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This is a question many guardians often ask, especially as veterinarians may increase the amount of prescription pain medications from short term use to more long term use. Many of these newer pet meds developed in recent years act similarly on our pets’ bodies as they do to similar drugs commonly prescribed to humans for pain, fever, headaches, etc. Although these pet medications can sometimes yield amazing results, it’s important for pet owners to be aware of some of the potential side effects in sensitive dogs, especially when used over a long period of time. |
Although the newer NSAIDs are often deemed safer than some of the older ones, like buffered aspirin, individual responses and reactions can indeed vary. No matter if I’m using these drugs short or long term, a pet owner should always be offered premedication blood work to check a CBC, and liver/kidney function to insure there are no preexisting conditions that may increase chance at reactions. While reactions to newer drugs are rarer than the older ones, severe reactions can still occasionally occur. These reactions can include gastrointestinal bleeding, diarrhea, or vomiting and even liver/kidney complications. If these drugs are used long term, such blood work should be done every 3-6 months.
While it’s important for pet owners to be aware of the above possible reactions with NSAIDs, when they’re properly prescribed and adequately monitored, most pets do very well on such prescription pet meds, like Previcox, Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Metacam and Zubrin. Plus, if a condition is chronic, I would always recommend that pet owners and veterinarians explore the use of adjunctive nutritional supplements such as Super Joint Enhancer and other pet supplements, including those previously mentioned in my post Supplements for Every Pet.
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25 Comments
my dog has been on Rimadyl for almost 2 years now, not every day every 3 days, it’s aprn order.Will it do damage to any of my dog’s organs?
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 12th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
As long as you monitor your pet with periodic vet exams, blood work and urine to make sure no hidden bleeding, kidney or liver dysfunction. It is great that you are able to use drug on a few times a week. I find sometimes that using excellent nutritional supplements like glucosamine/MSM, as well as omega 3 fatty acid and antioxidants can help as well.
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Maggie Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 10:06 am
My Dog is now taking Tramadol instead of Rimadyl.The Vet prescribed 300 mg/day (Tramadol) My Dog weighs 55#.Is this too high of a dosage for my Dog?Will the Tramadol do any damage to any of the organs? THANK YOU:)
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 12th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
There should not be damage as long as you are observant for any changes in digestive tract function, appetite or thirst. Periodic blood work and urine testing done 3 to 4 times yearly at your local veterinarian can help minimize risk of complications, as well as using other adjunctive nutritional joint supplements.
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Is there a non prescription drug for Rimadyl? We have been giving our dog this for two months, but the meds are so expensive. He is slow getting up. Can super joint meds help him? Should he be taking vitamin supplements? We also have another dog that is not as old , but should she be taking supplements and or joint meds
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 12th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
There are no comparable nonprescription drugs to rimadyl or many of the other prescription nonsteroidal anti inflammatory medications, except for buffered aspirin. You always want to check with your vet, though before starting on any over the counter medications like this and aspirin should never be taken at same time as rimadyl or other related drugs. IF you use aspirin long term, periodic blood and urine monitoring also should be done at your local veterinarian. As for additional supplements, I find that a combination of supplements like super joint enhancer, antioxidants like proanthozone and fatty acids like super omega 3 can go a long way on limiting how much of the conventional drugs we need to use in arthritic dogs. Also supplements like Yucca intensive can help as well. As for your other younger dog, I would just make sure on good natural diet as well as good multi such as vitachews as well as I would use fatty acid like Super omega 3 or nordic naturals omega 3 fatty acid which can help keep him healthy in the long run.
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Peggy & Willa,
I have a 13 yr old boxer that suffers from severe hip dysplasia along with other health issues. She was on Duramaxx (which is similar to the Rimadyl) for about 3yrs. I am happy to say that she suffered no kidney/liver damage (which can occur with these two scrips) that we are aware of. Pls have your animals screened every 3-6mts for liver/kidney damage if you put them on Duramaxx/Rimadyl. Anyways..I searched for 3yrs to find something natural/milder that would work for her. She couldn’t go without the duramaxx 2x’s a day. I started her on the yucca drops in Jan 2009 (10-12 drops on a cookie-1x day) from petmeds and she still takes a glucosamine joint supplement for dogs 2x’s a day but NO more Duramaxx. She still has a bad day now and then when we go for long Jeep rides which she loves.. but other than that she is doing great. Hope this helps.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 12th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Thanks Alicia for sharing the wonderful story of your 13 year old boxer. There are in fact many wonderful joint supplements as well as even holistic veterinary treatment options such as acupuncture, chiropractice and pet physical therapists, which are increasing across the country, and often allow use to use lower doses of conventional medications.
