Rimadyl or Naproxen (tendon issues & hip dysplasia)

Hi all,

Seems to be a painfully quiet BB, but I'm hoping someone can shine a little light on my issues.

I have a wonderful 8 year old chocolate lab, Tucker. He has severe hip dysplasia (diagnosed at 10 weeks, but he's done remarkably well) and just found out he has some tendon issues in a front leg (after $600 worth of xrays & bloodwork) and is limping. The vet has guilted me into giving him Rimadyl, which I have for 2 weeks with no changes or improvement. It's supposed to be an anti-inflamitory, but at $60 a month it doesn't seem worth it if there are no changes. I really felt pressured into loading up on the drugs for Tucker...he was kind of sleazy about how he went about it. Wouldn't even talk to me about the generic version of Rimadyl (Novox).

Anyone an expert??? Can I give my boy a naproxen once a day...or maybe just when he seems to be in pain? I was giving him a buffered aspirin, which seemed fine, when he had run wild and was sore.

What's your take????

Thanks,
B

 

I would see the advice of a different veterinarian. You should not give your dog over-the-counter human drugs without the supervision of a vet. Dogs do not metabolize drugs in the same way as humans. Drug poisoning is common.

Watch for adverse reaction to Rimadyl, especially gastrointestinal problems. Blood work would reveal problems with liver or kidneys. There have been cases where dogs had adverse reaction. It is not recommended to begin the dog on another med until 2 weeks after stopping Rimadyl. Because pain relievers for dogs are few, many recommend trying Rimadyl. It does not, however, work for all dogs. Those who like the drug claim that its works quickly and dramatically.

Learn more about Rimadyl at http://www.srdogs.com/Pages/rimadylfr.html