arthritis meds in cardi's - MyCorgi.com2024-03-28T15:44:52Zhttp://mycorgi.com/forum/topics/arthritis-meds-in-cardis?commentId=1150197%3AComment%3A807139&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThanks Melissa and Geri,
Spok…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-11-27:1150197:Comment:8079812010-11-27T22:19:33.639ZPattihttp://mycorgi.com/profile/Patti
Thanks Melissa and Geri,<br />
Spoke with the vet today about all this info. He feels that even tho Kai's x-rays show mild to moderate, kai is just in too much pain to NOT warrant this regimen - for the time being. Also brought up the laser therapy, and was told that some times while using the laser therapy, the drug regimen can be reduced. As I mentioned earlier, Kai has to go back for a liver ultrasound - and at that time they will start him on laser therapy starting at 3x week then tapering off.…
Thanks Melissa and Geri,<br />
Spoke with the vet today about all this info. He feels that even tho Kai's x-rays show mild to moderate, kai is just in too much pain to NOT warrant this regimen - for the time being. Also brought up the laser therapy, and was told that some times while using the laser therapy, the drug regimen can be reduced. As I mentioned earlier, Kai has to go back for a liver ultrasound - and at that time they will start him on laser therapy starting at 3x week then tapering off. I'd like to try one additional therapy at a time to see what gives him the most benefit. Today he did try to run abit to chase Luna, but stopped and sat with me. Was in obvious pain afterwards. I really like the call about Canidae - I had heard such wonderful things about this food - but to further your argument about it not causing any weight loss - Luna, my 25 lb blue cardi, has gained 2 lbs by being on the same food..... 'nuff said. It makes me wonder how much Kai could have lost if I would have put him on the proper food. Thanks again for all your responses - Kai thanks u, and when Luna gets her buddy back, she'll give u a wink! In my experience with my old…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-11-27:1150197:Comment:8079092010-11-27T20:27:47.193ZMelissa and Franklin!http://mycorgi.com/profile/Melissa919
In my experience with my old pup we tried the Canidae senior (I think it is called something like Canidae platinum) and was made for old/overweight dogs and my dog GAINED HUGE amounts of weight on that food. If I were you I'd probably switch to something like Natural Balance's diet formula that has the fewest calories of any over the counter dog food and see if that helps. I know that Hills R/D and Purina OM work great but they are super expensive and you have to get them from a vet. The…
In my experience with my old pup we tried the Canidae senior (I think it is called something like Canidae platinum) and was made for old/overweight dogs and my dog GAINED HUGE amounts of weight on that food. If I were you I'd probably switch to something like Natural Balance's diet formula that has the fewest calories of any over the counter dog food and see if that helps. I know that Hills R/D and Purina OM work great but they are super expensive and you have to get them from a vet. The Canidae is such a dense food that even feeding far less of it than we did our other kibble my dog gained 20 pounds! (He was 135 pounds at the start, great dane mix).<br/>
With his pain management (he had arthritis from TPLO, hip dysplasia, and spine inflammation) we used Rimadyl and tramadol long term....he was on both for about 4 years before we had to put him down after a freak accident. He was going strong on the tramadol (at that point he was getting 2 morning and 2 at night and Rimadyl) and he did great, no side effects from the meds. After his accident the vet wanted to further increase the tramadol as well as add in Gabapentin. The vet where I work frequently uses a combo of NSAID/Tramadol for arthritis cases and it works great and most vets are more concerned by the use of NSAID than Tramadol. Tramadol didn't seem to be habit forming in the two dogs I had on it long term and in both cases after years on the medication we never needed to increase the dose unless they had a really high exercise day and we never had to give the prescribed does, we were always able to use much less. Gabapentin I have only seen prescribed for very severe cases of pain management and I probably wouldn use that as a last ditch effort. Many times you can get away with a very low dose of tramadol twice a day and they do great.<br/>
I also found a supplement online called Flavocin and I swear it changed my dog's life. We were at the point where we were considering putting him to sleep because he was so uncomfortable and we had tried EVERYTHING for his pain and this was a last ditch effort. After only a few weeks he was a totally different dog, like a puppy again. We got 2 1/2 more happy and playful years out of him after starting that supplement. It was truly an amazing transformation. They also had Sidney on Metac…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-11-27:1150197:Comment:8076582010-11-27T08:04:29.900ZGeri & Sidneyhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/GeriSidney
They also had Sidney on Metacam while he was recovering. Not sure if it goes by any other name. It knocked him out, though. We did do 6 weeks or water therapy and it worked wonders. We'll see how he maintains and may go back to it if his arthritis gets worse. He's only 3.5 years old.
