Long term use of Rimadyl?

[chloe92us]

I can't seem to find any studies online about long-term use of Rimadyl. I've heard it can be rough on the kidneys. Casey has been on it about 8 weeks now and I need to call for another refill and just wondering if there are other pain meds that are less stressful to the kidneys, or is Rimadyl okay for the long haul?

[Cathy Moon]

Good question. I didn't think it was meant for long term use, and there can be serious side effects.

When Geordie was diagnosed with SM, and his Omeprazole no longer gave him enough relief, I talked to the vet. We decided that because Geordie has had a sensitive digestive system for several weeks earlier this year, we would give him Gabapentin instead of Rimadyl or Metacam. I sometimes give him a small dose of Metacam in addition to the Gabapentin if he needs a little more help, but this is no more than once a week usually.

[*Pauline*]

As I understand it, Gabapentin is for neurological pain, Rimadyl definitely is a pain killer/anti-inflammatory. I was advised to put Dylan back on Rimadyl but I'd heard bad things about it. I was told by my neurologist, all these drugs can give side effects and some dogs have to continue with Rimadyl long term. I was surprised it didn't upset Dylan sensitive tummy. Instead of starting Rimadyl again, with permission from his neuro, I upped his Gabapentin. I am not sure but I think the Rimadyl made him slightly uncoordinated. He slipped on my wooden floors when he was fine before. He still can't always jump up on my bed.

[Nicki]

Personally I don't like the use of Rimadyl for long term management of pain, I don't have any studies to link to, just basing this on what I've heard from others and personal experience.

I have to use Metacam for Rupert for long term use, and feel this is a better option.

Rimadyl should not be used in conjunction with corticosteroid hormones such as prednisolone.

more info about Rimadyl here http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_rimadyl.html

If you are concerned, then talk to your vet. Obviously a dog cannot be left suffering in pain - quality of life is the most important thing.


Whenever they are on long term medication, you should be looking at doing bloodwork at approx 6 month intervals to check for any problems.

[Claire L]

Some problems reported here

[*Pauline*]

Yes I read that one Claire, it put me off.

[Karlin]

Keep in mind that only some dogs have problems. If your dog is in pain, and has no problems with this medication, it is certainly much better to use a well-tested painkiller than nothing at all, or alternatives that do not work well.

There's a huge list of contraindications for *aspirin*, remember -- legally, every drug manufacturer has to list every known side effect. Gabapentin also has side effects. Rimadyl is a less serious drug than gabapentin, if it can be put like that, so many people can use rimadyl rather than, or in conjunction with, gabapentin perfectly safely.

I have some dogs that get an upset stomach with it and some that have no problems with metacam or rimadyl. Really depends on the dog.

Clare's treatment protocol for SM lists tests that need to be done for various long term use of drugs.

[chloe92us]

Thanks everyone...Casey does not have a sensitive tummy, so we haven't had any issues with that. I put a call in to discuss the long term use with my vet, and I haven't heard from him yet.

Just to let everyone know, she has NOT been diagnosed with SM, as she has not had an MRI but shows many (if not all) of the symptoms. We had a battery of tests done, including full blood panel and full-body x-rays and all was normal.

The Rimadyl has been a miracle drug for her and she has not yelped since, the scratching has decreased, and she is now able to jump up on the sofa again and sit on my lap every night. I have noticed if I forget to give her a pill, the scratching starts up again.

[chloe92us]

Spoke to my vet, and he said that they will want to do a blood panel every 6 months, which will be in Jan.

He also suggested finding the minimal dosage we could while keeping pain in check. I am now giving her a 25mg chewable twice a day. I'm going to try giving 1 full in the morning, and 1/2 at night and see if the pain is still under control.

I have noticed, however, that if I forget to give her a pill, the scratching starts up again...so we'll experiment a little and see what happens. It is costing about $50/ month for the pills.

[Tania]

My vet prescribed Rymadyl before diagnosis of sm for what we thought was joint pain, I didn't like the sound of the side affects and asked him to prescribe Previcox instead as it seemed less aggresive. Molly was running around like a puppy after only one day.
The vet said it was a more recent drug and didn't have a problem with it.
I am not sure if this information is of any use but it might be worth exploring.