Hi Everyone,
I'm new to the board...you can read about me in the new people's catagory...
Anyway, we have a 9 year old rescue x race greyhound named Bryn. When we
rescued him, he was dirty, skinny and in a backyard with no shelter. He had
been there for approx. 3 years. The owners didn't know what was wrong with
him. They thought perhaps he had run into something or had had a stroke.
he could only move on three legs, the left hind had no feeling what-so-ever.
We had x-rays done, and he has a break in his pelvis, but it is an old one, and
vets don't think there is anything they can do. He does obviously have
neurologic deficits,as well.
However, all is not grim. My partner Bruce has what can only be described as
healing hands...he has spent hours on message, and Bryn now has feeling in his
leg and even uses it quite well now. He does limp a bit, but other than that he
is now a happy healthy dog (well, after £240.00 worth of dental work as well, but
that is another story lol).
Anyway, our new vet advised switching him from rimidyl to medicam, which we
did about 3 weeks ago. He said that medicam was easier on his stomach. Bryn
has tolerated the rimidyl very well and it has indeed helped him quite a bit, but
since the vet said try this, we went for it. I don't think he is doing as well on
the medicam as his limp seems more pronounced.
Do any of you fabulous folk have an opinion one way or the other? I want to speak to the vet on Tuesday (Being an American boy do I have to get used to
these Bank Holidays!) and sound somewhat informed.
What do you all think?
Love ya and thanks,
Suzi

Medicam. It seems to work on some and not on others, I had a bitch that did not responed to it at all and gave the rest to my sister to use up as her Newfi was doing very well on it. My bitch in fact went back onto PLT, not used much today, and lived till a few weeks off 15 years having been on the PLT for several years. I have used Rimadyl on several occasions and dispite everyones concern over its side effects have found it good at reducing swelling and pain. With an older dog I feel that quality of life is the most important thing and if the medication that gives that quality shortens their live then so be it. If it was my dog I would ask to have it put back on the Rimadyl, but only you can make that decision. All the best Jackie

Hi,
I prefer to use Rimadyl if need be on my dogs. My australian shepherd dog had it when he had undiagnosed neck and back trauma and responded really well to it and my aussie bitch puppy has just had it for bruising and swelling on her back leg. Both were absolutely fine on it, with no side effects at all. This is despite a warning from a U.S. colleague that Rimadyl should not be given to ''working or collie breeds''.
I wouldn't hesitiate to use it again if I had to.
HTH, Gabrielle.

Hi Suzi.
What a lucky dog Bryn is to have such a caring owner.

Rimadyl is a anti-inflammatory pain killer, it can be stopped, started, upped and downed whenever. It is widely used and usually very effective. There have been discussions on here before about it not agreeing with one or two dogs, but given the amount it is used, this is probably one in a million. I have used it successfully to treat back injuries, sprains etc.... with several dogs and have never had a problem.

Metacam belongs to a group of drugs called "NSAID" non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, ( I think rimadyl does too) which again means it can be stopped and started as necessary. I had a Dobermann on metacam for 2yrs, absolutely fine, Rimadyl didn't help him nor did Prednoleucatropin (PLT) which IS a steroid.

If Bryn were my dog, I would give him the drug YOU feel helps him most, keep him comfortable and enjoy his life as much as he can, he deserves it!
Dawn.

Thank you ALL to your replies!
I see I am going to be thankful to have joined Champdogs because it gives me access to so many great minds AND new friends!
You will all have to forgive me my ignorance at times though. After showing and breeding salukis for 20 plus years in the USA, I am going to have to learn to deal with a whole new "breed" of vet over here. I have worked as a vet tech too, but something about being in England...well, let's just say I am a bit more afraid to be my assertive, you'll do it my way you rotten vet self!
In the States I was always present during surgeries on my dogs...imagine my surprise when told that "just isn't done over here". Humph!
But our new vet is fabulous. Maybe I never had a vet I could really trust before?
Thanks again. You've convinced me to go ahead and put Bryn back on Rymadil immediately...after the Bank Holiday that is lol
Love ya
Suzi

Suzi " great minds" do hope your not addressing me. Ja:)kie

I find it really odd that some vets decide to switch a dogs medication that is working well(don't tell the lot that I work with!) Rimadyl and metacam both have plus points and what suits one dog may not suit another. I tried my dog on Rimadyl for a few weeks when he developed a limp and it had no effect on him whatsoever yet I have seen it give other dogs a whole new lease of life. Brook is now on the metacam which worked for him and I find it easier to give him that than trying to hide tablets in his grub!

