Reg: 08-29-2006
Posts: 2324
Loc: Central Coast, California
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I didn't see this mentioned so will add it as an FYI.
Rimadyl is available in injectable form and it is commonly used for pre- and post-op pain management or for any other situation where pain relief is needed. If you feel strongly about this drug you should make sure your vet knows not to inject your dog with it.
Also, it is a good idea to check your dog's blood if they are going to be on a NSAID for longer than 2 weeks.
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
Posts: 31571
Loc: North-Central coast of California
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Quote: Yuko Blum
... I know of people who warm their dog's joints and claim it helps, while others ice the joints and also say it helps. .... While the benefits of icing are obvious when dealing with a traumatic soft-tissue injury, I'm not sure how a condition like arthritis would be affected by such a treatment....
They are both right. The timing of ice and heat is important.
About ice: I've concluded from what I've read (and I'm no expert) that icing (on and off, ten minutes on, twenty off) can help reduce inflammation.
It's kinda hard with a dog because sometimes we don't know exactly where the problem is, and because the dog might not love the application of ice.
I've done it, though, with a senior who had OA.
I've used a bag of frozen peas (or similar) because of the easy malleable-ness (and cheapness; I don't think organic peas are necessary here :grin.
This dog's OA was especially bad in one knee, so actually feeling the heat from the inflammation was pretty easy. When it seemed bad, I used the frozen peas. I think it's important to follow the on-off routine.
This explanation http://arthritisinsight.com/medical/pain/heat.html
is my favorite, even though it's for people. The same principles apply to dogs, but the dog sites I know don't go into this kind of good detail.
Natalya Zahn Webboard User Reg: 12-22-2006
Posts: 1824
Loc: Cambridge, MA
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Connie and others, thank you for all the great info on Rimadyl - Sometimes it's easy to just take what the vet prescribes when you can see that your dog is in real pain and you want nothing more than to help them... but as you point out, most every drug has a list of side effects and precautions, many of which the vet WON'T warn you of.
We've used Rimadyl on Oscar maybe 3 or 4 times - this last episode being of the longest duration (2 weeks), but the others only around 4 days. It really seemed to help him immensly, though I will now look for alternatives in the even that we need to use pain relief meds in the future (which is pretty likely).
Just to update everyone on my GSD. Turns out to be a case of pano. The limping shifted from his back leg to the front. I was really freaked out though for over a week. Like I said he has never limped on his back leg like that. Poor guy! BIG RELIEF THOUGH
Natalya Zahn Webboard User Reg: 12-22-2006
Posts: 1824
Loc: Cambridge, MA
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Marc, that's excellent news!! Still stinks that your dog is suffering a bit, but so glad to hear it isn't something really serious/chronic. You must be tremendously relieved...
Marc, that's really good news. I hope your guy feels better soon!
Connie, thank you so much for posting that arthritis pain management site (I printed it out)! I've looked for heat vs cold application in dogs but there's usually not enough details given.
I also fully agree with your statements on the importance of managing severe pain in a dog. Fortunately Moka doesn't experience any really bad pain (she's still happy to run on our walks and joins in on games - she just seems a little stiff when doing so).
Again, thanks Connie (and Sandy too) - I'm excited to try these things out on Moka to see if it makes her more comfortable. I'm sure she'll enjoy the attention anyway
Thank you everyone! Hope those pain management information that was passed on helps a few dogs! Yes I am very relived! He's a young dog...HD at this age would be horrible for any dog. I'll keep everyone posted if anything changes. Pano is a major pain in the rear. Jordan is super hyper and can't get the exercise he needs to chill. He is constantly trying to play despite any pain he is in. He's one trooper thats for sure lol.
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