Rimadyl?

[Julia Deardorff]

Has anyone had experience with Rimadyl with their Doodle? My vet has put my Gdoodle on 75mg Rimadyl 2X a day for recent hip dysplasia w/arthritis diagnosis.  I have been reading info on rimadyl on the internet and there are all sorts of warnings about adverse reactions.  All of this is making me so nervous and I'm watching and reacting to everything he does, like moping around and eating grass in large quantities.  I've decided I'm losing my mind worrying about this dog and this ugly mess of HD.  Has anyone had "good" experience with rimadyl. I've read the bad.  I'm considering cutting his dose (without asking the vet) to only 1 tab of 75 mg a day instead of 2.

[Tammy & Gracie]

I have known folks who used this on dogs with arthritis with no noticable side effects. I think I would stay on it awhile, then see what kind of improvement your dog has. At that point I might discuss reducing the dose with your vet. But I would give it a chance to help first.

[F, Calla & Luca]

If you read too much on any medication you'd never take it and that includes aspirin. I had my son's standard poodle on it and he was OK. I'd trust the vet on this one. I think labs don't do well on it, though. But a goldendoodle should not be a problem I guess.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

My poodle was on Rimadyl for knee surgery at 9 years old, and again at the end of her life for arthritis, and she lived to be 16. Jack's been on it for paw pad injuries, and my foster was on it for a few days after spay surgery. No adverse affects.
Yes, Rimadyl can have some pretty severe side-effects, especially when used over long periods of time. I think it can be of great help though when used properly to control pain & inflammation. Like everything else, I guess we have to weigh the benefits against the risks.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My Springer Spaniel was in a study of rimadyl when he was a puppy because of a bone socket problem. He was fine with it but we didn't need it again for him until he tore his CCL and had surgery. Again he was fine with it. Both of those situations were temporary. Our twelve year old lab-mix was put on rimadyl last winter for arthritis and age related stuff. We give him half of the prescribed dosage and it has made a HUGE difference in his easing his pain. We have stopped it for about a week at a time several times and he goes right back to groaning and limping. We also give him Chondrointin (however you spell it) and glucosomine - human kind. We have seen the same improvement in his mobility. The vet suggested that with the warmer weather, we might reduce or stop his rimadyl and we tried but he seems to need his half dose. I feel that with a young dog you might be cautious but with an older dog, if it makes a huge difference in quality of life, use it.

[Julia Deardorff]

Thanks so much for the replies. It does "ease" my worries to read what others have experienced. I spoke with a friend in Georgia yesterday who has an 11-1/2 yr. old German Shepard who has had HD all of his life. She is sharing her years of knowledge with me about how she has handled things with her dog. She has 7 dogs and more than half have some medical problems. It's nice to get advise and to know you're not alone. She did tell me that two of her dogs are on Metacam and she really likes how it works, so I may talk with the vet on our next check in with him in about 3 weeks.

I have been watching for any reaction to the rimadyl for the past week and thought I saw lethargy and he has been eating grass like a goat. This morning he threw up ... a teeny beanie baby (cat toy) and 1 sock. I've cut his food back and he isn't getting treats anymore so I guess he found a way to satisfy that hunger. He seems perkier now that he's regurgitated.