New Meds For Ruby - Where Do You Buy Them ?

[Busderpuddle]

I took Ruby in to the vet today to see why she has been having trouble getting into the car, and she has been very restless at night, spinning circles, moaning (slight) and trouble sleeping.

The Dr said her hind end is getting weak. She has trembling if she stands very long also. She is now 10 1/2, and he said that is considered geriatric, and most need some comfort measures. She also needs a dental, but he wants to do labs in one month to make sure she is doing well on the new meds.

He gave samples today of Synovi G4, Deramaxx 25 mg, and Hills Prescription Diet dental chews. I have enough for 2 weeks, and he said I should know if they are going to help her.

Can anyone tell me where they have found the Deramaxx the cheapest ? He said he will prescribe the 100 mg tabs and I can split into fourths. The Synovi G4 I found at Chewy.com, but did not find the dental chews. They sell them at the office too, but wondered if anyone has a better option. My poor girl, I hope this helps her rest a bit better.

 

[Scoutsmom]

You might check GoodRX.com for the medicines.

[macoduck]

We were giving Allen (11) rimadyl for hind end problems. Tried a few gabapentin left over from Percy and noticed an improvement. Had a long talk with the vet who added galliprant. The difference in Allen is amazing. Have you ever tried that combination for Ruby?

[greysmom]

We get most of our dog meds through Costco. You don't have to be a member to use the pharmacy. Recently used 1800PetMeds.com and was pleased with the price and the speed of shipping.

 

There are tons of dental chews out there. Best way is to compare the ingredients list. I imagine there are cheaper, similar chews. We use a chew called "Whimzees" for Lilly because there's no chicken in them (nearly every chew has some sort of chicken product or by-product). They come a lots of different shapes and sizes. And the other two get Dentasticks. We used to use Busy Bones, but they raised the price too high for a multiple dog household.

[MaryJane]

I get the Deramxx from Foster & Smith and it costs about $100 for 30 pills of the 100mg which lasts 60 days (Adam get 1/2 once a day). Sometimes Foster has specials and if you spend 100, you get a $25 gift certificate.

[seeh2o]

If you buy a pill cutter and cut it into 1/4s, Costco has 100mg tablets, 30 count for $93.64. That would last a long time.

 

Have you considered acupuncture and cold laser for Ruby's back end? That saved my Doodles after her FCE, she lived another 3 years. I never had to give her any prescription meds for her back end, I did give her a supplement to prevent muscle spasms. I also put her on Next Level Joint fluid for arthritis, it was amazing, within 2 weeks she was moving so much better, was brighter and playing again. It is recommended by racing trainers.

[Busderpuddle]

thank you everyone, I will look into the places mentioned. I do plan on getting the Deradexx 100 mg and splitting them, but I may need to increase to 50 mg a day.

I got a call from the vet tonight and he had just received the lab work from our past vet, and he is worried about Ruby's kidneys and wants to repeat the labs in one month. I know the Deradexx can be harmful to her kidneys, so now we need to decide if we should give them to her if they help, or not give them due to the kidney issue. I personally think quality of life is better than quantity, but my husband feels the opposite of course. I would prefer she be comfortable and free from pain and restlessness than live a few more months. The new vet is very aware of the greyhound kidney levels, as he brought it up to me before I could ask him about it. We have known about her kidneys for a while, so that came as no surprise. We were always told it was nothing to worry about yet.

[cleptogrey]

allivet or valley vet. i also use google shopping, check prices and compare. often allivet will meet their price. free shipping over $50.

[NeylasMom]

thank you everyone, I will look into the places mentioned. I do plan on getting the Deradexx 100 mg and splitting them, but I may need to increase to 50 mg a day.

I got a call from the vet tonight and he had just received the lab work from our past vet, and he is worried about Ruby's kidneys and wants to repeat the labs in one month. I know the Deradexx can be harmful to her kidneys, so now we need to decide if we should give them to her if they help, or not give them due to the kidney issue. I personally think quality of life is better than quantity, but my husband feels the opposite of course. I would prefer she be comfortable and free from pain and restlessness than live a few more months. The new vet is very aware of the greyhound kidney levels, as he brought it up to me before I could ask him about it. We have known about her kidneys for a while, so that came as no surprise. We were always told it was nothing to worry about yet.

Galliprant is a newer NSAID that is not supposed to have the same risk of kidney issues. You might ask your vet about trying that instead before you purchase the Deramaxx. Also, if the issues are in her hind end, I would strongly suggest trying Gabapentin first. Doesn't have the risks to kidneys/liver and is a very effective pain medication when there is nerve involvement.

 

Also, it sounds to me like Ruby could have CCD (canine cognitive dysfunction). There are meds to treat it, but you could start by trying Senilife, which is a supplement htat has been helpful for some older dogs starting to suffer from CCD.

 

As far as the dental chews, does this mean her teeth are in poor health? Dental disease can actually lead to kidney issues so if there's no reason to suspect she can't tolerate the anesthesia other than age, I would seriously consider getting her a dental.

 

I would also add fish oil to her diet if you aren't already. Can help with kidney values, as well as joint issues.

[RaineysMom]

If the Deramaxx doesn't work, try Meloxicam -- Larry gets 1/2 a pill (3.75 mg) once a day and it works miracles -- and it's super cheap (we get it filled at Walgreen's, he's a member of their Rx club). He was on Rimadyl (well, Vetprofen, the flavored generic) for 6 months but started getting a bleeding ulcer so we switched to the Meloxicam.

 

He also gets 300 mg Gabapentin 3 x day. He was also on 100 mg Tramadol 3 x day but he was having some anxiety (dementia?) issues a couple weeks ago, so we stopped the Tramadol so he could get 1/4 of a Trazodone. He seems fine without the Trams now. Larry will be 11 in February.

[MaryJane]

I forgot to mention that I used to use Metacam (about a decade ago) - it's a liquid which can easily be mixed into meals.