-
PREVICOX:
-
Previcox - It's basically Vioxx, which has been taken off the market
for humans
-
I've heard good things about Metacam. It is still a NSAID (same
as Rimadyl) but supposevly better on their tummies. Also there is
Zuprin, which is from the same family but better on their stomachs also.
-
Poke is taking Previcox right now, formerly took Metacam. Previcox is an
NSAID made specifically for animals. I always do give Poke all her meds
on a full stomach, and so far she has not had bad results from any pain
medications.
-
My vet comped me this supply of Previcox, because the Metacam is expensive.
I am seeing how this works...so far Poke is doing well on it. Certainly
no tummy upsets and it seems to relax her at night and have her able to
be more mobile during the day.
Further reading:
http://www.previcox.com/
http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showtopic=110397
http://www.2ndchance.info/pain.htm
RIMADYL
-
I know Rimadyl has had a bad rap, but I've used it on Bear and Thunder
(Thunder is on it every day) and they've been fine on it. I make
sure to have their blood tested (liver/kidneys) every 3 months (due to
their age). I know not all dogs can tolerate it, so it needs to be
given with lots
of caution. I had thought about switching to Metacam or Zuprin, but
I'm afraid that they could have a reaction to them, as these are newer
drugs in the market and there has been the same side effects reported on
those drugs as Rimadyl (as they all are from the same family - NSAID).
Yes, better
on their liver, supposedly , but like they say: if it's not broken
don't fix it. At this point in Thunder and Bear's life, I choose
quality over quantity.
Fruther reading:
http://www.rimadyl.com
Side Effects
Good & Bad News
METACAM
-
I've used Metacam several times - it's supposed to be the current
miracle drugs for aches and pains in our pets. Denise also used
this with Hershey so she has experience with it too.
-
Misty was prescribed this every 12 hours WITH LOTS OF FOOD! It
really did seem to help in the beginning (she had bone cancer) and I've
heard others say it is very good. It's expensive but, IMO,
well worth the price. The only caution - which I say over and over
- is to make sure there's plenty of food ingested with it because
it is hard on the stomach. An emergency vet prescribed this
for Misty in the beginning and said to administer it with food - she didn't
caution me that it should be a good meal and not just a few mouthsful.
As a result, on top of all her other problems, she developed an ulcer.
I don't know if it has a human equivalent or not - the web site
is http://www.metacam.co.uk/
This is a UK site but I know it is available in Canada and the U.S. - for
a large bottle, I was paying $100 here in Canada and it would last
Misty a month - she weighed about 75 pounds.
-
Yes, I did use this metacam for Hershey. Besides diabetes and cushings,
she had very bad arthritis pain also knee problems. I let hershey
have her meal first then I had made a little game out of it and when she
was done I squirted the prescribed amt. of the metacam into her mouth
and then I gave her a half of a little doggoe treat and this made giving
her the medicine fun, she looked forward to that treat. Also she liked
the taste of the metacam It helped her so much with pain and she
was like a different dog after she started taking metacam. she took it
twice a day after her meals. I called it the miracle drug for her
pain.
-
There is a pain medication for dogs, it is called Metacam and it is expensive,
also some controversy over residual side effects. I gave it to Poke for
a while before the end of her life and it did seem to help her.
Here's the website: http://www.metacam.us/.
Read through the possible complications, one think I was told to only give
on a full stomach as it can cause ulcers, stomach upset.
Further reading:
http://www.metacam.us/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metacam
CARPROFEN (marketed as Rymadil)
-
Foggy has just been put on carprofen this morning as
his hip is quite stiff and can be sore making him cry. He has had
it before for his shoulder pain and we find it is very good, he has
1/2 tablet a day and this has never affected him badly, we do give
it after his food and he thinks its a treat cause it smells beefy.
He is 10 this july so the vet thinks he just has old age creeping up on
him.
Further Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carprofen
HOMEOPATIC
-
I have used homeopathic remedies to manage pain and for my
furkid. It does help a great deal for us.
It does sound like osteoarthritis, but have you any idea what the
cause. If it was an injury, then it could be pinched nerves.
Each of those have a different remedy to control pain.
I would suggest starting with a bottle of Rhus Tox at a potency of
30C. It has no taste, just a suggestion of sweet as the remedy is
based in Lactose powder. It will look like a tiny white marble.
