Rymadil

[Pamela19655]

My dog Felicia was 10 years old and passed away on April 11 from liver disease. She had been using Rymadil (an anti inflamatory drug) for the past 5 years however only on a needed basis. Felicia has had surgery in both of her ligamints when she was 2 and 3 years of age due to a genetic weakness. Eventually she was feeling some artheritic pain when it was humid or just ran too much, which she loved to do. Basically when she felt discomfort in her legs, we gave her 1/2 a pill. She felt much better following the pill however it did lead to her eventual premature death which was very quick (in a matter of 3 days). Unfortunately in the information that Rymadil provides, it does not tell you all the side effects. It does provide you symptoms but if they are not frequent, it is very hard to tell. Basically taking the medication can lead to certain diseases such as liver as in the case of Felicia. I am not telling you not to take the medication however you should definately inform yourself before you begin giving this to your dog and understand the consequences. We are very sad to have lost Felicia and thought that she could have lived at least another 2 to 4 years. I believe that if I would have known what I know today, I would have chosen alternative medicine.

[SuperWanda]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

I have a dog with arthritis and although it has been controlled somewhat by glucosamine supplementation, I wonder how she will manage as she ages and if she will need stronger medication so it is good to read your post.

You couldn't have known the outcome. It is hard to find a balance sometime between the benefits some meds may bring and the side effects they may cause. It sounded like it did help to give her some relief but I understand it must be difficult to look back now and wonder if you made the right or wrong decision but I'm sure you did the very best for her and it sounds like she was very loved!

[Pamela19655]

In retrospect we always look back to see what we would have done different. I understand that. I also gave Felicia glucosamine supplementation and massaged her legs on a regular basis. It was just tragic to see how fast the Liver Disease hit her, within 3 days. I will take the time to mourn her loss but have plans to get another dog. I have a 6 month baby and would like her to grow up with the love of a dog.

[breeze]

I am very sorry for your loss :sad: No matter how much research we do on or own we can never understand what the medication will do , some doggies respond very well while other do not. even human have to "experement" with different med and even then it is hard to know what is right or the ramifacation in the long run..

You did what you thought right and my heart goes out to you
may she rest in peace knowing that she is not in pain and very well loved..

[hazelrunpack]

I am so sorry for your loss, Pamela Second-guessing yourself won't change anything, and you were able to make her more comfortable. Quality of life is so precious, and you gave her that, so don't kick yourself for it.

We've used Rymadil in the past. We were warned by the vet when we started it that we needed to bring our dog in for blood tests every few months to check for liver problems. It's something that was always in the back of our minds when we used it.

[SuperWanda]

These decisions are even harder to make with pets because they can't tell us how they feel and they often try to hide their discomfort.

I grew up with a number of pets - it's a wonderful experience to have that as a child! I'm sure your baby will appreciate that when the time is right!

[Pamela19655]

Thank you all for your heartfelt sympathies. I wished that my doctor advised me to do more blood tests as we only did the normal yearly one which she was shortly due. When I will pick up Felicia's ashes in 2 weeks I will speak to my Vet about my feelings towards the Rymadil and recommend that he advise his patients to have the blood tests. I shall also know for the future.

[clm]

I can't remember what medication our vet gave our first dog when he was 8, it was new at the time, tiny little pellets that we had to add to his food. He had arthritis bad, and his quality of life wasn't good. The vet had said it was only used for racehorses and hadn't been indicated for dogs at the time and that it could cause liver problems. It made a huge difference in that dog for the last year of his life, he wasn't lame anymore, he could enjoy going for walks again, he did however die of pancreatic cancer, so I don't know if that was a contributor. We had tried everything else, so this was a last resort. You have to weigh the pros and cons, but of course you should have been told them up front.

I'm so sorry you lost your beloved pet.

Cindy

[rainbow]

I am so sorry for your loss of Felicia.