Bad Reaction To Vetprofen. Other Anti-Inflammatory Drugs To Try?

[Shaysmom]

Seamus, who is ten, currently takes Gabapentin, 300 MG and Tramadol, 50 MG, for hind end pain. Because he is still having a lot of trouble getting up and down from his bed, the vet suggested adding an anti-inflammatory to see if we can get him more comfortable. On Sunday, we tried 150 MG of Vetprofen (generic Rimadyl), and he had a bad reaction to it within a few hours of taking it--itching, hives, swelling, anxiety, and restlessness. Are there other drugs in that category that might be better tolerated? I am guessing that the allergic reaction was to the other ingredients and not the actual med? He had such a bad time with it, I am afraid to try anything else.

[juliemac]

Deramaxx is a comparable product to Rimadyl.

 

Metacam is a liquid NSAID ... tends to be a bit more expensive, but because the dosage can be adjusted easily, it was a staple in my house when I had my little girl Paige (came to me underweight at 36#, but I was never able to get her up beyond 47# due to the muscle loss)

 

Be aware that when administering NSAIDs, you need to ensure that the previous medication is out of the hounds' system before starting a new one. That means ~ 3 days between ending one product and starting another.

[Shaysmom]

Thanks. Maybe the liquid is the next one to try. I will be sure to wait a few more days.

[dante2zoe]

Have you thought about Robaxin (methocarbamol)? It is a muscle relaxer and if they hurt, their muscles may stiffen up. Brady takes it along with gabapentin and doesn't even need the tramadol. Just a thought. I hope he feels better soon!

[Newgreymom]

Have you thought about Robaxin (methocarbamol)? It is a muscle relaxer and if they hurt, their muscles may stiffen up. Brady takes it along with gabapentin and doesn't even need the tramadol. Just a thought. I hope he feels better soon!

How much Robaxin does Brady take a day?? Don't mean to hijack thread...

[Shaysmom]

Have you thought about Robaxin (methocarbamol)? It is a muscle relaxer and if they hurt, their muscles may stiffen up. Brady takes it along with gabapentin and doesn't even need the tramadol. Just a thought. I hope he feels better soon!

 

I will ask the vet about it. Part of his difficulty is scar tissue from a surgery that had many complications and not a great outcome. The pain keeps him from wanting to put weight fully on that leg in particular. Perhaps a muscle relaxer would help. Thanks for the well wishes!

[o_rooly]

My understanding is each NSAID will work differently with individual hounds, so if one doesn't work, try another, with that washout period in-between... and make sure to give them with a meal, and watch for gastrointestinal side effects.

Aston has tried Deramaxx, Rimadyl, and Metacam as NSAIDs to go with his gabapentin, robaxin (generic is methocarbamol -- has helped him a TON), and tramadol. The only anti-inflammatory that has made a visible difference for him is prednisone, unfortunately. At this point, how he feels (quality of life) is paramount, and he's been very perky, seemingly happy and has retained the ability to go upstairs and hop into the car, and bounce around the backyard; the prednisone has sure been a true double-edged sword, though. I think that in his case it's worth it, but I wish I had been more prepared for possible consequences (just so I could keep them in mind and try to counteract a bit).

For what it's worth, acupuncture and Adequan injections have helped Aston tremendously with his hind-end issues (weakness, pain in jumping up or going upstairs). Very appreciable improvement following each treatment of each method. The acupuncturist also does a bit of massage, especially in his hip flexors, which get tight trying to bunch up his hind end; I also follow up at home while watching TV as Aston naps.
If scar tissue is an issue, perhaps a local acupuncturist/canine massage therapist could advise in regard to whether it can be loosened to free up movement and prevent that "sticking" pain? though I would imagine that it would be very tender, if not painful, to be worked on in that case.

Scritchies for Seamus, he is beautiful.

[dante2zoe]

Brady gets Adequan injections, as well, and they have helped him, too.

 

Newgreymom, he takes 500 mg in the am and 500mg at night. You can (and it is suggested) that they get it every 8 hours instead of 12, due to their ability to metabolize the medication faster than other breeds. However, at this time, twice a day works fine for him.

 

I hope Seamie feels better soon!

[Shaysmom]

My understanding is each NSAID will work differently with individual hounds, so if one doesn't work, try another, with that washout period in-between... and make sure to give them with a meal, and watch for gastrointestinal side effects.

 

Aston has tried Deramaxx, Rimadyl, and Metacam as NSAIDs to go with his gabapentin, robaxin (generic is methocarbamol -- has helped him a TON), and tramadol. The only anti-inflammatory that has made a visible difference for him is prednisone, unfortunately. At this point, how he feels (quality of life) is paramount, and he's been very perky, seemingly happy and has retained the ability to go upstairs and hop into the car, and bounce around the backyard; the prednisone has sure been a true double-edged sword, though. I think that in his case it's worth it, but I wish I had been more prepared for possible consequences (just so I could keep them in mind and try to counteract a bit).

 

For what it's worth, acupuncture and Adequan injections have helped Aston tremendously with his hind-end issues (weakness, pain in jumping up or going upstairs). Very appreciable improvement following each treatment of each method. The acupuncturist also does a bit of massage, especially in his hip flexors, which get tight trying to bunch up his hind end; I also follow up at home while watching TV as Aston naps.

If scar tissue is an issue, perhaps a local acupuncturist/canine massage therapist could advise in regard to whether it can be loosened to free up movement and prevent that "sticking" pain? though I would imagine that it would be very tender, if not painful, to be worked on in that case.

 

Scritchies for Seamus, he is beautiful.

I am not familiar with Adequan--I will do some reading on it. Acupuncture is one of the few things we have not tried so far. By the time Seamus was given permission to go to physical therapy after his surgery (well over a year later), the PT said it was too late for him to regain any flexibility. After that, we tried a chiropractor, cold laser treatment, and then underwater treadmill work. Unfortunately, none of it was helpful in relieving his pain or regaining his muscle use. I was ready to try acupuncture, but after all of the money we had spent on the surgery, the complications, and then on the numerous therapies, without any results for Seamus, it was just getting too expensive, and we had to let it be for awhile. Seamus was functioning okay, and we could control his discomfort with meds. That has been years back now, and as he gets older, his pain and stiffness are worsening. No one really knows if it is only from his bad leg or if he has lumbar sacral issues as well. The vet seems to think he does, but he has had x-rays of his spine and leg that didn't reveal anything significant. Without knowing the extent of what is hurting him, it has been very frustrating to not know how to help him. It breaks my heart to watch him struggle, and I feel like I am letting him down.

 

I will revisit the acupuncture & massage discussion with my husband. Seamus thanks you for the scritchies.

[Guest LindsaySF]

I would look into the adequan injections. If it's LS, there are also depo-medrol injections. Good luck!