Minnie's Wobble

Just thought I'd share with you the worrying time I've had with Minnie over the last few weeks.

She was changed over to Pregabalin on 19th November, started at a low 25mg dose - due to the fact that she is on borderline for her weight - to see how she went.

She is also on Trocoxil and had her 7th dose on 12th October, then as per the protocol the next dose was not due until the 7th December, i.e. she had to miss a month, before starting the regime again. However, Clare observed that there is now some mild limb weakness on her left hand side and she also has a slight scoliosis of the spine.

All seemed to be going well, then 10 days after starting the pregabalin she started to look a bit uncomfortable, by the evening she was unable to move - we could not even get a tail wag out of her. This is not our Minnie - who is normally a little ball of dynamite.

I decided to up the pregabalin to the 50mg /2 a day dose immediately, and kept her quiet. After a day on the increased dose she did seem a little better, but was still unable to get up stairs or jump up onto the bed. So I emailed Clare Rusbridge for some advice.

I was advised to re-start her trocoxil early, which as soon as received the reply I did. Within 24 hours Minnie was pretty much back to her normal lively self, but still a little reluctant to jump up.

We went to Stone Lion last Thursday to discuss the situation and Clare gave me some really helpful advice. We will now have to keep and extra careful eye on things when she has her next trocoxil break.

Minnie also had her first blood test since starting her medication and I was so pleased to hear that everything was normal.

By Sunday Minnie was back to chasing the birds in the fields.

I think what I have learned from this is that there are going to be so many lows and highs on this SM journey. For now we have come out of the low and are back on an even keel. For how long, who knows, but it has made me realise that this awful condition is such a roller coaster, and we must be so thankful for everyday that our precious girls/boys are enjoying life to the full and doing things that dogs do.

Everyone on this forum is so supportive and it is so so reassuring not to be facing this journey alone. :thnku:

Thanks for sharing that Sandra.
There are so many different scenarios to face with our SM dogs, it's reassuring to read that Minnie is ok again.

Sandra, I'm sorry to hear that Minnie went through this difficult phase. Thank you so much for sharing the experience, especially the details of the care you are giving her and your response when you spoke to Clare. I know many of us will find this informative and helpful. I cannot stress enough too how posts made here also help many other people than are active members of the board.

I have been debating whether to move over to the medications you are using. I am just reaching the end of my current supply of gabapentin and so I might try Leo on pregabalin to see how he does. Gabapentin seems to take care of most of his discomfort, but even though the dose has been gradually raised, he still scratches quite a lot, especially in the time before he is about to get his next dose. Hearing your experience helps me consider what to do.

I hope Minnie is feeling much better and gets back to her regular self.

Thank you for sharing your story about Minnie, I am glad she is feeling better!

I would echo the thanks, it is so helpful to hear what is happening with other SM Cavaliers and their owners.

Poor little Minnie, it must have been so hard for you to see her so subdued. I do hope the improvement continues.

Give her a gentle hug from me:hug: and have one for yourself :hug: as you deserve it

Gentle :hug: from Lola and i. I'm still learning about the disease and its affects. Hopefully my Lola's SM wont progress much more now she has had her op. Hope she feels a lot better soon. btw what is Trocoxil? i've never heard of this drug :/

I'm so sorry to read this Sandra, but relieved Minnie is doing a bit better again now.

It is such an emotional rollercoaster, and you are right to be thankful for everyday that these precious girls/boys are enjoying life to the full and doing things that dogs do.

It is very helpful to share these stories as everyone can learn so much.

Karlin said:

I have been debating whether to move over to the medications you are using. I am just reaching the end of my current supply of gabapentin and so I might try Leo on pregabalin to see how he does. Gabapentin seems to take care of most of his discomfort, but even though the dose has been gradually raised, he still scratches quite a lot, especially in the time before he is about to get his next dose. Hearing your experience helps me consider what to do.

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It sounds like you are writing about Bosco there Karlin. I am just about to change him to pregabalin this week, but be warned, a months supply here costs an eye watering €270. :yikes I am pretty sure that petplan will cover this, but until I get the cheque back from them I will be keeping my fingers crossed. The dilema is that 12 months supply will use up most of my annual allowance with the insurance company, so if any other illnesses occur we might not be covered, and unfortunatly I am not in a position to pay €270 a month for medication at the moment.

Charlifarley said:

It sounds like you are writing about Bosco there Karlin. I am just about to change him to pregabalin this week, but be warned, a months supply here costs an eye watering €270. :yikes I am pretty sure that petplan will cover this, but until I get the cheque back from them I will be keeping my fingers crossed. The dilema is that 12 months supply will use up most of my annual allowance with the insurance company, so if any other illnesses occur we might not be covered, and unfortunatly I am not in a position to pay €270 a month for medication at the moment.

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That is expensive. I did a lot of ringing round and here in the UK the cheapest places were Tesco's and Asda. My vet has given me a prescription for 84 x 50 mg tablets x 3 repeats (they come in packets of 84 tablet). This should last me over a month (as long as Minnie manages on 2 a day). The cost of these at both Tesco and Asda was £115.95.

AgilityLola said:

Gentle :hug: from Lola and i. I'm still learning about the disease and its affects. Hopefully my Lola's SM wont progress much more now she has had her op. Hope she feels a lot better soon. btw what is Trocoxil? i've never heard of this drug :/

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I've taken some parts from the drug leaflet that Tania so kindly sent to me:

Trocoxil ( mavacoxib) is an anti-inflammatory medication. It is normally used for the treatment of pain and inflammation associated with degenerative joint disease.
It is used when continuous treatment for more than one month is needed.

Trocoxil is given at a dose of 2 mg per kilogram body weight, immediately before or with the dog’s main meal. There should be a gap of two weeks between the first and second doses, after which it is given once a month. The dose and duration of treatment (maximum 6.5months) will depend on the weight and type of animal and condition to be treated.

The active substance in Trocoxil, mavacoxib, belongs to a class of medicines called
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It works by blocking an enzyme called cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2). This enzyme is involved in producing substances called prostaglandins, which are involved in pain and inflammation. By blocking the production of prostaglandins, Trocoxil reduces the pain and inflammation caused by damage to the joints.

All this sharing of information and experiences is just so helpful and useful. As Karlin says, there are many many people who read what appears on CT without ever posting, so we can be sure that a lot of SM owners are getting a lot of knowledge.

If only our poor dogs were not having to suffer so much for this information exchange. Therein lies the rub icon_blshing

It is a roller coaster and I am so sorry:hug: You said the Troxicil helped? Ella is having trouble walking too and I called her neurologist and she is at max dose of Lyrica. What is Troxicil?

I am such a dummy! Tania told me too about toxicil and also tens. I have not heard back from neurologist but we are on highest dose of lyrica and still having trouble. I ache for you and everyone else. Thank You for sending the pictures

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