Rimadyl And Poo Problems

[Guest Hotdogs]

Has anyone had any issues with terrible D and vomiting while your pups were taking Rimadyl? I called the vet and she advised me to continue to give her the Rimadyl, but to give her 4 mls of Kaopectate (sp?) twice a day and give her a bland diet of hamburger a rice. My instincts are telling me to stop giving her the R. She, my dog, had a minor injury (a sprain) which has seemed to resolve on its own, she isn't limping at all and she has been limited to relaxed yard time and short walks around the block. I want to and probably should trust my vet, but I am worried about how R. has affected her (my dog). Does anyone know anything about this or had any experiences with this? My other dog, has taken Rimadyl on a few different occasions and has been fine, but Suri, my girl, has had some gastrointestinal issues lately and I'm worried that he stomach is being irritated.

What do you think?

[Anne]

Some dogs do not tolorate Rimadyl very well, I'd stop it if it were one of my dogs.

I have a dog on Rimadyl (the generic!) who does VERY well, but that doesn't mean they all will.

Better to be safe than sorry.

[Guest greytbookert]

my bridge boy, Booker couldn't handle it at all... but Eric was fine when he had to take it.

[Guest MAXNAV]

Both my dogs did better on either Deramaxx or Metacam. The Rimadyl was much harder on my collie. No D, but definitely vomitting. My vet told me to see how he tolerated it, and if he couldn't he'd give him something else. That's when we switched to the Deramaxx and later to Metacam. They're both easier on the organs also. I did/do have to make sure that they had food in their stomachs before giving the D or M. Also, I found that hamburg was much harder to digest than Chicken or Turkey with my guys. Based on my experience with leg sprains on both my dogs, they needed an anti-inflammatory drug for at least 3 - 5 days to make sure all swelling and inflammation was down. I would call the vet again, and discuss the options. How many days has she been on the meds?

 

I hope Suri is feeling better.

[Guest Hotdogs]

Both my dogs did better on either Deramaxx or Metacam. The Rimadyl was much harder on my collie. No D, but definitely vomitting. My vet told me to see how he tolerated it, and if he couldn't he'd give him something else. That's when we switched to the Deramaxx and later to Metacam. They're both easier on the organs also. I did/do have to make sure that they had food in their stomachs before giving the D or M. Also, I found that hamburg was much harder to digest than Chicken or Turkey with my guys. Based on my experience with leg sprains on both my dogs, they needed an anti-inflammatory drug for at least 3 - 5 days to make sure all swelling and inflammation was down. I would call the vet again, and discuss the options. How many days has she been on the meds?

 

I hope Suri is feeling better.

 

Thanks,

She has been on the medication since Saturday. Last night, the kaopectate hadn't helped her with her stomach upset or her D problems, she still vomited and had watery poop. Asking for other options for medicine is a good idea, they told me to call and give her an update anyway. I don't want her to start limping again.

I'm beginning to really worry about how often Suri's stomach gets upset. I posted a topic about her not eating enough. When her picky eating habits began, I took her to two vets, our usual vet who I like very much and another one recommended by our rescue group for a second opinion. Lots of tests were run and it was just concluded that she's just picky. It's now a year later and she still won't eat properly, she'll eat well for few days and then won't have any interest in food at all. She just had a bout with hookworms, this was only about three weeks ago and her fecal retest was negative. I thought that a long term infestation of hookworms may be the root of her eating and frequent stomach issues, but now I'm worried that it may be something worse.

[Burpdog]

Stop the rimadyl and call the vet! ASAP. Didn't you receive a side effects print out?

[Guest MAXNAV]

Just thought about something My brother's dogs (4 out of the 6 shi's), not greys, all have an allergy to wheat. They cannot have any kibble with wheat in it, or they have the runs and throw up. Has that been a question in the vet's mind, what food she's eating? How long have you had Suri? She's not new, right? Also, I read somewhere here on the forum that folks were talking about some food (I can't remember which one), had changed the ingredients or something. Dogs were having the big D and stuff. Maybe someone will remember what the food was. I hope you can figure out what's happening with the poor girl. My personal opinion is that there is something wrong, and maybe it's the food, but nothing medically. Run that by your vet and see what he/she thinks.

 

Good luck

[Guest Hotdogs]

Stop the rimadyl and call the vet! ASAP. Didn't you receive a side effects print out?

