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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 |
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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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