Pour one into the lid of the Rhus Tox bottle and try dropping it
on the rug or floor. Point to it and roll it round a bit to
see if he'll lick it up. You can also drop one into the water
bowl so he'll get a dose with each drink.
You can't over dose, a whole bottle or just one is the same potency.
The tiny vials/bottles cost between $5 and $7 at health food or some grocery
stores or organic stores or on line.
If the pain is from injury or pinched nerve, then Arnica for sprains,
bruises and breaks works really well. Same potency as above.
Hypericum is for nerve pain, it is very good after surgeries, for neuropathy
etc.
You will give one pellet every 30 minutes or so for two hours.
Then one every four hours. If you don't see improvement in
one or two days, it is not the right remedy and move on to the next
in this note.
Additionally, there is a good combination sold as King Bio. It
is a spray bottle and just one spray into water is good, but can't
give directly unless they hold their mouths open to spray on the
tongue.
If you want to use any, you pop them under your tongue and the rest
applies to humans as well.
I never have faith going to homeopathy when I am sick or in pain, but
it is truly NEVER failed me. If it doesn't work for me, then
I know I have the wrong remedy, there is a remedy for any problem,
even support for Chemo therapy problems. It is just very voodoo
like to have a cheap, tasteless, effective remedy called vibrational
medicine. Have faith, it's worth a try!
Once you can see real improvement, continue for a day or two, you then
know it is a tool that you can go back to whenever needed.
-
I posted a site regarding a firm here in Alberta that had supplements for
older pets: www.apavet.ca - I've written asking
if they ship outside Canada. There is also: http://www.naturalcanine.com
- one of our former members, Phyllis (& Laddie), used several of their
products and was pleased with the results
Further reading:
Pain in dogs & cats
Herbal
pain remedies for dogs
Homeopathic &
Herbal remedies for dogs and cats
ASPIRIN
-
my vet says it's fine to give 1/2 baby aspirin AM and PM. (dogs only)
Further reading:
http://www.flexicose.cactuscanyon.com/aspirin-for-dogs.htm
(recommeds glucosamine)
Aspirin/tylenol for sick cats
Aspirin
Toxicity in cats
YUCCA
-
When Major (German Shepherd, RB) developed arthritis, I used yucca
powder with great success for several years. But when the pain came
to be due to an advancing myopathy, I simply bought him one of those canine
wheelchairs. That worked too but, of course, it was not curing anything.
-
So here I go again ranting on and on with respect to the Yucca powder....made
by Solid Gold...I wish I could run you guys a video clip of what this stuff
did for my diabetic Quincey....after knee surgery he would not even get
up on the couch or even attempt to - would not go for a walk, he would
just sit down and you had to carry him home. I sprinkled a good shake
on his food every night and about 2 months later he was up on the back
of the couch as proud as can be....I give it to my old girl Cory (her picture
is now on the Gallery pages - she is 16 1/2 and runs around like a 2-yr
old. I would highly recommend this stuff as opposed to Glucosamine.
Quincey was diabetic and a very brittle one at that, and it did not hurt
him one bit.
-
Now Teddington (14 year old springer, nd) is toiling. I know that
he has hip dysplasia but I am treating the arthritic pain again with yucca
powder--again with sucess.
-
If it is arthritis, there is no cure but ther are medications and treatments
that can ease the pain. Before Major's neuropathy became severe,
I was able to find relief for him with arthritis-fighting Yucca (I bought
it from a horse goods supplier for almost nothing but you can buy it at
health food stores).
-
Arlene Daniels gave her Quincy a few drops of Yucca extract every day and
swears by it!
(http://www.petdiabetes.net/Bios/bios-Quincy.html)
Further reading:
Use
of Yucca in dogs & cats
Treatment of arthritic
pain in dogs (several recommendations, not just yucca)
Pet
Arthritus Chronical (general information)
GLUCOSAMINE/CHONDROITAN
-
Have you tried GLUCOSAMINE/CHODROITAN? That's suppose to be good.
A Homeopathic remedy called Skullcap is also for pain. I bought a
bottle last week. It comes in a small bottle with eye dropper &
you get it from a Health Food
-
I give Bailey glucosamine for her arthritis. It seems to have helped
and not affected her sugar. I was very concerned about the
effects it may have on her diabetes because she has never been regulated.
We have not seen a change since she has been on it. She is 55 pounds
and the vet recommended a regular human dose.
