My dog has hurt her back while rolling over yesterday. She yelped as she did it.
Today she can't jump up on the couch or bed as usual, but she is gingerly going in and out of the back door.
Last year she was given Metacam for a similar problem, the next day she went on to develop blood in her stools - vet said it wasn't Metacam it was a tummy bug. Yeah, whatever !
So I'm going back to the vet tomorrow for a painkiller but want one that won't cause problems as she's going to the dog sitter on Saturday.
Any suggestions for a pain killer that won't cause problems ?
TIA.

The other one they used to use was Rimadyl, but that had a worse reputation for side effects than metacam.

Mine has been on Metacam for years now, since x-ray showed hip subluxation and all kinds of other spinal problems.   He's had routine bloods done which have come back ok.   He was off Metacam recently, for 10 days or so as both went down with some local digestive bug doing the rounds - the result was he was given a Paracetamol based med. but he was soon in trouble without the Met.    Thankfully once back on, he returned to being ok with full mobility and no pain.

I was told, and saw for myself, that the meds he was given in the interim, weren't anywhere near as good for what ails him, as Metacam.   I do carefully monitor his stools and other apparent tummy problems as does my vet when I go for a pres. renewal.

I guess it's a toss up between any pain the dog might be in and any side effects of a NSAID.

ps   I'd not expect to see a reaction to Metacam after only being on it for a day???

I had success with gabapentin as an alternative

Gabapentin is not an antinflamatory but is used among other things for nerve pain so depends on what vet feels.the source of the problem is

I've had a dog react very badly to Metacam after just one dose - gave them an ulcer, sickness and the runs for 10 days and he stopped eating for a week!  Equally, I've also had my other old dog on it with no side effects whatsoever.  It can be very effective.  If your dog has reacted to any other drugs perhaps you could ask your vet for something that did the same thing but was more gentle on their digestive system?

Can you get her to a chiropractor - preferably a McTimmoney one, sounds like she has put something out from where it should be. Should then be able to avoid any meds at all

The dog made me out to be a liar - she bounced into the vets and looked OK !!
Vet gave her a once over but couldn't find anything. Thinks it might be muscular.
She's given us Gabapentin and said it might make her drowsy or constipated.
Fingers crossed this does the trick and she goes off on holiday all tickety-boo.
God, they worry the life out of you  !!

Don't you just love it when they do this.    It's like cars - how often have I heard something, taken it to my mechanic and there's NOT A SOUND to be heard.

I'm on Gabapentin for what was thought to be a nerve problem - I've dropped the dose as I was since x-rayed and found to have arthritis which was probably causing the pain I was in all along.   I can't say it did anything, to be honest.

My cat is on a mixture of metacam and gabapentin as the metacam alone wasn't sufficient but with the gabapentin she seems improved.
by coincidence i have come from   discussing  this with the vet. Cat has  arthritis.
It's is a drug used for number of.things originally for epilepsy and I have had it prescribed for a rare skin condition that is thought to be a nerve issue and my dog for layangeal paralysis  .it certainly gets around

> <br />I'm on Gabapentin for what was thought to be a nerve problem

I was given Gabapentin for a nerve problem and had the most violent reaction.  I felt as if I was going to die!!!  Changed to Pregabalin, again, usually used for epilepsy, but it seems to help.  Just goes to show that we, and dogs, just have to find what suits.

There is Pardale, which is not prescription - you can buy it online, for dogs.  Check it out...

> There is Pardale, which is not prescription

I thought this sounded familiar - I just looked up my bills, and it was what was prescribed for Frankie when they went down with a nasty digestive bug.   It didn't really work anywhere near as well as Metacam and I was later told, when I mentioned this to my vet, that it is a Paracetamol based med. and not as effective as the Metacam.

Different meds work differently for different dogs, and for different types of pain - there is no definite hierarchy of efficacy.

> there is no definite hierarchy of efficacy.

"when I mentioned this to my vet, that it is a Paracetamol based med. and not as effective as the Metacam. "

So you are suggesting MY VET doesn't know what he's talking about?   I'm sorry, but this vet I do trust !!

No, they simply said that different dogs respond to different meds.  Your vet may be excellent, but he cannot categorically state that one medication is better than another when it comes to pain management.  Metacam does indeed work better than paracetamol for one of my dogs, but for another, it's the other way round.  Different pain types and sources, different individuals, different responses.

Like Nikita says.  Every dog responds differently, to different medications.  It's not about a medication being 'stronger' than another medication, it's about different pathways and functions of the various drugs and how this impacts on the individual dog.

I tried her on the Gabapentin twice a day, 12 hours apart, but it wasn't quite enough so I've gone onto 3 times a day today.
No constipation as yet, hope it doesn't kick in now I've increased the doses. She is a bit lacking in energy, however  that's good as I want her to rest it.

Just an update.
I got her down to twice a day before I went away. Then the dog sitter dropped it to once for a couple of days, then stopped.
The sitter said that 24 hours later she became fretful and , despite being adequately toileted, she pooped on the landing two nights in a row.
I'm glad I've found a pain reliever that doesn't have the bowel side effects of  Metacam , however I'm not so sure about the side effects of coming off it !!

I think gabapentin you have to wean off slowly. My dog is on it but I only give once a day now as extra to his metacam. When he was on twice a day he was sleepy but I did reduce it slowly.
For humans the side effects can be horrible I think and you can't just stop it, but dogs do act differently I suppose.

> Then the dog sitter dropped it to once for a couple of days, then stopped.

You were happy for a sitter to do this?   I'm not sure I'd have been!

Interesting about the 'bowel side effects (Metacam)'.       Again each animal must react differently, but we've not seen with with Frankie, even after being on it for a long time now.

Gastric problems leading to diarrhoea is one of the side effects to watch for .I have a cat on long-term metacam and it would be an indication of needing a reassessment with the vet .

>

Yes I was happy, I asked them to.

My dog had bloody stools on Metacam. A known possible side effect that not all dogs get.