They also had Sidney on Metacam while he was recovering. Not sure if it goes by any other name. It knocked him out, though. We did do 6 weeks or water therapy and it worked wonders. We'll see how he maintains and may go back to it if his arthritis gets worse. He's only 3.5 years old. My old dog was on a similar p…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-11-27:1150197:Comment:8072802010-11-27T05:05:04.280ZMelissa and Franklin!http://mycorgi.com/profile/Melissa919
My old dog was on a similar pain regimen but I have NEVER heard of increasing the dose of Tramadol. Not sure what the purpose of that would be since it is a very mild drug and you don't have to slowly build a tolerance. In my experience Tramadol tastes awful so you have to hide it well, and also it makes a lot of dogs REALLY out of it. I'd start on the low end with the tramadol and see how your pup does. Many times you don't have to increase the does much at all. Gabapentin is a strong pain…
My old dog was on a similar pain regimen but I have NEVER heard of increasing the dose of Tramadol. Not sure what the purpose of that would be since it is a very mild drug and you don't have to slowly build a tolerance. In my experience Tramadol tastes awful so you have to hide it well, and also it makes a lot of dogs REALLY out of it. I'd start on the low end with the tramadol and see how your pup does. Many times you don't have to increase the does much at all. Gabapentin is a strong pain medicine so you will probably find the same thing as with Tramadol adn may not have to give as much, like you may be able to get away with 1 cap a day twice a day. The Rimadyl give what the vet says because that is one that builds up and stays in the system so if you give it one day and then don't give it for a few days it tends to not work as well. With my dog we had to play with the doses of the pain medications (Tramadol and Gabapentin) to find the right balance of pain management and totally over drugged. He would get to where he was just staring into space and not doing much of anything which provides no quality of life. We were able to find a lower dose where he could still get up and play around and not be a zombie, yet feel more comfortable.Also, with past liver issues not sure Rimadyl would be your best bet as it has a history of causing liver problems, there are other NSAIDS out there that may not affect the liver as much. Ask your vet. We also did acupuncture that worked quite well. Good luck! The food was made by Hills, c…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-11-27:1150197:Comment:8072712010-11-27T03:44:33.866ZRobyn - Halo's Momhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/Freebird
The food was made by Hills, called prescription J/D, which stands for joint diet. Medical/Royal Canin also make one called Mobility Diet which is not as pricey. I don't believe either one one of them are for overweight dogs though, sorry.
