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Nerve weakness in old aussie hindquarters (Rimadyl vs Deramax?)



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 2nd 05, 08:08 PM
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Default Nerve weakness in old aussie hindquarters (Rimadyl vs Deramax?)

Greetings all!

We have an older female aussie shepherd (15 years old) who is
fortunately quite healthy, hearty, and happy in most regards. However,
when she was around 12 and 13, she had some bad episodes of what the
vet called intervertebral disc disease; to me, it seemed to be akin to
a slipped disc wherein some cartilage shifts or expands such that it
impinges the nerves in her spine. She had maybe 5 of these episodes
over a two year period, and they were horrible -- her hindquarters were
virtually paralyzed, and she seemed to be in great pain when she tried
to move. Fortunately, these episodes only lasted 4 or 5 days, and then
she seemed to return to normal.

After the last of these episodes, we put Cody permanently on Rimadyl
(50 mg twice a day; she weighs about 55 lbs). The theory was that the
Rimadyl might reduce normal swelling in response to various activities
that might otherwise provoke another episode. I can't say for sure
that the Rimadyl is what prevented further episodes, but she hasn't had
any since she has been on it. She has regular blood tests, and there
appear to be no adverse effects on her liver and kidney functions.

Recently however, we have noted the rapid onset of what appears to be
weakness or stiffness in her hindquarters, and my wife and I think this
seems to be very similar to Cody's previous disk/nerve episodes rather
than being simply a function of aging joints or muscles. Fortunately,
however, she doesn't seem to be in any pain at all.

Here is what we observed:

(1) You know how when you scratch a dog on their belly, their leg
makes a scratching motion in response to stimulation of the appropriate
nerve? Well, for about a week now, Cody has been HYPER-sensitive --
touch her almost anywhere and her leg starts "scratching" in response.

(2) For the last few days, she sometimes gets that scratching response
for no apparent reason! She will be walking around, and her leg will
start going and tapping at the floor, so she'll then hunch down and
fake "scratch" a bit, then walk on. So it seems she is so sensitive
that the normal muscular activity associated with walking will produce
the scratch response!

(3) It seems that if she struggles to get up from a lying position, or
if for some reason she stumbles while walking and has to correct her
balance, the extra stress placed on her hindquarters seems to bring on
the problem for a few minutes. With normal exercise, even a moderate
walk, she seems fine...in fact, no probs at all...so it seems like a
moment of acute stress is more likely to bring it on than is simple
exercise.

We are seeing a vet in a couple days, but we'd like to get some input
from this group in advance.

Is it possible that we should switch to a different/stronger
anti-inflammatory, like Deramax? How is Deramax better or worse than
Rimadyl? I believe I read once that the effectiveness of Rimadyl
attenuates over time...is this true? Any other meds we should
consider? Any other therapies or treatments we should consider(she
already gets a fair amount of massage from us, and I don't think it has
mitigated the problem at all, but I could be wrong)?

Thanks!

Chuck

  #2  
Old May 3rd 05, 12:32 AM
Spot
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I had Barney on both Rimadyl for a number of years for his arthritis until
we maxed out the dosage at 125mg daily. At that point the orthopedic vet
suggested we switch him to Deramaxx. I can honestly say with Barney the
difference in him was like night and day. He went from my Grump ass where
he was snapping and growling to bounding through the yard playing with his
toys all in less than 48 hours. If it hadn't been for the Deramaxx we would
have had no choice but to keep upping the dose on Rimadyl or put him on
opiates to keep him comfortable. As it was he started at 50mg daily and
stayed on that dosage for almost 2 1/2 years till he passed away from
cancer.

Both are NSAIDs and both have their risk but I don't necessaritly think one
is stronger than the other it's that they work differently. If you are
seeing that the Rimadyl isn't keeping her comfortable any longer it may be
worth trying the Deramaxx for a bit to see if you notice any difference.
The important thing is to have the lab work done so you can watch for
changes in liver or kidney function and catch any problems early. Chances
are if she's tolerating the Rimadyl she won't have problems with the
Deramaxx but I would still get lab work done to be sure.

Celeste



wrote in message
ups.com...
Greetings all!

We have an older female aussie shepherd (15 years old) who is
fortunately quite healthy, hearty, and happy in most regards. However,
when she was around 12 and 13, she had some bad episodes of what the
vet called intervertebral disc disease; to me, it seemed to be akin to
a slipped disc wherein some cartilage shifts or expands such that it
impinges the nerves in her spine. She had maybe 5 of these episodes
over a two year period, and they were horrible -- her hindquarters were
virtually paralyzed, and she seemed to be in great pain when she tried
to move. Fortunately, these episodes only lasted 4 or 5 days, and then
she seemed to return to normal.

After the last of these episodes, we put Cody permanently on Rimadyl
(50 mg twice a day; she weighs about 55 lbs). The theory was that the
Rimadyl might reduce normal swelling in response to various activities
that might otherwise provoke another episode. I can't say for sure
that the Rimadyl is what prevented further episodes, but she hasn't had
any since she has been on it. She has regular blood tests, and there
appear to be no adverse effects on her liver and kidney functions.

Recently however, we have noted the rapid onset of what appears to be
weakness or stiffness in her hindquarters, and my wife and I think this
seems to be very similar to Cody's previous disk/nerve episodes rather
than being simply a function of aging joints or muscles. Fortunately,
however, she doesn't seem to be in any pain at all.

Here is what we observed:

(1) You know how when you scratch a dog on their belly, their leg
makes a scratching motion in response to stimulation of the appropriate
nerve? Well, for about a week now, Cody has been HYPER-sensitive --
touch her almost anywhere and her leg starts "scratching" in response.

(2) For the last few days, she sometimes gets that scratching response
for no apparent reason! She will be walking around, and her leg will
start going and tapping at the floor, so she'll then hunch down and
fake "scratch" a bit, then walk on. So it seems she is so sensitive
that the normal muscular activity associated with walking will produce
the scratch response!

(3) It seems that if she struggles to get up from a lying position, or
if for some reason she stumbles while walking and has to correct her
balance, the extra stress placed on her hindquarters seems to bring on
the problem for a few minutes. With normal exercise, even a moderate
walk, she seems fine...in fact, no probs at all...so it seems like a
moment of acute stress is more likely to bring it on than is simple
exercise.

We are seeing a vet in a couple days, but we'd like to get some input
from this group in advance.

Is it possible that we should switch to a different/stronger
anti-inflammatory, like Deramax? How is Deramax better or worse than
Rimadyl? I believe I read once that the effectiveness of Rimadyl
attenuates over time...is this true? Any other meds we should
consider? Any other therapies or treatments we should consider(she
already gets a fair amount of massage from us, and I don't think it has
mitigated the problem at all, but I could be wrong)?

Thanks!

Chuck



 




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