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  1. #1
    Best Friend Retriever
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    Alternatives to Rimadyl?

    My precious Molly has been having trouble getting up lately due to weakness in her hind end......This morning when she went to get up she seemed to heave herself up, & then sat back down hard & let out a whimper.....this breaks my heart. I won't know what to do without this precious girl, when the time comes. I've had her on Cosequin DS plus MSM for a few months now. She probably can't be on Rimadyl because there is already something going on with her liver, so my vet has had her on Denamarin for several months now. Is there any supplement that works better than the Cosequin? I'm thinking about ordering a pet lifter that is on sale at Drs. Foster & Smith to help her up when she might need it.

    She has many fatty lipomas, several of which are quite large.....my vet checked some of them & so far there has been nothing to worry about, but but she comes up with a new one once in awhile so I'll take her in to the vet again & ask if there are any safer meds for the arthritis......So hard to see them getting old.......

    These pics aren't real recent--just some of my favorites--Molly is quite a bit grayer now....




  2. #2
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    Aw...I'm sorry to hear this....she's such a sweetie. I hope you can find something to get her comfortable.

    I don't know about compatibility issues, but Tramadol works well for pain. (I had to give with yogurt for tummy issues...even with that, my Akita could handle it only at half-dose. My Chocolate boy got the yogurt, too, and could handle full strength.)

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  4. #3
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    I had really good luck with www.pupsup.com when Maddy had elbow dysplasia. It has hyaluronic acid. Which you could just add separately too.

    You could definitely ask about Tramadol. That's what Hudler took. There is also something called Gabepentin. Metacam/meloxicam is a lot like Rimadyl, but it might give a different effect if your dog's been taking rimadyl all this time. I personally do better on Advil vs. motin though I think they are the same med.

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  6. #4
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    Is she in pain or is she just weak? Have you considered physical therapy? It could help strengthen her back end.
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  8. #5
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    There are other NSAIDs, but if she cannot take Rimadyl, then the other ones, such as Metacam, may not be OK either. Tramadol is a pain med but not an anti-inflammatory but might be helpful.

    Some people have mentioned using Adequan, which is an injectable type of medication used in animals, including horses, for arthritis symptoms. Treating Dog Joint Pain with Adequan Canine Injections

    When my younger one was limping, the orthopedic vet recommended Cosequin or Dasuquin with MSM. Some folks have found one of the Glycoflex formulas work for them, it has some other ingredients different than either Cosequin or Dasuquin, perna canniliculus I think (green lipped mussel). And I think JenC and a few others use Hylasport from pupsup.com, which has hyaluronic acid and I'm not sure what else in it. I suspect some dogs do better with some supplements than others and there's not much research to support using glucosamine/chondroitin or some other supplements anyway, although they continue to be recommended by vets.

    I hope you find something to help her feel better.

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  10. #6
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    So sorry she has gotten to this stage. Melody was on Tramadol for lower back arthritis and it helped her. Supplements do take time to build up in the system and work good so I would keep up with the Cosequin unless you vet has a better solution.

    You can also try gentle range of motion exercises. With her lying on her side, place your hand on the shoulder or hip, whichever you are working on, and very gently move the limb forward and back, as much range as she is comfortable with. Then work down to each joint in the limb. It takes them a little time to get used to the routine but it does help keep the joints mobile and freer moving. Melody and Mardi both enjoyed our time together after dinner dishes were done. It was our special love fest time. When I was working I would pour out the workday woes and she would smile and take it all in.

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  12. #7
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Aww, it's sad when they get to this time. Do you know the source of her hind end weakness? You need to be careful of those lifter things as a problem in her back could be made worse by an improper lifting device, depending on where in her back and where the lifter hits.

    I don't think we have ever used cosequin but I did use Cartrophen Vet instead of Rimadyl. You can get CV in the U.S. if your Vet will make inquiries at the CV website. I believe Adequan is an alternative easier for you to get though. I have used both and for us the dosing of Adequan was more frequent and if it's the same for you might end up being not much different than CV, cost wise.

    I did find when Jet's back went that the CV was not strong enough and we used Dexamethasone and then Tramadol.
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  14. #8
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    Depending on her quality of life, and age, it may make sense to just make her comfortable and just monitor her liver values. If she is elderly, (I am sorry, I don't know Molly's age?) you may have to weigh the risk vs the benefits of the Rimadyl or Metacam etc.., and that may mean medicating her. Maybe you could try buffered aspirin, but I would talk to your vet about that.

    I am sorry, I know how it feels when they are older and uncomfortable, and you feel helpless to help them.

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  16. #9
    Best Friend Retriever
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    Thanks so much everybody, for your replies, and for caring! It's never easy to watch our babies grow old!




  17. #10
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shelley View Post
    Depending on her quality of life, and age, it may make sense to just make her comfortable and just monitor her liver values. If she is elderly, (I am sorry, I don't know Molly's age?) you may have to weigh the risk vs the benefits of the Rimadyl or Metacam etc.., and that may mean medicating her. Maybe you could try buffered aspirin, but I would talk to your vet about that.

    I am sorry, I know how it feels when they are older and uncomfortable, and you feel helpless to help them.
    This is a consideration sadly. I know it may speed things along but may give her quality of life during the time she does have.

    Tramadol could be an option. I am doing some alternative stuff with Rocky who's kidney levels were off at his last bloodwork (well we've had a few follow-ups since) and went off NSAIDS this summer. We will be trying a holistic natural product but i forget the name. And then maybe some golden paste/tumeric paste. Accunpunture.

    But physical therapy can go a long way as well once the pain is managed a bit. I am trying to get more exercises we can do at home but the rehab lady at the vet showed me a few exercises almost a year ago and we do them daily.

    Good luck

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