 

No, I didn't receive a side effects print out! Oh no! My vet knows that she has diarhea and vomiting, she told me to continue the Rimadyl...I don't want to though, it just seems wrong, but she's a vet and she has been a really good vet for as long as I've had my pups. I didn't give her any last night and I haven't yet today. I don't want her swelling & limping to return and I'm vet, I don't really know what's best. This is why I'm posting, I'm torn.

 

I adopted Suri on 12/22/06 and she was a really 'good eater' when I adopted her. Her picky eating habits started after I was feeding her Iams garbage that was part of that massive dog food recall. I tried a few different foods with both of my dogs and started cooking for them and this is what made them finicky. I've upgraded to the best possible food that I can afford (afford is a subjective term in this case), and they have tried Fromm, Innova (several types) and I started feeding them prepackaged raw food from Nature's Variety, which she loved at first, but has now decided she hates. Right now, she is eating Nature's Variety "Prairie" b/c which does have grains, b/c neither one of my pups did very well when I tried Innova Evo. Flour isn't one of the grains (the food contains, barley, oatmeal and brown rice). I'm reading over what I've written and it seems like all this switching is what has her stomach so upset, but this is over the course of a year and each time was with a slow switch and time for adjustment, so I really don't know if that's it.

 

I doing some research about a raw food diet that is not prepackaged; I want to make sure I know what I'm doing before I go totally raw, but in the mean time, Prairie is what she has been eating along with their line of canned foods. I'm running out of things to try with her, food wise. I've tried the tough love approach, but she will refuse food until she vomits bile. I just don't know

[Burpdog]

No, I didn't receive a side effects print out! Oh no! My vet knows that she has diarhea and vomiting, she told me to continue the Rimadyl...I don't want to though, it just seems wrong, but she's a vet and she has been a really good vet for as long as I've had my pups. I didn't give her any last night and I haven't yet today. I don't want her swelling & limping to return and I'm vet, I don't really know what's best. This is why I'm posting, I'm torn.

 

She's not a good vet if she does not take the manufacturer's advice. As the FDA says, the vets are the weakest link.

 

From the Rimadyl insert, which is suppose to be handed to every dog given this drug (bold added). I will assume blood work was done?

 

INFORMATION FOR DOG OWNERS:

Rimadyl, like other drugs of its class, is not free from adverse reactions. Owners should be

advised of the potential for adverse reactions and be informed of the clinical signs associated

with drug intolerance. Adverse reactions may include decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea,

dark or tarry stools, increased water consumption, increased urination, pale gums due to

anemia, yellowing of gums, skin or white of the eye due to jaundice, lethargy, incoordination,

seizure, or behavioral changes. Serious adverse reactions associated with this drug class can

occur without warning and in rare situations result in death (see Adverse Reactions). Owners

should be advised to discontinue Rimadyl therapy and contact their veterinarian immediately if

signs of intolerance are observed. The vast majority of patients with drug related adverse

reactions have recovered when the signs are recognized, the drug is withdrawn, and veterinary

care, if appropriate, is initiated. Owners should be advised of the importance of periodic follow

up for all dogs during administration of any NSAID.

WARNINGS: Keep out of reach of children. Not for human use. Consult a physician in cases of

accidental ingestion by humans. For use in dogs only. Do not use in cats.

All dogs should undergo a thorough history and physical examination before initiation of NSAID

therapy. Appropriate laboratory tests to establish hematological and serum biochemical

baseline data prior to, and periodically during, administration of any NSAID should be

considered. Owners should be advised to observe for signs of potential drug toxicity (see

Information for Dog Owners and Adverse Reactions).

ADVERSE REACTIONS: During investigational studies of osteoarthritis with twice daily

administration of 1 mg/lb, no clinically significant adverse reactions were reported. Some

clinical signs were observed during field studies (n=297) which were similar for carprofen- and

placebo-treated dogs. Incidences of the following were observed in both groups: vomiting (4%),

diarrhea (4%), changes in appetite (3%), lethargy (1.4%), behavioral changes (1%), and

constipation (0.3%). The product vehicle served as control.

There were no serious adverse events reported during clinical field studies with once daily oral

administration of 2 mg/lb. The following categories of abnormal health observations were

reported. The product vehicle served as control.

