My dog has had x-rays on his back this morning and they've shown a very slight protusion to one of his discs.  I've just spoken to the vet on the phone and he's recommended 10 days crate rest and will also give me some anti inflammatory tablets when I collect him later this afternoon.  The problem is that I feel sure that the tablets will be Rimadyl which I don't want to use due to their side effects. 
Can anyone suggest any alternatives ?  I know the vet won't be very pleased if I refuse the tablets -  he's always maintained that he's never come across any side effects to Rimadyl in all the years he's been practicising etc etc. 
I'm collecting my dog about 3 p.m. so I'm a bit desperate for replies ! :)

I always ask for metacam as I know my dog is ok with it.  Can't comment on your dog though but i've always been happy with metacam as a painkiller, not sure if it is an anti inflamatory too though

Acupuncture? I have no personal experience but I know someone with a collie that suffers from lupus. A year ago it looked like he wouldn't make it another week. She started with acupuncture and it's done wonders for him. He's a new dog.

Rymadyl is a member of a group of meds known as NSAIDs which stands for Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs.  If in doubt or wishing to discuss further, IMO your vet should always be sympathetic to his clients wishes and/or fears.  It may well be that s/he can provide your boy with a similarly effective pain relief med that is not within the NSAID family or which you feel to be a safer alternative when given all the facts.

I've found my own vets, both previous and present to be happy to go over options with me when a drug or treatment is a concern.  I would suspect that provided you manage to handle the conversation in a polite, non-confrontational way and mindful of the fact that your vet has professional training in these areas, then hopefully you will come away with something equally effective for your dog's comfort and also with the bonus of greater peace of mind for yourself.

Best wishes for a helpful response and your lad's speedy recovery.
Teri

I had Rimadyl and Metacam and in the end PLT steroids for my old Aussie who had spodylosis of the spine. We started off on Rimadyl but I felt it didn't really do anything for him.
I changed him on to the Metacam which was ok, and my vet then changed him on to Flexicam which is the same as Metacam but a lot cheaper and by a different manufacturer !!
He coped on this for a good couple of years until he got really bad and then we had to put him on steroids. I also throughout all this time gave him Devils Claw as well.
Hope this helps a little,

Gabrielle

Many thanks to you all for your quick and very helpful replies.

Teri - would you happen to know the names of any of the pain relief medicines which aren't NSAIDs ?  (so I can look them up on the net)

Thanks again :)

TBH Lois, a lot depends on the severity of discomfort your vet believes your dog to be in or likely develop.  Arnica tablets combined with cage rest could well be sufficient if discomfort is likely to be minimal (particularly with such strict resting in place) but if your dog is likely to be in serious pain then an OTC homeopathic remedy is IMO not likely to be sufficient.

Personally if anti-inflammatories are needed I'd rather go down the steroid route (generally pred) than the non-steroid and *crucially* have same given in conjunction with ant-acid meds for the tummy lining.  This however may not be appropriate for your dog for some other reason and so needs to be discussed with the professional overseeing treatment.

regards, Teri

Thanks Teri :)
Fortunately there seems to be no obvious pain so hopefully the Arnica might be sufficient but I will certainly try to discuss all the options with the vet (he's not the most communicative person in the world but I'll do my very best !)

Lois, do you know your dog will have side effects to NSAID's or is it that you fear they may have side effects?

IMO if pain is involved you sometimes have to put fear to one side and treat the pain with the best medication available, in the case of disease or damage to the spine PLT is sometimes the most effective.

The choice is yours of course, you have to weigh the possible risks of side effects against the relief your dog may get from any given medication.

Hi Nova
No I don't know for sure that Rimadyl won't agree with my dog but, after reading up about this drug I really don't want to take the risk. I know a lot of drugs have side effects but this one seems to be in a league of its own.

Hi

My dog is 14 and he has been on Zubrin for the past six months.  The vet put him on this because of inflamation in his joints and he was having difficulty getting up and getting down and walking was becoming a problem too. He has chronic renal failure and the vet said he dad another dog on Zubrin, who also has kidney failure, and he was doing well, so I gave it a go.  He is on half the full dose and it has made such a difference to his mobility.

It is supposed to be gentler on the kidneys than other drugs of this sort. Only you can decide what is right for your dog but ask your vet about zubrin.

Personally if anti-inflammatories are needed I'd rather go down the steroid route (generally pred) than the non-steroid and *crucially* have same given in conjunction with ant-acid meds for the tummy lining.

