Your thoughts on Rimadyl tablets for my poorly dog please

shopaholicjules

Hi
My beloved dog, kimber is currently poorly, hoping and praying she gets better.
Initially I had taken her for a walk, she was fine but then her legs went, we were on our way home and it happened a few more times. By this point I had got myself in a right state and called my parents who came over, by this point Kimber had also started shaking.
We went to the vets and they said they thought she was thinking of having a stroke, given a steroid and anti-biotic injection.
The next day I went back and they said they thought she had a leaky heart valve and gave me some tablets and go back in a week.
I took her on Saturday as in herself she seems ok but her breathing is quite deep and she seems to be panting and is letargic, the vet who was on thought it might be arthritus and gave me some more heart tablets and Rimadyl painkillers.
They don't seem to have made any change, I have been reading about them on the net and it has scared me, some of the side effects and stories of people's dogs who have died on the.
Sorry to ramble on, I love my dog to bits and this past couple of weeks, I have got myself in a right state, worried sick about her, I don't know what I would do without her, she's my little baby girl, even though she's 11 or 12.
She's the one I come home to, the one who knows if I'm happy or sad, she comes for a cuddle and a tickle of the belly.
Writing this now brings a tear to my eye and she's here with me laid on the floor.
I want to find out what is wrong and for everything to be ok and get my kimber back, I'm too scared to take her for a walk at the mo because of her breathing and don't want to tire her out.

Thanks
Jules

snowman2_2

I am not sure they are necessarily the right treatment but I wouldn't get too worried about the risk of side-effects. Any drug has a risk of side-effects but Rimadyl at normal doses are generally safe and I have not seen a problem with them in 10 years. Yes you can be unlucky but I think you need to have another chat with your vet. It seems your dog has other things to worry about than side-effects. Good luck.

MissMoneypenny

I have used Rimadyl on most of my dogs, back in the days when it was called Zenacarp and before most of the scare stories came out. In those days, a vet told me that Zenacarp was preferred over Metacam for long term use as it has less side effects.

I have used Rimadyl since the scare stories came out, but on dogs that had already had this drug before.My vet always says that every drug has a side effect.

My opinion with Rimadyl is that if a dog can't tolerate them, then it happens in the first few tablets? Have you discussed your fears about Rimadyl with your vet?

lostinrates

Most of our old dogs have ended up obn dily Rimadyl. None have suffered adverse side affects and I am convinced most have had their lived lengthened, and indeed the quality of those lives, improved by having rimadyl.

shopaholicjules

Thanks for your replies, I am just so anxious at the moment.
I haven't given her the tablet this morning until I speak to the vet when I see him later today.
Fingers crossed, they are able to diagnose something re her breathing as in herself she is ok, just the breathing and a little lethargic.

Jules

f1re_cr4cker

my pug is on them at the mo and is fine

meerkat2007

My cream cracker is on 20mg of Rimadyl per day, and has been for a good few years. He has just passed his 13th birthday, and still thinks he's 2 years old.

He has - touch wood - had no side effects from the Rimadyl, and I think he's been on them for a number of years now, maybe 3 or so, maybe more - they're just a way of life now. He goes back to the vet every couple of months for a check-up, so the vet keeps an eye on him.

My ginger nut - 13 this coming August - has also temporarily been on Rimadyl for a short course of about 10 days. During that time, he showed no side effects.

Don't dogs just take the biscuit! (Sorry!)

shopaholicjules

Hi
Thanks again for oyur replies.
I have taken my dog (Kimber) to the vets this morning to have an xray to have a look at her heart and lungs and to have a lump cut out to see if it is cancerous.
It has been one of the longest, most stressful days of my life, they were meant to be done this morning but took until nearly tea-time before I got the call.
The xrays were better than expected, her heart isn't abnormally large, a little enlarged but thats due to the leaking valve they diagnosed a couple of weeks ago.
The lump he took out, he said he isn't going to send it off as he feels it is fatty tissue.
She has pulled through really well, we came home and she went in the garden playing with her bone which she hasn't done for a while.
About half an hour ago I gave her her tablets, rimadyl for pain for arthritus even though I never knew she was in pain, a tablet for her heart and a tablet to get any fluid she may have on her lungs.
Not long ago she was making a strange noise, it gets me so paranoid, I'm still so paranoid about the rimadyl, I haven't given her them for a couple of days and started again tonight, she seems to have calmed down now and is sleeping. I aske dthe vet if there was anything else instead to give her and he said no but that they will see her regularly to check her liver.
I certainly need convincing about these tablets.
Anyway, enough of me, I need to try and calm down, Iv'e been so on edge, nervous, a mess really all day.

Jules