What to use??

[goatdancer]

[quote=Lots'oLabs;803817]Goatdancer, if you read the advice that was given to gmcgilli66 correctly you would see that most of us are in agreement with the vet.
In his original post he asked for advice based on our previous experience.
We only offered suggestions as to how to get the appropriate medication at a cheaper price.
Pillpusher in particular offered really great advice that we all can benefit from.
It was an exchange of knowlege based on our own experiences.
We're not professionals but many of us have been in his shoes and can understand his dilemma.

I'm not sure why you think that pain releif medication would cause unnessesary pain.


If the vet stated that the blood tests were necessary to determine possible liver damage, trying to find meds without testing could put the dog in jeopardy. I understand that lots of people want to help but ignoring the vet is not a good decision. What works for one may not be the best for another. My concern is about the dog.

[dedapair]

My old chess is gone and missed now. Our vet put him on adequane(sp). It was kind of pricey but well worth it. It gave us two or three more years of his companionship. The greatest advantage was there is no liver or kidney damage from this product. If your vet wants to do tests, do it, they will tell lots of different things.

[peashooter]

i think what the other dude was getting at was maybe age has caught up to the the pooch. sucks but there comes a time to put down an animal to avoid pain and suffering. who knows maybe in this case you have a couple more years left, i sure hope so! good luck to you both.

[Kayte]

We are in the same boat with our 12 yo Chessie, she was getting shots of Cartifin (sp?) but here liver and kidneys were getting damaged, so we quite.

not sure why the cartrophen injections would be related to liver/kidney damage. it's not an NSAID like metacam/meloxicam/deramaxx, and side effects are very rare.

Personally, I'm reluctant to rely on long term NSAID use. A friend of mine had an older (12ish years old) dog that had to be put down a couple months ago. he had joint/mobility issues, and they were using metacam to control the pain. it ruptured his small intestine and basically melted his insides

I have a dog that's had 4 knee surgeries, and I currently have her on a raw diet, supplementing with extra strength recovery SA. I swear by that stuff, it's been excellent and has greatly affected the spread of arthritis around the plates/scews in her legs.

[Jimsue]

Please don't take this wrong, regarding the above meantioned dogs. Do you know if there parents also had hip problems or were they ever checked for HD.
To any one thinking of ever buying a dog without hip clearances this is good information.

I hope you are succesful in easing there pain.

[gmcgilli66]

Thank you all for your concerns for my Lab. Most responses were very helpful. Dog people are a "breed" unto themselves. Your care and compassion is appreciated.
I will be taking Jett for his bloodwork and now feel in a better position to assess the vet's followup advice.
Thanks to you all for the concern.
Geo

[Kasomor]

Here's hoping things go well at the vets.

Would appreciate being updated after the visit. I'm not interested in judging you or what choice you make for your dog...just want to learn from your experience.

Thanks and good luck

Kasomor

[Kayte]

Please don't take this wrong, regarding the above meantioned dogs. Do you know if there parents also had hip problems or were they ever checked for HD.
To any one thinking of ever buying a dog without hip clearances this is good information.

my broken dog is "somebody elses garbage". a used... second hand dog. her dam and sire were probably not health tested, and I knew she would blow a knee as soon as I got her. She lives life with two speeds: off, and full speed! and unfortunately, she was genetically doomed with a very straight back end.

if i got a dog from a breeder, they'd have to have the parents titled, OFA tested for hips, elbows, thyroid, and heart (or PennHip for hips). along with another very long list of 'must haves'. i'm picky, and my next dog is for competition.

[sparkes3]

I have a 416 and a shovel. Sorry, but someone was going to say it.
__________________
real classy

[Retrievers]

I have a 13+ lab who is having lots of hip / arthritis problems. He has had a few series of metacam anti-inflamatory treatments in the last couple of years and responds favorably to them temporarily. My vet wants to do a bloodwork series @ $125 before he will prescribe again (says he's worried about liver damage) I really can't afford that and would rather put the $$ toward medication for him.
Anyone else with experience in this? What would you suggest ?
Geo

I would suggest that you listen to your vet or if your not confortable with that decision see another vet. The 125.00 might be cheap compared to any kind of liver damage. What do you think your vet bill will be then?
Go online and read up on medicam and see what it has to say about it.