-
Regarding giving glucosamine to dogs, bonnie goodwin <goodwinbl@yahoo.com>
wrote in September of 2000: "I give Bailey glucosamine for
her arthritis. It seems to have helped and not affected her sugar. I was
very concerned about the effects it may have on her diabetes because she
has never been regulated. We have not seen a change since she has been
on it. She is 55 pounds and the vet recommended a regular human dose. "
-
We have been giving Ginger (15 yr old Choc Lab) Glucosomine for several
years for joint pain. It does not have any effect on her blood sugar
Levels.
We were also giving her on Enteric Aspirin a day, but recently changed
to Deramaxx. It seems to help her arthritis quite a bit. It
is supposed to have a low incidence of side effects, and so far it seems
to be true. While she is pretty stiff and not as strong as she used
to be, she can still get
around and negotiate our stairs.
I spoke with the vet when I went into pick Misty's meds up - I asked
her if glucosamine would affect the bg levels in diabetic pets and she
assured me it would not.
-
have been giving my 18 pound poodle/terrier, Shelby, biscuits with
glucosamine and condroitin for three years for a back disc problem and
have continued giving them to her since she was diagnosed as diabetic (7/03)
with no effects on her bg's and with our vet's blessings. I
use the biscuits as treats after her shots (they are from Flint River Ranch
- http://www.frr.com She gets one biscuit a day (I break them in half).
-
I have been doing some research for myself, as I have been diagnosed as
having osteoarthritis in my hands and my knees. I found this online
this am, since the subject has been coming up recently Ithought I'd pass
it along.
http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/alttherapies/glucosamine.asp
bout 3/4 of the way down the page find, * Because glucosamine
is an amino sugar, people with diabetes should check their blood
sugar levels more frequently when taking this supplement.
I also give one of my other dogs a glucosamine product called Syn-flex,
when I posed the, "how about giving this to a diabetic pet" question to
them they suggested that it might cause blood glucose problems. I
am waiting to learn more from all of you as my little guy is now 8 years
old and he is doing so well that I hate to mess up the works by adding
something more. I am very conservative with this little guy.
I imagine that someday I will want to provide this supplement for him and
I am paying close attention to the experiences of everyone on this list.
Thanks so much for allowing me to learn so much from all of you!
-
Linda, my dog Thunder (German Shepherd) is on glucosamine pills but his
are liver flavor. He loves them and if I let him, he would eat the
whole bottle. I get it at my vet and the brand name is Chondro Flex
(see below for the analysis). If it's the same ingredients as your
pills I would highly recommend talking to your vet to switch.
Chondro Flex analysis: Chondro Flex 's powerful joint
care formula provides maximum nutritional
support for dogs and cats with a predisposition to degenerative joint
disorders. Chondro-Flex contains, the highest quality Glucosamine, Chondroitin,
MSM, Ester-C, and chelated minerals to effectively reduce inflammation
and support the maintenance and repair process of connective tissue, including
synovial fluid, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Chondro-Flex is a cost
effective alternative to leading brands like Cosequin and Glyco-Flex.
Chondro-Flex quality Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Ester-C, and chelated
minerals to effectively reduce inflammation and support the maintenance
and repair process of connective tissue, including synovial fluid, tendons,
ligaments, and
cartilage.
CHONDRO-FLEX Chewables
Guaranteed Analysis 2 Tablet Serving
MSM 99.9% 500mg
Glucosamine HCL 99.9% 600mg
Chondroitin Sulfate 95% 400mg
Ester-C 75mg
DL-Methionine 25mg
Yucca Root Powder 50mg
L-Lysine 5mg
Manganese Chelate 20mg
Copper Chelates 3mg
Zinc Chelate 8mg
New findings indicate that the combination of both Glucosamine HCL and
Chondroitin Sulfate are synergistic. That is both add more effect than
either one alone by more than 100%.
MSM is also proven to be benificial for allergies, including Atopy or
Inhalant allergies. It blocks or disables the effect or release of Histamine.