Percentage of Dogs with Abnormal Health Observations Reported

in Clinical Field Study (2 mg/lb once daily)

Observation Rimadyl (n=129) Placebo (n=132)

Inappetance 1.6 1.5

Vomiting 3.1 3.8

Diarrhea/Soft stool 3.1 4.5

Behavior change 0.8 0.8

Dermatitis 0.8 0.8

PU/PD 0.8 —

SAP increase 7.8 8.3

ALT increase 5.4 4.5

AST increase 2.3 0.8

BUN increase 3.1 1.5

Bilirubinuria 16.3 12.1

Ketonuria 14.7 9.1

Clinical pathology parameters listed represent reports of increases from pre-treatment values;

medical judgement is necessary to determine clinical relevance.

Percentage of Dogs with Abnormal Health Observations Reported

in Surgical Pain Field Studies with Caplets (2 mg/lb once daily)

Observation* Rimadyl (n=148) Placebo (n=149)

Vomiting 10.1 13.4

Diarrhea/soft stool 6.1 6.0

Ocular disease 2.7 0

Inappetance 1.4 0

Dermatitis/skin lesion 2.0 1.3

Dysrhythmia 0.7 0

Apnea 1.4 0

Oral/periodontal disease 1.4 0

Pyrexia 0.7 1.3

Urinary tract disease 1.4 1.3

Wound drainage 1.4 0

*A single dog may have experienced more than one occurrence of an event.

Post-Approval Experience:

Although not all adverse reactions are reported, the following adverse reactions are based on

voluntary post-approval adverse drug experience reporting. The categories of adverse reactions

are listed in decreasing order of frequency by body system.

Gastrointestinal: Vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, inappetence, melena, hematemesis,

gastrointestinal ulceration, gastrointestinal bleeding, pancreatitis.

Hepatic: Inappetence, vomiting, jaundice, acute hepatic toxicity, hepatic enzyme elevation,

abnormal liver function test(s), hyperbilirubinemia, bilirubinuria, hypoalbuminemia.

Approximately one-fourth of hepatic reports were in Labrador Retrievers.

Neurologic: Ataxia, paresis, paralysis, seizures, vestibular signs, disorientation.

Urinary: Hematuria, polyuria, polydipsia, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infection, azotemia,

acute renal failure, tubular abnormalities including acute tubular necrosis, renal tubular

acidosis, glucosuria.

Behavioral: Sedation, lethargy, hyperactivity, restlessness, aggressiveness.

Hematologic: Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, blood

loss anemia, epistaxis.

Dermatologic: Pruritus, increased shedding, alopecia, pyotraumatic moist dermatitis (hot spots),

necrotizing panniculitis/vasculitis, ventral ecchymosis.

Immunologic or hypersensitivity: Facial swelling, hives, erythema.

In rare situations, death has been associated with some of the adverse reactions listed above.

To report a suspected adverse reaction call 1-800-366-5288.

 

I have the entire brochure if you want it. Email me at Burpdog@msn.com And yes, death is a side effect -- I lost my first grey to rimadyl.

[Batmom]

If she has vomiting and diarrhea, you NEED to stop the Rimadyl.

[Guest paulamariez]

I think I would stop it too and talk to your vet again. Bueller took the stuff with no problems. But when Tiger took it after he was attacked by two dogs, he went into total kidney failure and started peeing blood. The e-vets didn't catch it. It just so happened that right before this, I read about the possible reactions from the Rimadyl and suggested the possibility to the vet. The vet immediately stopped the Rimadyl and IV flushed Tiger's kidneys and (thankfully) he regained full kidney function. But after that episode, I tend to be very careful with that drug and err on the side of caution. Now at our vet, Tiger's file has "Allergic to Rimadyl!" written in big red letters on it. I will keep your precious Suri in my prayers for a quick healing!

[Guest MAXNAV]

I agree with everyone. I would NOT give the Rimadyl. Honestly, I know you like your vet, but.......if my vet were to tell me to continue a medicine that is obviously making my dog sick, they would be FIRED. It's a tough medicine to take.

Edited August 12, 2008 by MAXNAV

[Guest Hotdogs]

First of all, thank you.