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I have a 7 yr old Sheltie that has joint pain and is taking Rimadyl, but her front paw has also started to turn outward are there any braces or wraps that are sold to help with this?
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 12th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Many dogs can develop curving of their bones either due to genetic problems in young animals, or from degenerative bone or joint disease in older animals. I would have your pet examined by a veterinary orthopedic specialist to determine if there are any additional medications or if you need to even worry about the change in conformation you are seeing in the front leg.
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i have a 3 year old shih tzu she keeps coughing its been for two days what can i give her
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 15th, 2009 at 12:28 am
She could have an allergy or infection or possibly a more serious condition like a collapsing trachea. You could try antihistamine like chlorphenirmine at dose of 2 to 4 mg twice daily as well as use Vetri liquid DMG immune booster from 1800petmeds. You can also at same time try a teaspoon of childrens robitussin every 12 hours for up to a day or two. However if cough persists, best to see vet for proper exam, diagnosis and treatment
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IRMGARD PROLL Reply:
October 8th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
ck to my vet the next morning, then to the specialty clinic that afternoon. That evening at 8 p.m. that vet called us, the dog was on a respirator and somewhat sedated to make her comfortable. He did not concur with the other vet that she had a virus because heer lymph glands were not swollen. He did not think she would survive the night. So we had to make the awful decision to put her down. this all happend within one week. I had a biobsy done. He called me 2 hours later and told me that she had a tumor on her liver which metasticised oin her lungs and she would have died. How could the other two vets have missed this. Unbelievable.
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My 7yr old Beagle (26lbs) Molly started having bad back spasms last week and now it’s clear that she is going to have long term back/joint problems and we want to be very proactive in getting her as healthy and pain free as possible. As of Friday the vet put her on 1/4 of a Previcox 227mg chewable a day. I have since spoken to a friend who is a vet tech in another state and she said I could give Molly glucosamine Chondroitin as well as the Previcox. She even said I could go ahead and give Denosyl as well too for liver function. Do you know if it’s safe for a dog to be on Previcox, glucosamine Chondroitin, and Denosyl all at the same time? Thank you for any advice you can share.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 8:11 am
I dont see any problems with the combination of supplements you are using. Consider the antioxidant proanthyozone as well. Your pet should have periodic blood work including CBC/chem, etc to monitor for thinning of the blood, etc while on these meds. Also consider holistic med options like dhiropractic or acupuncture http://www.altvetmed.org
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I have a shih tzu who is about 20 years old. I resuce him from death row and after tracing his history discovered a very old couple had him since a baby. I was told by their son that he was about 10 years old and that was1998. He has lost some sight but getsaround OK. What is the best RX , or over counter to give him to help him with his pain and aliments. My local vet is great but medication is really costly to some one on social security.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Youc an try buffered aspirin at dose of 5 mg per pound once to twice daily OR white willow bark from health food store at same dose , however you really should have vet exam and blood work before starting these or any other nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs or supplements. You could try supplements first like yucca intensive, super joint omega from 1800petmeds as well as proanthozone antioxidants, in addition to joint enhancer as well but even these in pet this age should be used under vet care and supervision periodically exams, etc
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MY BELOVED DOBERMAN WAS PUT ON RIMADYL AND IT CAUSED HER DEATH,I WILL NEVER USE IT ON ANOTHER DOG.AFTER WHAT SHE WENT THRU AND WAS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD.WE ARE TOTALLY HEARTBROKEN
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Kate Harmer Reply:
September 30th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I am so sorry for your loss. Dog lovers understand that losing a pet is like losing a family member (because they are!) We are using Rimadyl for our 6 yr old rescued Sheltie. She had been abused to the point that she was so crippled, it was as if she was already an elderly dog. Rimadyl was the only thing that worked to have her be able to stand and move. We went in with our eyes wide open, knowing that she could incur liver damage. She has regular blood tests and, so far, so good. But, if we had not found a solution our sweet dog would probably have had to have been put to sleep. We made the decision to give her a quality life, even if we risked shortening it. With all powerful medications, we have to balance the risks we are willing to take. For now, we savor every day with Chloe and hope that we have given her a better life than she had before.
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My 15 year old Heeler mix has been using either Deramaxx or Rimadyl for 10 years now due to early onset arthritis. Her liver/kidney function were fine for about 8 1/2 years of use, then the drugs began to take there toll. Her deramaxx has been adjusted and some suppliments added and she still manages to live a happy and semi-active lifestyle. Even knowing what I know now, I would not have changed her treatment. Deramaxx has allowed her walk for years longer than she would have without and it’s been worth the risks.
