Need Pain Management For Miles

[Guest GriffinsMom]

Update: I ordered a pair of Therapaws for Miles and they just arrived. We just got back from a walk so I will wait to try them until our afternoon walk. I checked his pads again for corns but there was nothing obvious. Hopefully, if he walks more easily in the Therapaws that this is just a corn that has not appeared on the surface of his pad yet.

 

Miles has pain in his hind end especially his rear right leg and in his shoulders. The pain in his shoulders is is most likely from compensating for his weak hind end.

 

Metacam really helped his pain but it made him vomit, then we tried Previcox plus Misoprostol which was supposed to help eliminate the vomiting. It did not work and he continued to vomit. Then we tried Tramadol which seemed to have little or no effect. Now he is on Gabapentin, again with seemingly little or no effect. We are running out of options. The next drug, sorry I can't remember the name, is quite strong and used on cancer patients. If that does not work the last option is Prednisone. I know there are many nasty side affects with Prednisone and I would prefer not to use it.

 

I have tried massage therapy which makes him feel good for a short time then his is back to limping and favoring his back rear leg. I have even tried Raiki and thetahealing but I see no improvement. If I could find a good acupuncturist I would try that but so far no luck. I could probably find an acupuncturist in Vancouver but with the Olympics in two weeks the driving restrictions are ridiculous. You can hardly get around the city at all.

 

Miles hips, spine, and back legs have been X-rayed but they appear healthy and give no reason for his lameness. He spent another day at the vets having neurological tests done. None of the tests pointed to a definite problem. His balance, knees, ligaments, and flexibility were all at acceptable levels. His bloodwork came back and indicated that his thyroid was very low. He is now on Synthroid and will be tested again in a month to determine if his dosage needs to be revised.

 

When Miles walks he is extremely sensitive to the surface he is walking upon. He tries to stay on the grass and when he walks on a hard or uneven surface he really slows down and his foot steps are very uneven. His pads and the spaces between his toes have been checked but there is no apparent reason for his sensitivity.

 

Can anyone suggest any more options for pain killers that will not make Miles vomit?

Edited January 28, 2010 by GriffinsMom

[MP_the4pack]

I can't offer any suggestions except maybe call OSU.

[Guest Troyshouse]

I know you said his pads were checked, but if the checker doesn't know how to look for corns, they often miss them...

 

Take a look here http://www.ngap.org/greyhound-health-corn-y301.html

and here http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/corns.htm (WARNING: pictures 2 & 3 are surgical in nature, if you're squeamish - but DO try to look at the rest, as they are very instructive)

 

If corns are the problem, there is excellent treatment information here http://www.greyhoundwelfare.org/resourceDet.php?resourceCategoryKey=32 and here http://www.greyhoundgang.org/medical-cornsandwarts.php.

 

This paper by two veterinarians http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/CG%20A%20New%20Approach%20to%20Treating%20Corns.pdf is also helpful.

 

What you said about your pup preferring to walk on soft surfaces causes me to wonder if this is the problem after all... Good luck!

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

A combination of drugs can provide better relief than 1 agent. Alex was on Rimadyl + Tramadol. When we maxed out the Tramadol (way higher doses than originally prescribed) we added Gabapentin. That seemed to work for him.

[racindog]

You know the fact that the strong drugs seem to have little if any effect makes it sound to me like he has a serious energy blockage.

That would also explain physical issues too. Too bad there isn't any good acupuncturist close by. There are several natural type things that may help- Fresh Factors, yucca, arnica, DGP pills etc., even pressing on the "aspirin point" may help him. One thing that has really helped my houndies(and me) with pain from age(Aggie is almost 14) and injuries(Cash) and that is a BIOFLOW magnetic collar. It is so strong it is a class 1 medical device in GB and you have to get them from there. The cheap magnetic collars readily available are not effective to my knowledge. It really has to be a real BIOFLOW collar but let me assure you they work very well and have been most effective on the 2 dogs I tried them on. In fact it comes with a 90 day money back guarantee so you've nothing to lose by trying it. They really helped my dogs-especially Cash. Their web is www.magnet-healing.co.uk but I don't know how to do links so you may need to type it in. In fact if you pm me with an email addy I can send you 2 or 3 articles on this and pain options. Just keep trying and I'll bet you find something that works for him. Give him a hug for me! (gently)

[Jackandgrey]

I no it may sound repetitive but really really check him for corns. The behavior you describe is so very suggestive of a corn.

[Guest Energy11]

The only thougts I have, given Miles is having so many side effects from the oral meds, is, maybe, shots? Metacam comes in an injectable version, and maybe your vet could teach you how to administer it? Also, the "cancer" medication they are talking about is probably Duragesic patches (Fentanyl). These are put on the skin, and the pain killer, a narcotic, gets absorbed through the skin, into the body. My husband Bob, had these when he was dying of cancer. They were very effective.

 

Whatever you and the vet decide, I just hope it helps poor Miles. Sending you lots of love, hugs and prayers! Dee and The Five .

[Burpdog]

How much tramadol was he on? Many vets underdose it. Has he had a TBD panel done?

[Guest 2greygirls]

I know you said his pads were checked, but if the checker doesn't know how to look for corns, they often miss them...

 

Take a look here http://www.ngap.org/greyhound-health-corn-y301.html

and here http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/corns.htm (WARNING: pictures 2 & 3 are surgical in nature, if you're squeamish - but DO try to look at the rest, as they are very instructive)

 

If corns are the problem, there is excellent treatment information here http://www.greyhoundwelfare.org/resourceDet.php?resourceCategoryKey=32 and here http://www.greyhoundgang.org/medical-cornsandwarts.php.

 

This paper by two veterinarians http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com/library/CG%20A%20New%20Approach%20to%20Treating%20Corns.pdf is also helpful.

 

What you said about your pup preferring to walk on soft surfaces causes me to wonder if this is the problem after all... Good luck!

You know I thought the same thing, especially as pain meds often don't work on corns...many vets have never even heard of them.

[Guest Energy11]

Staggerlee has corns on both back feet, and he won't walk outside the straw-covered turnout pen without his booties.