Gun Dog Forum

Subject: 9 year old Pointer. Moves a little slower these days. Seems to have a mild arthritic condition.

Question: Does Rimadyl (or a generic substitute) really work? Stuff ain't cheap

Apparently so, yes.
Some meds might target a particular dog better than another tho, especially if the dog has other issues.....a case for a vet, I would think.

It has a long history of helping. My 11 year old uses tramadol which is effective for arthritis. May be cheaper; you could ask the vet.

Big fan, three different dogs now as they aged. Added several years of quality life.

I've used Rimadyl for 20 years with great success.

There are generics that would save money and should work equally well available through your veterinarian. Carprofen is the active ingredient.

Moonshine Ike wrote:Subject: 9 year old Pointer. Moves a little slower these days. Seems to have a mild arthritic condition.

Question: Does Rimadyl (or a generic substitute) really work? Stuff ain't cheap

We use Rimadyl occasionally for our 9-yr-oldr GSP because he's not quite as young as he used to be -- after a weekend in the field, he is noticeably stiff.

However, I have recently switched him to the generic, which is carprofen. You can get it in a chewable tab just like the Rimadyl, but at a fraction of the cost. Just do an online search for "carprofen" and you will get several results so that you can compare pricing. (There is also a soft chew version called Quellen, but it's more expensive.)

Also, most of the reputable online pharmacies like Drs Foster & Smith or 1800PetMeds will price match. So if you find it for a really good price at a website that you don't really know, you can still tell them the url where you found the price & they will confirm it to give you the same price.

Good hunting!

Yes, it works for mild to moderate pain associated with arthritis and post-hunting soreness. It's a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that can be administered long-term and requires a veterinarian's prescription. Long-term use can cause liver damage and overdoses can be toxic to the kidneys, so biannual blood work is recommended and may be required by your vet to refill. Because of these side effects, some veterinarians supplement with tramadol, an opioid drug for chronic arthritis, and recommend supplementation with carprofen as needed for especially stiff or sore days. I have seen many dogs that have responded well to supplementation with fish oil and/or prescription joint diets for chronic arthritis along with the previously mentioned medication.

birddogdoc, I think you use to post on the "other site" until the admin. changed the tone of the forum and ran off all the serious bird dog folks. Anyway, isn't Rimadyl designed to be given everyday?

It can be administered daily, but the profession is trending to more judicious use and supplementing it with other medications, like tramadol, so that it can be given less often. Not all vets are on board with this practice, for sure. Many will keep prescribing it as long as the dog is comfortable.

I typically work it up like this: If it's a young dog, say a 5 year old hunting labrador that is already showing signs of chronic arthritis, I'm less likely to prescribe carprofen daily for the rest of his life. I may reach for a mix of other medications and heavy joint supplementations/joint diets. He's going to be around for too long and I'm concerned about the condition of his liver. As another example, say an otherwise healthy 9 year old pointer, I will recommend blood work to get a baseline for liver health, then start the dog on an NSAID like carprofen (assuming this is his first time on the drug) for a month. If the owner is happy and the dog is doing well, I'll prescribe it for up to three months, then insist that I get blood work at least every 8-12 months to make sure the liver is tolerating the drug well. Assuming blood work is reasonable, the quality of life of minimizing arthritic pain outweighs the negative impact on the liver.

Your vet probably has his/her own protocol for your situation.

My ideal scenario, which I will implement for my own dogs when the miles afield take their toll will be this:
Keep them fit and lean throughout their lives.
1000 mg of fish oil daily, Purina JM joint diet, previcoxx or carprofen as needed for pain,
then adding in tramadol when I have to give the carprofen frequently to keep them active.

Moonshine Ike wrote:birddogdoc, I think you use to post on the "other site" until the admin. changed the tone of the forum and ran off all the serious bird dog folks. Anyway, isn't Rimadyl designed to be given everyday?

NOt the Dr. but, the Tramadol I use is given to the dog the day before a hard workout and the day of the hard work out. This keeps the dog from limping for a day with arthritis. I like the flexibility of it - don't have to give it every day.

Great stuff! I will give it to my old female the day before the big hunt and the day of the big hunt. It seems to make a big difference the day after the hunt!

arenus.com/steadfast-canine/

We have a lot of success with this product. Dont know why its better than the other joint supplements, but it has been for us. In my experience, many dogs no longer require pain meds after a few weeks of the steadfast. Clients come back for more, to me that says volumes.

birddogdoc wrote:It can be administered daily, but the profession is trending to more judicious use and supplementing it with other medications, like tramadol, so that it can be given less often. Not all vets are on board with this practice, for sure. Many will keep prescribing it as long as the dog is comfortable.

I typically work it up like this: If it's a young dog, say a 5 year old hunting labrador that is already showing signs of chronic arthritis, I'm less likely to prescribe carprofen daily for the rest of his life. I may reach for a mix of other medications and heavy joint supplementations/joint diets. He's going to be around for too long and I'm concerned about the condition of his liver. As another example, say an otherwise healthy 9 year old pointer, I will recommend blood work to get a baseline for liver health, then start the dog on an NSAID like carprofen (assuming this is his first time on the drug) for a month. If the owner is happy and the dog is doing well, I'll prescribe it for up to three months, then insist that I get blood work at least every 8-12 months to make sure the liver is tolerating the drug well. Assuming blood work is reasonable, the quality of life of minimizing arthritic pain outweighs the negative impact on the liver.

Your vet probably has his/her own protocol for your situation.

My ideal scenario, which I will implement for my own dogs when the miles afield take their toll will be this:
Keep them fit and lean throughout their lives.
1000 mg of fish oil daily, Purina JM joint diet, previcoxx or carprofen as needed for pain,
then adding in tramadol when I have to give the carprofen frequently to keep them active.

I don't profess to be a vet or anyone in the medical arts, but isn't tramadol a synthetic opiod painreliever? I wouldn't have thought frequent use would be recommended.

It is a synthetic opioid but can be used for chronic pain, so yes, long-term. It's cheap, easier on the liver, and can be used in conjunction with NSAIDs.

If a patient is in need of long-term therapy with tramadol, it is often a situation where the side-effects of opioid use (constipation, tolerance, maybe dependence?) are worth the risk to milk a few more quality months or years out of them. It's not something prescribed for long-term use for mild, occasional pain or soreness.

birddogdoc wrote:It is a synthetic opioid but can be used for chronic pain, so yes, long-term. It's cheap, easier on the liver, and can be used in conjunction with NSAIDs.

If a patient is in need of long-term therapy with tramadol, it is often a situation where the side-effects of opioid use (constipation, tolerance, maybe dependence?) are worth the risk to milk a few more quality months or years out of them. It's not something prescribed for long-term use for mild, occasional pain or soreness.

A thoughtful reply --- thanks!