The food was made by Hills, called prescription J/D, which stands for joint diet. Medical/Royal Canin also make one called Mobility Diet which is not as pricey. I don't believe either one one of them are for overweight dogs though, sorry. Geri - your 2 cents are great…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-11-27:1150197:Comment:8072612010-11-27T02:45:49.493ZPattihttp://mycorgi.com/profile/Patti
Geri - your 2 cents are greatly appreciated and I hope Sidney is getting along great. Kai's dosage for the dasuquiin is similar to Sidney's - 2tabs 4 six weeks then cut back. (remember - Kai's a big, I mean big boy......) I did speak with the vet about exercise and he wants Kai to try swimming. hard surfaces may be too hurtful for Kai now he said. I'm just confused abit how Kai got this bad this fast - while the arthritis is mild to moderate the vet said that may be when it is most painful to…
Geri - your 2 cents are greatly appreciated and I hope Sidney is getting along great. Kai's dosage for the dasuquiin is similar to Sidney's - 2tabs 4 six weeks then cut back. (remember - Kai's a big, I mean big boy......) I did speak with the vet about exercise and he wants Kai to try swimming. hard surfaces may be too hurtful for Kai now he said. I'm just confused abit how Kai got this bad this fast - while the arthritis is mild to moderate the vet said that may be when it is most painful to dogs - but 6 levels? It's a tough judgement call, with regard to the opiod discussion - what's best for Kai being pain free now - adding the tramadol or gabaprentin. Curious - did your vet prescribe any of these meds for Sidney? I have also seen these laser treatments for pain mgmt in dogs. Kai's liver was enlarged at one point, so I would definitely prefer no more drugs. Any advice on the laser treatments? and again - thanks......... Hi Patti,
Sidney was recently…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-11-27:1150197:Comment:8072582010-11-27T02:21:09.475ZGeri & Sidneyhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/GeriSidney
Hi Patti,<br />
Sidney was recently diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia, and he had FHO surgery 3 months ago. He's got arthritis from the dysplasia; he was on Rimadyl once daily until the surgery and while recovering, but he's on it now only "as needed". He's on Dasuquuin chews, one every other day (it was once daily for the first 6 weeks, now it's cut down).<br />
<br />
Sidney is moving well and seems much happier. I thought he'd be on Rimadyl every day but I guess the Dasuquuin chews are doing their job.<br />
<br />
We…
Hi Patti,<br />
Sidney was recently diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia, and he had FHO surgery 3 months ago. He's got arthritis from the dysplasia; he was on Rimadyl once daily until the surgery and while recovering, but he's on it now only "as needed". He's on Dasuquuin chews, one every other day (it was once daily for the first 6 weeks, now it's cut down).<br />
<br />
Sidney is moving well and seems much happier. I thought he'd be on Rimadyl every day but I guess the Dasuquuin chews are doing their job.<br />
<br />
We also need to keep his weight in check (he's 27 pounds, adult make Pemmie) and make sure he exercises regularly.<br />
<br />
I realize this won't be much help, but wanted to throw in my 2 cents. I hope Kai feels better soon! what food do u use that has a…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-11-27:1150197:Comment:8072332010-11-27T01:09:11.288ZPattihttp://mycorgi.com/profile/Patti
what food do u use that has a mobility/joint diet in it? is it for overweight and senior dogs as well? thanks for your help.
what food do u use that has a mobility/joint diet in it? is it for overweight and senior dogs as well? thanks for your help. Thanks again Beth. I'll bring…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-11-27:1150197:Comment:8072312010-11-27T01:08:14.218ZPattihttp://mycorgi.com/profile/Patti
Thanks again Beth. I'll bring this up when I take Kai Superdog in for his ultrasound.
Thanks again Beth. I'll bring this up when I take Kai Superdog in for his ultrasound. Well, I think if it were me I…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-11-26:1150197:Comment:8071832010-11-26T22:40:57.349ZBethhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/Beth306
Well, I think if it were me I'd try adding one drug at a time, giving it a few weeks trial, and then continuing to add if Kai is not getting relief. It depends on the level of pain. For me, if the dog is still eating eagerly, going out to potty willingly and seems to enjoy some usual activities (chewing a bone or going for a walk), personally I would take a conservative approach til I found the right mix.<br />
<br />
If the dog is clearly miserable most of the time and does not like any of his normal…
Well, I think if it were me I'd try adding one drug at a time, giving it a few weeks trial, and then continuing to add if Kai is not getting relief. It depends on the level of pain. For me, if the dog is still eating eagerly, going out to potty willingly and seems to enjoy some usual activities (chewing a bone or going for a walk), personally I would take a conservative approach til I found the right mix.<br />
<br />
If the dog is clearly miserable most of the time and does not like any of his normal activities, then I would take an aggressive approach.<br />
<br />
I get my own approach from my own experience in living with chronic pain. There is a huge difference in quality of life between "It hurts if I go up the steps or jump up and down" and "I'm so miserable I don't even feel like eating my dinner." The latter really needs immediate strong intervention, the former can be fiddled with til you find the right combo, in my personal opinion.<br />
<br />
You know your own dog. Trust your gut.