help with Rimadyl...

[MontananDakota]

Just heard back from the vet. They said yes I can come back for more dexamethasone BUT I have to wait 48 hours after his last dose of rimadyl before giving him the dexamethasone again. So now I'm going back to get him some tramadol to hold him over in the meantime. I knew it. I shouldn't have stopped the dex. Now I'm afraid of the swelling happening again in the meantime.....vets closing now. Hmm..what if I ask for a shot of dex in the meantime since its gastric ulcers they are worried about.....gosh I feel like I'm screwed......And I'm starting to panic about what might happen as he's coming off the rimadyl....

[trueby]

I'm sorry your having such a difficult time sorting out the meds. It's so hard to know if your making the right choices. I have read that the swelling can come an go rapidly with this type of tumor and the bleeding is from the tumor growing and the blood vessels detaching. I am not familiar with the dex you are using but it sounds like you have good luck with it. My continued thoughts and prayers are with you and know that your sweet boy loves you for all the great care and love you are giving him.

[MontananDakota]

Omg that is crazy about the bleeding.....makes sense though. Well now that I have calmed myself down and also ran into my neighbor walking her lab at the park..she's a nurse too...she said it can take rimadyl a few days to see the full effect so maybe I will do that. Give myself time to call the vet again with those questions. No need to panic for the moment. He is laying at my feet relaxing after our walk. Trueby do you have any websites you frequent for this info? And how is your sweetheart doing these days? Thanks for the well wishes. We will get thru this.

[Maxx&Emma]

Good thoughts and many prayers. I would definitely get him back on the steroids. I am not personally a fan of NSAID's although I do acknowledge they can and do make a difference for many. Unfortunately, that has never been my experience. What about a dose of Pepcid?

[Snowco Labradors]

Its dangerous to switch from one NSAID to another. Rule of thumb is a week between changes. This included buffered aspirin. This is most likely why your vet says to wait 2 days (although I have always read 1 week) your situation is different.

Continued Mojo and prayers....

[MontananDakota]

Rimadyl is the NSAID but the deximethasone is a steroid.... right? so the dex. wouldnt be an NSAID...i dont think...anyway she said there needs to be 48 hours between the rimadyl & the dex. "to avoid any risk of gastric ulcers" -that's what she said. So I was thinking ok, does that apply to the pill form of the dex.?? if so, maybe we can avoid that 48 hours with no anti inflammatory protection by giving him an injection of the dex.?? does that make sense? Thats what Im going to ask DR. Steve. And also Im going to ask why he wanted to try the NSAID for long term rather than the dex.....
Got woken up at 5 am by this kissing dog again. Sweetheart. He even brought his baseball to me again after breakfast.
Prior to the initial swelling up of the tumor Thursday before last, he was doing this: we'd go out to go potty & as soon as he was done he'd try to head back inside. Unfortunately I couldn't always go because I've got Dakota & she's gotta go too, but I've been taking him back letting him back & going back out with Dakota. He just doesn't wanna stay out unless we're at the park, or its playtime in the yard. Potty trips used to be: both dogs go, Dakota's ready to go in but Montana's gotta make his rounds in eh yard & sit for a few minutes smelling the air then he'd come in only because I wanted to. Last few months he's been wanting to come in when he's done.
When i got home yesterday my husband had both dogs out in the yard & when I got outta my car Montana came running full speed & jumped in!! Iv'e got a Traverse so its not low to the ground, he made that jump anyway. He was feeling good

I also bought Turmeric today, its an anti inflammatory right? Its not too late to try anything. Its not.
I know someone on the board emailed me info about treating cancer in dogs a while back & I have no idea what I did with that info. At the time I think I felt like there was no need to do anything like that because he was feeling soooo good....

[Annette47]

Its dangerous to switch from one NSAID to another. Rule of thumb is a week between changes. This included buffered aspirin. This is most likely why your vet says to wait 2 days (although I have always read 1 week) your situation is different.

Continued Mojo and prayers....

We've done the NSAID to steroid switch before and were told 48 hours. Never switched NSAIDS though, but I suspect that might be different.

[Blackboy98]

Whatever you are doing with Montana, keep it up. Sounds like he is enjoying life like a dog should.

Loves and kisses from a lab-they are the best!!!

[MontananDakota]

Im trying...Im trying,...
now I researched turmeric all morning as well as the pros and cons of NSAIDS vs. Steroids....and I cam e up with:
cant give Turmeric WITH rimadyl
and
"maybe, maybe" I should stick it out with the NSAID for a bit, see if this Rimadyl will work harder as the days go on. Simply because they may be easier on his stomach with less side effects than steroids, and maybe may work better ....this is a lot of maybe s.
Here's something else...sometimes when he is laying by himself if I go in the room slowly ( as to not bother him) he kinda blinks & turns his head a bit...is this pain? is he afraid its gonna hurt when i pet him? When I do, I can hold his face in my hands & kiss him & he's fine...but just kinda weird...like why the blinking if there's no pain...i just need there to be no pain.

[trueby]

About a a year ago when True first started showing symptoms I read everything I could find on the internet, there was a blog with several dogs owners who updated their situations regularly. It had great information on treatment options, meds that were tried and used, the progress of dogs..... good and bad. It detailed the course of the nasal tumors until the end. I cried a lot reading that blog, but it was so informative . I came across it googling nasal tumors. I don't recall a specific site, I'll look around when I have more time.
True is doing pretty well all things considered. We are having to watch and choose meds and diet carefully as his kidney levels are slightly elevated. He still takes daily Doxy and we have switched to a low dose of Piroxicam. As far as whether he has a nasal tumor, that is still unconfirmed. He continues to have a snotty nose on one side which can be blood tinged and an occasional bloody nose. I am feeling that it is most likely LPR or fungal.