However, the dose of MSM is higher for allergies. Dose for K9 use is 1gm
(1000mg) /12-15#'s Divided into 3 doses daily. For Dogs &
Cats
Chondro Flex II
is a more powerful formulation with nearly double the active ingredients:
Chondro Flex II Ingredients (per serving):
Glucosamine...500mg
Chondroitin Sulfate...400mg
MSM(Methylsulfonylmethane)...250mg
Ascorbate...66mg
Manganese...10mg
Dosages are 1/2 of Chrondo Flex
-
I think once Susan mentioned Yucca Powder...I just checked it out, and
it mentions the words "steroidal" and "glucosides" as ingredients...but
the Muffin site has a discussion where several members had used it with
success, this page on the Muffin site also discusses some other products
or medicines used in the past by list members:
http://www.petdiabetes.net/Health&Diet/Health-arthritis.html
Furthe reading:
http://www.arthritis-glucosamine.net/pet-arthritis/
for
cats
for
dogs
COSEQUIN (veterinarian glucosamine)
-
At one stage when we thought Tatty's leg lump was arthritis, my vet and
I were
looking at giving her Cosequin. My vet had noted an improvement in
other cats
given this supplement. Their website is here:
http://www.cosamin.com/veterinary/cosequincat.htm
-
With my cat being diabetic we wanted to check a bit deeper and on the Cosequin
"Ask a Vet" forum http://www.cosamin.com/veterinary/forum.cfm I found a
question that asked if it was safe to given Cosequin to diabetics. The
question did not specify dog/cat/human. But the answer did.
I printed it out at the time and here's a snippet from it: " Cosequin
is a nutritional supplement that supports the structure and function of
the cartilage in the joint. Cosequin offers unparalleled safety.
Safety studies in dogs, cats, and horses showed that Cosequin administration
had no adverse effect on blood glucose levels in healthy animals. In a
study in human diabetics, no significant effects on blood glucose levels,
insulin requirements, or long-term blood glucose control were seen. "
Hope this helps!
-
Thought I'd add my two cents on this discussion. Chloe was on Cosequin
for a few months (until she decided she wouldn't eat it anymore) and I,
personally, did not notice an affect on her BGs. While I was giving
it to her, though, I did ask around a bit about Cosequin and BGs.
Most people said that they did not see any difference in BGs.
However, one person did report a significant increase in BGs. So,
while there is Not a scientific study indicating it affects BGs, personally,
I would be inclined to believe that it can affect BGs.
Since it doesn't generally seem to be a problem, I would suggest that
if a vet recommends it, to go ahead and try. If you home blood test,
you will be able to see for yourself if BGs are affected. If you
don't hometest, I'm not sure what to say. I guess give it a go, and
see if the vet sees any rise in BGs.
-
So here I go again ranting on and on with respect to the Yucca powder....made
by Solid Gold...I wish I could run you guys a video clip of what this stuff
did for my diabetic Quincey....after knee surgery he would not even get
up on the couch or even attempt to - would not go for a walk, he would
just sit down and you had to carry him home. I sprinkled a good shake
on his food every night and about 2 months later he was up on the back
of the couch as proud as can be....I give it to my old girl Cory (her picture
is now on the Gallery pages - she is 16 1/2 and runs around like a 2-yr
old. I would highly recommend this stuff as opposed to Glucosamine.
Quincey was diabetic and a very brittle one at that, and it did not hurt
him one bit. I myself would be very skeptical about the Glucosamine, being
how sick it made me....just a thought guys.....
-
Daisy (dc) was recently put on Cosequin (veterinary glucosamine) for a
bad case of arthritis in her hind legs, complicated by diabetic neuropathy
for the first time since diagnosis some years ago. She has never
been well -regulated because she is somewhat insulin resistant, so I guess
we can count ourselves lucky up till now.
We use Omega 10 fatty acids and borage to assist with the neuropathy,
along with some kitty physiotherapy, and have seen improvement there.
But she was still very stiff and sore from the arthritis. After starting
Cosequin, we noticed an improvement within the week. She still has
mobility issues, but not nearly as severe. I've seen no change
in her BG levels.
She's a lot more cheerful!
SKULLCAP
-
A Homeopathic remedy called Skullcap is also for pain. I bought a
bottle last week. It comes in a small bottle with eye dropper &
you get it from a Health Food
Further reading:
see homeopathic links above
KINESA
-
My NDD Misty is on a glucosamine product developed by Apavet here in Calgary
called "Kinesa" and I've been very pleased with the results. (If you're
interested, their website is http://www.apavet.ca/)
It contains glucosamine, shark cartilage, and ginseng. According
to the label, it was developed for dogs. However, I have to pick up a new
bottle for her this morning and if I can get a chance to act her vet, I'm
going to ask about this product for cats and also about givng glucosamine
to diabetic cats.
As an aside, I checked the Apavet website and they have products
for both dogs and cats dealing with movement, stress, memory and other
health issues
-
