What over the counter med do you use?

[gadwall]

I have an old lab that still loves to hunt.  She has some stiffness and pain in her hips and shoulders, so I would like to start giving her something OTC every day.  We used to give our dogs Bufferin years ago and a buddy gives his old lab two 81 mg childrens chewable aspirin each day.  Any advice?

Thanks,

Gadwall

[270Flat]

My lab was hit by a car three years ago as a puppy. She hunts whenever I can get out. She gets real sore. So I roll an aspirin up in a piece of lunch meat. Works great! She'll be ready in the am for a hunt!

[Special T]

Talk to the vet and get some Rimadel... I have a buddy that is a vet, he says that many of the medics for people wreck havock on your dog. Its really not that expensive and you can get the stuff from online retailers... You dog is worth getting the correct stuff. 

[KFhunter]

+1

It's cheap and chewable, and you can break them in half for smaller weight dogs but your lab would probably take a whole one.

[Special T]

http://www.1800petmeds.com/Rimadyl-prod10261.html
less than 20c a pill for Remidl or about 14c a pill for the generic brand... TRUST ME its worth it...

[Stilly bay]

 

PLUS! its an anti inflammatory so you are limiting flare ups instead of  just masking pain and allowing the dog to do more damage to himself while he works. its good stuff but there are side effects that you will want to discuss with your vet.

[gadwall]

Thanks for the input.  I'll talk to our vet.

[Happy Gilmore]

PLUS! its an anti inflammatory so you are limiting flare ups instead of  just masking pain and allowing the dog to do more damage to himself while he works. its good stuff but there are side effects that you will want to discuss with your vet.

I'd use it to make an old dog more comfortable. One that might have 2 maybe three years of life left. It's hard on their systems. Not sure I'd go that route with a dog who's been injured young. If you really enjoy the dog you might want to keep him as a pet with a lower activity level so the dog leads a longer life. Or, take him on shorter hunts with longer breaks in between hunts to recover.

[Shed Stud]

x2 on the remidl, helps our old girl way more than the little asprins

[Special T]

BTW any pain meds with naproxen is hard on YOUR liver/kidneys just like Remidl.  everything has a cost...

[Stilly bay]

like grand pappy used to say "just because it kills your liver, don't mean it ain't medicine."

[rosscrazyelk]

I give my dog joint pills every day then everyday he works hard I give him a childrens tylenol. Seems to work

[wildweeds]

Reading betweenst the lines tells me your gran pappy and mine were from the same school, two fingers worth in a glass everynight, two of em on a bad day.

like grand pappy used to say "just because it kills your liver, don't mean it ain't medicine."

[Stilly bay]

Reading betweenst the lines tells me your gran pappy and mine were from the same school, two fingers worth in a glass everynight, two of em on a bad day.

like grand pappy used to say "just because it kills your liver, don't mean it ain't medicine."

lol pretty much.  my gran pappy had a lot of bad days.

I'd use it to make an old dog more comfortable. One that might have 2 maybe three years of life left. It's hard on their systems. Not sure I'd go that route with a dog who's been injured young. If you really enjoy the dog you might want to keep him as a pet with a lower activity level so the dog leads a longer life. Or, take him on shorter hunts with longer breaks in between hunts to recover.

a recent conversation with my vet let me to believe that Rimadyl isn't as hard on dogs as it used to be.

[Happy Gilmore]

I'm not against Rimadyl in any way. Just saying that the #1 side effect and most common problem with it is that long term use causes renal failure. The drug is intended for use as to treat osteoarthritis and post operative pain in soft tissue.

More vets have been using it as a general pain killer for effectiveness. In the past I don't believe that the smaller 25mg maintenance doses were readily available or prescribed. It definately improves the life of an older dog who's has arthritis. I wouldn't give it to a young dog unless it was coming off surgery.