<p>My older labrador seems to have arthritis, ( she is 13- it has only been diagnosed by me, althogh I take her to the vet all the time) and while I have been giving her chondrotin supplements ( not cosequin) she is obviously in a lot of pain, I didn’t want to give her Rimadyl- and the vet also seemed to want to delay that- but yesterday I went to pick up some Cosequin after reading that it seemed to work better & the vet had also left a Rx for Deramaxx for anti inflammatory.
Of course the vet wasn’t in, and neither was the regular tech & while I tried to ask questions about the Deramaxx , the woman at the desk seemed flustered.
I assumed since I was hesitant about the Rimadyl, that the Deramaxx- must be "better.
So I gave her half a tablet and went to research it.</p>
<p>The vet had done a blood test & her liver values were OK, but I am taking her back in tommorow, because she hasn’t been eating well- possibly because she doesn’t feel well. Im not giving her any more Deramaxx, but I am hoping the Cosequin will help more than the other Glucosamine supplements I had been giving.
I am also going to find out about acupuncture, water massage to help her feel better- but all I have been able to find are horror stories about Deramaxx- and while she has been on thyroid meds, she is pretty healthy and has atleast a few more years to enjoy- I don’t want her to be in pain, but I don’t want her to be poisoned either.</p>
<p>It makes me wonder about what gets approved by the FDA and what doesn’t.</p>
<p>I know that not everything is going to be safe for everybody all the time- but how can we get good information?</p>
<p>You can’t online unless you subscribe to professional websites. However, any pharmacist will provide you with the package insert that the manufacturer provides. If you can understand it, (it is very small and hard to read) look for the dose, uses, side effects, and MOST IMPORTANT, the number of people on who it was tested and for how long. If you understand statistics it will mean more. You will be SHOCKED by the small amount of testing done.</p>
<p>My rule of thumb is to never take a new medication, unless it has also been on the market in Europe with little side effects. Usually other countries will be more lenient about approving some drugs. I rarely will take something that has been out less than a year, and prefer several years.</p>
<p>Even better, take nothing. And, ask your Dr.</p>
<p>Well I am particulary asking about pet medications-
while I see that some vets are dispensing medication with warning lable, this bottle doesn’t have any & I didn’t get a paper with information.</p>
<p>I also know, that all side effects have to be reported, whether they are common or rare.</p>
<p>I do take a couple Rx, including one that has been banned in Canada- & my younger daughter takes even more- but most have been on market for long time.</p>
<p>I know that some medications are supposedly better in Europe, Dr Ratey an expert on ADHD for example, told me he takes something that is made in France- but it isn’t covered by ins and is way too expensive for me.</p>
<p>Kitty, you’d be surprised how many of the same medications are used on humans and pets. I know people who buy their medications from a vet because it is cheaper from a vet, but the same drug. But, instead of asking your Dr., ask your vet. Hope he feels better.</p>
<p>There are many glucosamine products on the market for dogs, horses, people etc… For some reason, some work better for some individuals than others. My own dog did particularly well on shark cartiledge cookies. One of the tricks is to start with a very high dosage until you see improvement, and then drop back to maintenance levels.</p>
<p>I do think that if you have a dog ‘in a lot of pain’ that Rimadyl isn’t a bad idea. My dogs have been on it short term at times.</p>
<p>My agility Sheltie is now retired and needs to be on a glucosamine supplement all the time. When it doesn’t work for her any more, we’ll try the big guns (Rimadyl) to keep her comfortable.</p>
<p>PDR=poor drug reference-but if that’s all you have-it is better than nothing.</p>
<p>So sorry to hear about the dog. We have gone through several med adjustments for our dog son. Risks/benefits/quality of life was a huge factor in his present treatment plan. If you get to the point where you do need the NSAID-meloxicam is now generic.</p>
<p>fyi-Costco glucosamine/chondritin (sp?) got good ratings from Consumer Reports-and it actually seems to be the best for our dog. Prior to that I tried the ones at triple the price.</p>
<p>My 11 year old mutt had developed very stiff hips (could hardly get up off the floor). The vet recommended glucosamine. It has worked very well for us. The pills I bought from the vet were very expensive. When they were gone, I ordered the “Super Joint Enhancer” pills from the online pet supply store you see advertised on TV all the time. They cost one third the price of the Vet’s pills and seem to work just as well. Like someone else mentioned, you have to start off with a higher dose and then cut back. We saw great results in a couple of weeks. He takes one pill a day now.</p>
<p>Emeraldkity-Our 13 yr old lab has had trouble getting around. We tried Rimadyl but it didn’t seem to make a difference. With our dog they think it is nerve damage not arthritis. She has trouble getting up and loses her footing. She had got to the point she would get stuck and couldn’t get herself up without us lifting her and putting her feet forward. She also wasn’t eating much and getting thin.
We took her to the vet and they gave us a prescription for Tramadol and analgesic. It have made a world of difference. She is able to move around more since she is not in as much pain. We also started to give her wet food on top of her dry. We use Merrick can food that looks like people food. It has made her love eating again. It is expensive but worth it.</p>
<p>Try Lubrisyn - it is hyaluronic acid and has no side effects. I use if for my horse and it has been the only thing that works for her. I just looked at the website and they now have a product for dogs and cats but it says it is only available through a vet. I don’t know why it is different for horses. I would probably just order the equine version and give it to the dog. I know people who are taking it with success. </p>