Just remember that steroids can have devastating consequences as well if used on a long term basis. I lost my favourite cat on Friday as a direct result of steroid treatment -it caused diabetes (wellknown side effect in both humans and animals) and his immune system was so compromised he was so ill with 3 different conditions (originally there was just one) that we had no other choice but to say goodbye. He wasn't even 9 yet. :( I'm heartbroken and will never go down the steroid route again.

> Just remember that steroids can have devastating consequences as well if used on a long term basis

Very true Marianne, as with many prescription only meds used long term for a number of illnesses.  Equally some dogs, other species as well as humans can enjoy positive life changing results from them, indeed in some instances couldn't survive without them.

As the OP appears to be referring to a short term period I should think her vet will be best able to advise which type of meds both the dog and its owner are most comfortable and safest with :)

Sincere sympathies on losing your much loved cat :(

regards, Teri

Before Rimadyl it was Zenacarp (sp) and after Rimadyl it will be something else. Have used Rimadyl and PLT on my dogs when pain or inflammation was making their life less than fun, I work on the idea that it is quality rather than quantity for my dogs that I want. To date I have had no problems with any of the non or the full blown steroids. As your problem is short lived you could try alternative treatments but even they can have unwanted side effects. Have also tried Metacam on 3 different dogs but found it of little use however my sister used it on one of her Newfie with good results.

You have to go with how you feel and if you wish to use arnica or similar then of course that is the way to go. For long-term pain I would be looking to stop the pain at all costs but in the short term you have the option.

My vet gave me previcox after one of mine was unwell on rimadyl.  he always was very sensitive to drugs and the previcox seemed to agree with him.

Jill

Lois_vp, I have also used acupuncture with great results.  I had the vet up at the house to do it as it was more relaxing for my dog than at the vets.  Got to be worth a try...

I have used Metacam recently on one of mine with good results (short term use only) however I also know of a friends dog whom reacted poorly to it, so constant monitoring is a must (although I would assume most people would monitor their dogs very carefully on any type of medication). I wouldn't use Rimadyl given the reported side effects.

Gemma was put on previcox about 3 months before I had her PTS as Rymadyl wasnt working anymore for her. When out on previcox she was alot more mobile.
Unfortunatly a month later she was daignopsed with cancer and 2 months after that she went down hill and I made the decision to have her PTS So only know that it helped for 3 months. (Cancer was seperate to Non steroidals!!)
Lea :)

i have used both metacam and rimadyl on several occassions and on several different dogs and i must say despite what i have heard i have never had any problems with either. i also have one of my girls on pred, she is only 9 months and has been on these for 3 months but sadly with her terrible condition it is about quality of life and i would rather her live for 6 months and be very happy, than six years and be miserable and have no life.
you must do what you feel comfortable with and i hope your vet was happy to discuss the options with you if you explained your concerns.
how did you get on today?
hope all is well :)

I talked to the vet about my fears of NSAIDs but, as he was pretty sure my dog would have pain, I agreed to try Metacam.  At least I know what side effects to watch out for.  He was very wobbly when I collected him but he has improved overnight.  Crate rest is going to be difficult but the vet emphasised that it's really important that the disc doesn't suffer further damage.
Thanks for all your posts - much appreciated.

Hi. Reading this with interest. Does anyone know if dogs can have the likes of paracetamol as general pain relief. My girls on low dose pred (as some of you must know from my previous posts), and when i take her for her walk which she's never keen on, i just wonder if she's got some pain/discomfort somewhere cause she moves in stiff gate & is very reluctant..I would just like to try something to see if she improves on walks. She can't have non-steroidals cause of the prednisolone but she could have machanical pain that doesn't require an anti inflammatoriies. Apart from opiates, paracetamol is the only thing i can think of. I've talked to my vet but all they can talk about is non steroidals.!

Had a feeling that Paracetamol were a NSAID, perhaps not but they have similar side effects. Some vets will agree a single use of Paracetamol others prefer Asprin but it is no doubt better to give the dogs medication designed for them.

Thing is Anti-inflammatory drugs are either non-steroidal or they are steroids so if you need to use an anti inflammatory pain killer you don't have much choice.

Peanut, our vet always advised soluble aspirin for the dogs (NOT cats) if we needed something in an emergency for pain. I have used Cortaflex for my bernese to prevent stiffness and it seems to work very well but it is expensive.