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We lost our 6 year old German Shorthaired Pointer because our vet did not think about testing her for cancer or weigh her to notice that she had lost 10 pounds and was coughing. I had to ask for tests and x-rays. How is this possible. She was constantly clearing her throat and within a week after taking her to emergency we had to put out sweet girl down. The vet told us she had lung cancer which originated in or on her liver. She was on no meds. We spend $4,000 to find that out. How can this happen?
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Heartgard has Ivermectin in it and my vet said that is fatal to collies or a collie mix. Why do you not have this information on your packaging for this product or here on your website medication information?
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:57 pm
While your vet is indeed correct that collies, shelties and certain related breeds are more sensitive to ivermectin than other breeds, the amount of ivermectin the the standard monthly heartworm preventatives is way below the level that normally causes problems in even the collie breed. However if you are more comfortable with it, certainly you could use interceptor as an alternative, although according the the drug companies that make heartguard and generic iverheart, as well as veterinary cardiologists, using heartguard is not a problem in these breeds due to the low amounts of ivermectin in the products.
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For my black lab, it was a matter of improving his quality of life. It may have taken a year off his life, but he was able to do the things he loved for four more years, like swimming and running.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Thanks tw for sharing your labrador’s success story. Certainly the various prescription nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs have made huge differences in the quality of life of many dogs over the years, and as long as patients are looked at individually, as there is always small risk of side effects, which is why patients on these drugs should always be under the care of a primary veterinarian with periodic blood work done and reassessments. I also always encouraged, as you see(in many of my responses) joint supplements as well, which often allow us to cut down on the amount of drugs needed to control symptoms. There is also the wonderful growing field of complimentary veterinary medicine with increasing numbers of veterinarians being trained in chiropractic, acupuncture and homeopathy, all of which I have seen make huge differences in the quality of life of many canine and feline patients.
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Hello,
I see many times most pet owners talk about Rimadyl and the other NSAID mentions but no one really ever mentions Etogestic. It’s basically the same with a minor difference that it treats osteoarthritis. My Italian Greyhound who is 13 and had a grade 4 subluxating patella that was corrected at age 2 takes 75 mg of Etogestic and 2.5 mg of Azium per day and has been for over 5 years. It’s absolutely incredible how well he feels when he is on his meds.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Hi Helene. We usually dont recommend using a strong steroid like azium(generic dexamethasone) at the same time as a nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drug like etogesic, due to the risk in many patients of increased side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding and liver/kidney issues. However clearly your dog has done wonderfully, and as long as your pet is under the care of a veterinarian with periodic blood work done, one cant argue with success for 5 years in dog this age!!! As for your praise of etogesic, in my experience I have seen more dogs have digestive side effects with using this drug than some of the others, but certainly others have had great experiences with this medication as you have. It is often a practitioner preference as well as which drug would work better in an individual pet. For example rimadyl may not work well in a particular pet, while etogesic does wonders. Same as in people who have degenerative joint disease, arthritis and related painful disorders, where patients can have variable responses to the different prescription drugs out there.
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I have a 10 year old golden retriever who has arthritis and is taking Rimadyl which is effective -but I am worried about side effects because two years ago he was operated on for a tumor on his chest that was diagnosed as CA. Is it safe to give Yucca and possibly decreasing his Rimadyl as a more natural approach?
Thank-you
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:00 pm
As long as your dog is under the care of your veterinarian with periodic blood work done to check liver/kidney values and his blood counts, and your dog is not having any vomiting or diarrhea or appetite changes, than it is usually safe to continue rimadyl as needed long term. You can sometimes cut back on how much you need by using excellent supplements like Yucca intensive, as well as joint supplements like super joint enhancer, as well as Super Pure Omega 3. I also find that antioxidants like proanthozone as well are wonderful to use together to help decrease inflammation and pain associated with arthritis.
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My 12 year old Pekingnese was diagnosed with advanced liver disease about 6 weeks ago. She lost almost half her body weight, was lethargic and had no spark at all. I was sure that she was going to die. The biopsy revealed that she did not have cancer, but liver disease. She has been on a 90 mg. dose of Denoysyl daily. Her weight has steadily increased, she is active and eating well. Here is the problem: she has become highly aggressive everywhere – at the groomer’s, the dog park is a horror. Is this a side effect to this medication?? I am at my wits end and really cannot take her anywhere anymore that she used to enjoy.
