success of its introduction) with the response that the more adverse events associated with it than with other NSAIDs was simply explained by the sheer number of prescriptions for it than other NSAIDs. However, this explanation has not held water as competing NSAIDs became more widely used.
Rimadyl's TV ads were pulled in 1999-2000. (The FDA had told Pfizer that they had to add death to the possible side effects, and Pfizer preferred to withdraw the ads entirely.)
Also see
https://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=220060
and
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealthLiteracy/ucm196295.htm
All this said, though, ALL NSAIDs can cause serious side effects in dogs. ALL NSAIDs need to be prescribed and monitored carefully in dogs, and ALL long-term protocols of NSAIDs need to be preceded by liver and kidney tests to establish baseline values, and then repeated periodically.
In addition, ALL NSAIDs need to come with both verbal and written warnings from the vet about the possible side effects and what to avoid as well as what to watch for. I have read about, heard of, and experienced very casual dispensing of NSAIDs, even repackaged by the dispensary into smaller bottles and then handed out without the original information sheets.
NSAIDs for dogs need to be discussed carefully so the owner realizes that one trigger for SARs in dogs is a combo of the NSAID and a steroid, or two NSAIDs (including aspirin), or a switch between NSAIDs without time between the two for the first one to clear the system.
NSAIDs can be the most wonderful thing possible for a dog wracked with pain; they probably save the lives of many thousands of dogs who are able to live a relatively pain-free life on the NSAID but would have had to be put down without it.
I have a dog on an NSAID (for life, I'm sure), and this dog would not have been kept going without it.
But he has regular blood tests to re-check his liver and kidneys, and he was observed very carefully for GI distress from day one. (GI ulcers and kidney or liver damage are the three big SARs with NSAIDs for dogs.)
These baseline tests and continued monitoring have the potential to save the dog's life with early warnings about kidney and liver function problems.
I should add that even Rimadyl's adverse reaction percentage is probably way under one percent. Also, some individual dogs appear to have much stronger benefits from Rimadyl than other NSAIDs.
I have a lot of info saved on Rimadyl's history if anyone wants it.
eta
About a quarter of reported serious adverse reactions to Rimadyl have involved Labrador Retrievers; this should probably be considered when the pre-protocol screening and the continued monitoring are planned.
eta
I'm not a health professional, and everything here is nothing more than me repeating what I have read. Everything that I recommend or warn against in this post is nothing but my opinion after doing a ton of reading.
Edited by Connie Sutherland (10/23/2010 08:26 PM)
Edit reason: eta