we found out yesterday that our dog has moderate arthritis in her front leg. The Vet wants to use Rimadyl (NASID) for pain relief. Looking on the net the stories of Rimadyl are scary from kidney failure to liver failure. Is there anyone who is treating their dogs arthritis with other treatments besides Rimadyl? Thanks
I know that feeling. My three legged dog has to be on rimadyl. I am trying to hook up with my vet to see if accupuncture will help. I too am afraid of the long term use of the Rimadyl.
you can try cosequin DS. its FDA approved andover the counter. there are also other versions out there that arent FDA approved. but i recommend it beingFDAapproved
A quick search found this site that sells it for dogs. It is a glucosamine supplement. http://www.entirelypets.com/cosdschewtab.html I'm interested too!
info sheet: http://www.kuvasz.info/cosequinds.htm amazon reviews (gotta love amazon!): http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B00028ZLTU Its a safe drug. not really any side effect (see first link). Glucosamine is supposed to help rebuild the cartilage to help ease arthritis. so its a different route than giving your dog an NSAID (whose purpose is mainly to ease the pain and inflammation rather than rebuild). I'm no vet, but if your dog is in pain i would recommend a round or two of Rimadyl/Novox and start the cosequin at the same time and stay on it. And if you had to stay on the NSAIDS, i think regular bloodwork would help predict any stress on the liver. but i would definitely talk w/ your vet so he/she can give you advice and know your plans (and if you have to come back a few months later they wont be like *sigh.. why don't you listen.. lol) btw.. the reason i recommend the FDA approved one is b/c w/ the non-fda ones you never know what you might be getting. they're not regulated by anyone, so they may cheat you out of some glucosamine (hence the lower prices.. hmm) and have you heard about k-laser treatments? those can REALLY help