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We have a 12 year German shepard who we put on one 325 mg of ascripton with mallox a day for one week. We will be starting a 37.5 mg of deramaxx a day. How long should we wait after the last dose of ascripton ?
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
December 5th, 2009 at 1:06 am
There is usually a “wash out” period that most vets including myself like to use when changing from one nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drug to another. I usually wait 2-3 days at least. Of course if going on any long term drug like this, always have your vet periodically check blood work, and dont forget about supportive supplements like super joint enhancer, proanthozone, and fatty acids like nordic naturals omega 3 fatty acids. Also yucca intensive as well.
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Is it safe for my beagle to be on previcox and dexamethasone
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Andrew Coughlan Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 6:23 am
Dear Jody
Just sptoted this one and thought I ought to comment in case anyone else reads this. REALLY IMPORTANT. You should never combine a cortocosteroid (dexamethazone) with an NSAID (Previcox). You are really asking for trouble and gastrointestinal complications (potentially VERY serious) are virtually guaranteed.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 8:16 am
Yes it is normally not very safe and risk to combine cortisone drugs and nonsteroidal anti inflammatory meds like previcox. GI risk and/and/or liver/kidney risks are increased when these combinations are used.
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i have a greyhound who has started coughing after a week of previcox is this a possible side effect
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 16th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
I have not seen any pets cough from use of previcox in my experience and opinion. It is possible your dog was exposed to bacterial or viral infection.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 29th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
I agree. Infection would be more likely.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
September 29th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
I have not seen this as a problem in my experience and opinion.
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Our beloved dog-son, Dunkin, had to have surgery on both his back legs 5 yrs ago. One didnt take and had 3 more on that one leg, the other took fine. Our current vet put him on Duramaxx, then Rimadyl and recently Previcox. His lab work did come back with some low level changes in his liver so they suggested we stop the Previcox and start him on the meds to help with that. At one point, the vet had us try Tramadol instead for his pain but for some reason it was so hard to give it to him, we tried everything (he’s quite smart!). We started to try the Tramadol again (we have almost full bottle still) but I wanted to make sure that at this point, its ok to go ahead and try the Tramadol again. He is 11 yrs young. His only change recently has been a slight increase in his drinking.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
IT is fine to try the tramadol again. Ask your vet also about possibility of trying prescription amantadine, which may help with pain as well. Acupuncture is other option, as well as physical therapy. Ask your vet about these services in your area.
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Oh also, we stopped Previcox 5-6 days ago.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Thanks for additional information. You can also consider natural product dog gone pain which you can find on line as well. I have had good results with that as well.
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I have a lab mix who is 10yrs old. Over the past year he has had temporary issues with his neck when he plays too hard. It results in severe pain and restricted movement. Normally we call the vet and get dexamethazone for a 3 day treatement (twice in the past 12 months.) Last night he was hurt again and I gave him 405mg of children’s asprinat 11pm (he’s 70 pounds so it was just over 5 mg/lb) He woke up yelping in pain at 4 am and I had a leftover 75 mg rimadyl that I gave him from a surgery in 2009.
How long do I need to wait before switching to dexamethazone after one rimadyl? i’m picking it up later today.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Had I read more on rimdyl earlier, I would have thrown it out.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
January 17th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
I usually wait 24 to 48 hours before going from a nonsteroidal anti inflammatory agent to a steroid like dexamethasone.
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I have a 7 year old beagle and 3/20/09 he developed a serious back issue, they thought he blew a disk, however, dexamethasone, methacarbamol, and gabapentin helped him tremendously and he was better in a few days. The problem has recurred again and last night I gave him 37.5mgs of rimadyl until I could see a vet. Today I got refills on all his previous meds but he is still in tremndous pain and crying constantly. I have not started the steroid due to the small rimadyl dose that he took. He is 43 pounds. What are the risks if I give him the steroid (prednisone 5mg) even though he took 1 small dose of rimadyl? How long do I have to wait? Thanks
John
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
June 1st, 2011 at 6:06 pm
I dont think risks are that great giving steroid as long as you stop the rimadyl. Dogs with discs though are prone to GI ulcers however and steroids can potentiate that. I would ask vet about GI protectant drugs like pepcid at same time to help offset that.
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This article is indeed useful. I just would like to add. In my research on Rimadyl for dogs, i think that it is generally safe as long as taken under precautions like determining the dog’s allergies prior to giving Rimadyl, avoiding overdose, and making sure not to miss a dose.
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Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
July 14th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Also important to have that blood work done before and during use of this medicine if used long term.
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