 

I'm not going to give her any more--I haven't given her any today and already, her appetite is better, she isn't vomiting anymore and she no longer has watery stool, although it is dark and as my husband put it "colorful". After reading the 'tarry dark stool' side effect section, I am concerned though. Will she be ok now that she's not taking the Rimadyl and seems to be feeling better? Am I right in assuming dark stool means blood in her stool?

[Batmom]

Good thing to stop. If it's very dark, yes, and I would see your vet tomorrow. Could be she would benefit from some extra fluids and some tummy meds.

[Guest MAXNAV]

Even people meds can change the color of your stool. I believe it'd be the same for dog meds. It doesn't always mean that there's blood in it, right? I remember when my collie & grey were on antibiotics, sometimes their stool color would change until they were done.

[Batmom]

The dark color could be from meds, but it would be wise to check. NSAIDs are useful drugs that can cause problems for some dogs (and people), and you want to make really really really sure they haven't caused any.

[Burpdog]

Dark usually means blood. Can you get some carafate?

[Guest Hotdogs]

ok, please try not to think of me as too stupid, but I'm not too familiar with Carafate.

I know it's for ulcers, but it's not an over the counter med. is it?

 

I am still giving her 4 mls of kaopectate before each meal and she hasn't vomited and is behaving more like herself. But, I don't think you're supposed to give her kaopectate if she has blood in her stool. (She hasn't 'given me' another stool sample yet--still not sure if this is what it really is)

 

I have to call our vet back (I'm reluctant now after the bad advice) because she brought in Duralactin for Suri, b/c she came to me with a case of stomatitis that hasn't gone away in spite of her clean teeth. I'll ask what to do--maybe the other vet will be in.

 

Thanks again for the advice

[iluvgreys]

Your vet can give you a prescription for Carafate or call one into your pharmacy. You give it one hour after meds, and it coats the stomach and helps with ulcers/upset.

[Burpdog]

I would not give kaopectate. It is a prescription (carafate) and the generic is sulcrafate. Because of the bleeding, she really needs a prescription med.

 

Sending lots of prayers.

[4My2Greys]

Just wanted to mention that Carafate will help with active ulcers but it will do nothing to prevent new ones from occuring, so don't make the mistake and think that with this medicine you can still give the Rimadyl.

 

Judy,

Mom to Nadir, Beanie, and Bruiser

[Guest paulamariez]

Can't Kaopectate make the stool dark? I know for certain that Pepto Bismol makes our hounds (and ours if we take it!) black for like one or two poops! Just wondering if the dark stool could be from the Kao, rather than thinking it's blood immediately. I'd check with the vet, even if you didn't like the previous advice. It could be just a one time misjudgment. I will keep your precious hound in my prayers for a quick recovery.

[Guest Hotdogs]

Just wanted to mention that Carafate will help with active ulcers but it will do nothing to prevent new ones from occuring, so don't make the mistake and think that with this medicine you can still give the Rimadyl.

 

Judy,

Mom to Nadir, Beanie, and Bruiser

Don't worry

I'm not hellbent on giving her Rimadyl, I've had enough.

leaving for the vet's office now with a few questions, that hopefully someone will have the time to answer. Hopefully someone will call me back

 

Can't Kaopectate make the stool dark? I know for certain that Pepto Bismol makes our hounds (and ours if we take it!) black for like one or two poops! Just wondering if the dark stool could be from the Kao, rather than thinking it's blood immediately. I'd check with the vet, even if you didn't like the previous advice. It could be just a one time misjudgment. I will keep your precious hound in my prayers for a quick recovery.

 

Thank you That's comforting and that will be one of the questions I have for our vet.

[Guest Hotdogs]

A side-effect of Kaopectate is black/dark stool.

[Guest suzye]

What else has happened? I log in to greytalk and look at the last few pages of posts only occasionally so I don't know if I missed a follow-up thread.... Is Suri OK? My Jazz broke her toe and went on Deramaxx (I got NO warning and NO printout). She stopped eating and started drinking, and my vet jsut said to stop the med not bring her in. I decided to bring her in the next day and she is in kidney failure now. She might have been on her way there already, but I will never know since we didn't have a recent first catch of the day USG prior. I now own a refractometer so I can check it as often as I want in my next dog.

 

I hope that if this was a drug reaction, it was stopped in time. These vets needs to get a CLUE! I fired mine.