can someone direct me to the threads on Rimadyl? I can't seem to figure out the search for this and have some ?'about it. Thank you in advance for your help

Mitch-

Maybe this webpage will help answer some of your questions.
SR Dog

This drug has very, very scarry side effects.

Take care and I hope this helped.

Jonathan

this all i know about it after talking with some friends here and on this board and researching it extensively my gsd that had hip surgery(suposed to be on rimadyl for the rest of his life) is nolonger on it and is doing better than when he was on it.

Rimadyl is a terrible drug. Dont use it. Ask your vet for a differant medication.

I wonder if Deramaxx has the same possibility of adverse effects? It is a selective cox2 inhibitor as well, isn't it?
Guess I'd better get cracking on the research. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Our 13yo yellow lab followed a similar downhill spiral after taking it. I had asked for an alternative to Rimadyl, which my (usually excellent) vet thought was unnecessary. I'll have to ask if he still feels that Rimadyl is safe.
Hmmm...

Did rimadyl, dog had a seizure on it. Have used deramaxx in the past, ok, but alot of side effects as well. I personally like metacam. Less side effects and works just as well.

I have used Metacam for acute pain in dogs but for my geriatric arthritics I prefer Catrophen. I had two geriatrics done at different times and both are still with us, one at 15 1/2, one just turned 16. The only side effects I have noticed were good ones - increased appetite on a dog that had gotten "old dog skinny" means I have to watch how much I feed her now. I think the appetite increase was due to the dog feeling much better and being able to be more active. http://www.arthritis.au.com/htm/vet_01.htm

I have a 13.5 year old GSD who has been on Metacam for over a year now, really helped her at first, and so much better than Rimadyl which made her sick almost immediately upon trying to give that to her - but now she is going "downhill fast" is really having trouble getting up - once she's up she walks around ok, but does seem to be stiffer and less mobile than ever before. I asked my vet (both horse and dog vet) about increasing/changing her medication to continue helping her be comfortable when he was out for my horses the other day - he said maybe changing to Duramaxx. But, I would like to find out more about the Catrophen - is this stronger than Metacam or Duramaxx? Would the Duramax make her sick like the Rimadyl did (nauseated, not eating).? Thanks -

molly

Molly, let me give the standard speech on anti-inflammatory drugs here.
All the NSAID's ( non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ) except for the Cox-2 inhibitors ( like Vioxx and those being taken off the market ) have pretty much the same mechanism of action. Aspirin remains the most potent of NSAID's, but it has the highest side effect profile. Also, what works on one person ( or animal ) may not work for another - that's where medicine becomes an art and less of a science.

In humans, you try a trial of an NSAID and you tell the patient that three things can happen:

1) You take the medication and get gastric upset or a side effect. the patient is instructed to stop the medication and another choice is made.

2)You take the medication for two or three weeks and feel no improvement. The patient is instructed to stop the medication and maybe a different choice of NSAID is then tried.

3) You take the medication and achieve improvement. Bingo....you get a new prescription. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

So with the exception of Aspirin, no NSAID is stronger than any other...they're just different.
Hope this explanation helps - it's geared towards a human patient but the basis for it with dogs would remain the same.

so, what would the recommendation be then, if the metacam has stopped really helping her - or maybe it is still helping her but she needs something stronger. A higher dose of matacam? Or I was thinking maybe she has "gotten used to" the metacam and now it doesn't work as well. Maybe a new drug that works the same, but is different for her - might help her more than the metacam she is used to. Sorry if this question is redundant. I do plan on taking her to the vet for a re-assessment - and I do realize her lifespan is probably months now instead of years - she does have a daily routine that she enjoys, she eats and I believe she is still happy. So, until she is not happy and dealing with her pain as she is, I would like to continue helping her along with drugs that won't make her sick and stop eating. I was told with my old dog Bodo, that the predisone (which helped him a great deal for several months before he passed) is the "last step" and once the pred doesn't work anymore, that's the last thing to try. Ayla has not been on pred or steroids - yet. I do plan on putting her on that, but first wanted to try something non-steroidal if possible.

molly