Hi I Love Cockers,
Yes, sometimes vets amaze me...I have had some excellent ones over the years, but couldn't get one to up and move with me to England lol!
I spoke to our vet today, and he got some Rimadyl ready for us. Boy what a shock! While I like our new vet MUCH more than our old (whom I felt was incompetent, smelly and a nincompoop to boot!) it seems that the price of Rimadyl there is twice what it is at the old vets! Almost 50 quid per month.
Am going to repost a question re: cost in this section. We can get a script for the med, but wonder if the show folks know the ins and outs of buying them cheaper. In the US we had mail order we could do that cut the cost to about 1/3.
Thanks, and give those cockers a big hug for me!
Love ya,
Suzi

Rimadyl
50 or 20 mg tablets?
Listed on my vet medic price list dated March 2002 (picked up at Crufts)
60 tablets for £ 15.00 (20 mg)
60 tablets £ 27.44 (50 mg)

or Rimadyl granules 2.4g 20 £51.02

Pam
(I have Pharaoh's)

Hi Pam!
Pharoahs! Yum...smoothest movin' dogs alive! Do your blush?
Thanks so much for the info! Now how do I get hold of that list...is there an addy or phone number?
How many pharoah's do you have? Gawd how I miss my sighthounds...not that Bryn isn't special...he just wasn't born into my hands...am sure you know what I mean. But I wouldn't take a million for him...even if he ends up costing us a million lol!
Love ya,
Suzi

Pams Pharoahs are gorgeous. I went to a show with her and two of her girls and fell in love with her dogs. If only hubby liked smooth haired dogs we'd have one.

They have such beautiful faces with wonderful expressions and are such lovely movers.

I'm in love,

Fiona
x x x

Hi Fiona!
Sounds like Pam has some good 'uns! I can hardly wait to see them. You know distance or not, I WILL GO TO CRUFTS NEXT YEAR! I was lucky enough to have my boy Ch. Le Corsaire Jean Lafitte go to Westminster several years...but I never got to go, but Mark, my JR. handler saw New York, not me (boo hoo) I had to watch on the TV. Not fair. And by Jove Crufts is a LOT closer than 3,000 miles!
I used to watch Crufts on TV and moan that I would never get to go...who could put 15 dogs through quaranteen and live to tell the tale? Now I am here in England come hell or high-water, as grandma used to say, I will go!
As to hubby not liking smooth dogs...will piffle on him. My husband died Dec 23, 2001...and when I met him, some 30 odd years ago, he swore he would NOT be seen with "sissy dogs". I had three whippets and he wouldn't even WALK THEM! Don't give up, girl! 20 years later he was showing his two chihuahuas...one a BIS bitch...one smooth, one long coat ( A BISS winner). All it takes is the right dog to crawl into his heart...Witness Bruce with Bryn the Greyhound. When I arrived I was TOLD I could have a border collie or a rough collie. Now I think he would lie down and die if anything happened to HIS greyhound!
Use the American tactic...when in doubt, when met with resistance......???? NAG!
lOVE YA,
Suzi

Jackie - I saw your post about PLT. My dog responded so well to it and was better, but now they are saying you shouldn't use it for longer than 10 days? It's the only thing that is working for her. How long was your dog on PLT?

The bitch was on it for about 5 years and a dog I have lost recently was on them for over 4 years. The bitch was PTS because she was at the end of her enjoyable life being unable to stand without help. The dog died from kidney failure, maybe caused by PLT I don't know, but I do know he would have been PTS at least 3 years previous because of pain. It is a difficult choice to make but I feel every week feeling well is worth a year in pain or discomfort. It is a personal decision made more difficult by people telling you about the problems with whatever you chose to use. All the best, you have my thoughts and wishes.