Galliprant

[Phaedra3]

Has anyone experienced good results with galliprant or experienced side effects with the use of galliprant? I have read several articles that diarrhea is a very common side effect.

[greysmom]

Several people in GT have used Galliprant successfully. I don't believe anyone has mentioned any adverse side effects. You can search here for threads/mentions of it in the forum.

[NeylasMom]

Violet has taken it. No side effects. Not sure if it helped, bit didn't hurt.

[Phaedra3]

My Colby is having neck pain was on prednisone which really helped but then she developed pancreatitis from the steroid. Tried meloxicam prior to the steroids but it didn't help. Now that she is off the prednisone she is taking tramadol but still needs an anti inflammatory med. My vet gave me 2 weeks worth of galliprant to try but I was reading some posts about it causing GI issues. That is why I'm reaching out to the hound world for advise.

[NeylasMom]

Your girl needs pain relief. Try it. If she has side effects, you'll stop it if need be. I haven't heard of dogs having GI issues with this med in particular though I'm sure any nsaid carries that risk. Bit generally I think the side effect concerns are less with this drug than other nsaids.

[greysmom]

Make sure you give it to her after a full meal to minimize any gastro effects.

[beledi]

I make sure I give it with food.

[kudzu]

Had a senior with advanced spinal arthritis who was on Galliprant for the last few months of her life. It definitely helped without visible side effects. She had CRF, but her blood work did not change over the time she was taking it. There were no obvious GI effects. And I assure you that if she'd had any change in her stools we would have noticed since she was also fecal incontinent.

 

If she were mine, I would definitely try it. For the condition you describe she definitely needs pain relief and some sort of anti-inflammatory. Galliprant is a good option. For my girl we used just Galliprant for a couple weeks. While it make a dramatic difference compared to just tramadol, it wasn't quite enough. We dropped the tramadol, which wasn't helping that much, and added gabapentin. This combo, Galliprant and gabapentin, made a world of difference. If Galliprant isn't enough for your girl, you may want to ask for gabapentin be added. Both can be used in conjunction with tramadol. There's no reason to stop that if it helps.

[Victor]

My 7-year-old greyhound boy was hospitalized last night because of Galliprant. He developed loose stools which turned into explosive black liquid diarrhea. He was also vomiting mucus with blood. They started him on IV fluids and GI protectants at the ER. The vet says he's doing better today, but he still has diarrhea (it's brown now instead of black).

 

We had used Galliprant previously without incident, but only for short courses (2-3 days). This time he was on it for 2 weeks and he had a minor procedure (a punch biopsy) that required fasting overnight. He did have a meal before we gave him the dose after the procedure, though.

 

If you try it, just be watchful for GI issues. If you see any, stop the Galliprant right away and take him to the vet.

 

p.s. Gabapentin might be a safer alternative.

[Phaedra3]

I have already tried gabapentin in conjunction with the tramadol and meloxicam and it did not help. Colby needs an anti-inflammatory medication to eliminate her discomfort. Prednisone is no longer an option for her this is why I am thinking of trying the galliprant.

[JaimeL]

I've used galliprant for Star for 6 months, no issues, but not much relief for LS and arthritis. I'm seeing better results with carprofen (50 mg. 2x) and gabapentin (300 mg. 2x). I have recently started acupuncture, cold laser and chiro in the hopes that I can take her off the carprofen. No GI issues and her mobility is improved.

[Phaedra3]

Just gave Colby her first dose of galliprant this morning, if it is going to work for her when should I expect to see some improvement?

[kudzu]

For Kira there was a mild improvement in the first 12 hours, but it took a couple days for more significant benefit. That was judged by her being more active and much less hesitant going up & down the ramp or steps. She was much quicker getting up and dragged her feet less. She kept her back legs closer together, as compared to the super wide stance she assumed when hurting more. My BF described that as "walking like an Old West gunslinger."

[Phaedra3]

Today is day 2 on the galliprant and I'm not seeing any improvement.

[kudzu]

That is so disappointing and frustrating.

[greysmom]

What dosage of gabapentin did you try?

 

I'm not overly surprised to hear the Galliprant isn't working if you have already tried another nsaid (meloxicam). Sometimes switching to a different one will help, but not always. It can also take a day or two or three for the swelling to reduce enough for relief - every dog is different so don't take one or two people's time line as set in stone.

 

You mentioned needing relief from "neck pain." What is her actual diagnosis?

[Phaedra3]

I was giving Colby 100mg of gabapentin three times a day. We only had X-rays done which didn't show anything. Our next step is an MRI at a cost of $3,000, which I am assuming since the there is inflammation that keeps coming back once off the steroids that we may be dealing with an issue that would require very expensive surgery.

 

We are also dealing with another senior hound with kidney disease. Between the two of them I spent $3,000 in one week between blood tests, ultrasounds, vet visits and medication. I love my hounds dearly and I will do everything possible for them.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Phaedra3

[kudzu]

100 mg 3 x/day would be expected to offer some benefit, but is not a large dose. My senior girl was prescribed gabapentin to be used as needed up to 200 mg every 8 hours. The vet said if that helps but wasn't enough she could prescribe a dose that was even higher. Gabapentin is a miracle for some, like myself, of benefit but not a miracle, as was the case for my hound, and not much good for others.

 

Having just gone through a lot with a couple of senior hounds, you have my sincere sympathy for your situation.

[greysmom]

If it is a nerve issue that's a pretty low dose of Gabapentin. I would have expected your vet to at least try out a higher one.

 

The drug itself is a human drug developed to prevent seizures, but it's gained more widespread veterinary use recently for issues involving nerve pain and impingement. It has a huge safe dosing range and has few serious side effects. You might talk with him/her about giving it another trial.

[Phaedra3]

I will talk to the vet about putting her back on the gabapentin to see if it helps.

[Phaedra3]

Spoke with my vet said I can add back in the gabapentin, 100 or 200mg twice a day.

 

If this don't help, then we have to result to an MRI. From what I read an MRI can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours which concerns me because she would have to be sedated during the test. Has anyone here have experience with their hound being sedated for an MRI?

[tbhounds]

Spoke with my vet said I can add back in the gabapentin, 100 or 200mg twice a day.

If this don't help, then we have to result to an MRI. From what I read an MRI can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours which concerns me because she would have to be sedated during the test. Has anyone here have experience with their hound being sedated for an MRI?

I work in an imaging veterinary center and we do scans that can run 2 hours. We scan some rather critical pets and take the best precautions. The patients are placed on a ventilator, anesthesia constantly monitored and they packed in blankets to keep them warm during the procedure. If at anytime the patient appears to be at question the scan is halted and the patient checked. I suggest to call the mri center you are considering going to and ask of their protocol-I imagine it’s much of the same.

[Phaedra3]

Had to take Colby to ER vet yesterday, for some reason her neck pain had gotten suddenly worse. We talked about making an appointment with a neurologist at University of Pennsylvania and possibly an MRI. The ER doctor upped her gabapentin to 300mg 3x a day, methocarbamol 750mg 3x a day and added in amantadine 150mg 1x a day and continuing with the daily dose of galliprant. Taking her off the tramadol as it was not doing anything for her.

 

Has anyone had a good response with amantadine?

[NeylasMom]

I haven't, but that was in a dog with bone cancer. Amantadine doesn't alone give pain relief, it works to enhance the effects of an NSAID. I think it's one of those things that just sometimes helps and sometimes doesn't.