Cheri McDonald Posted January 13, 2003 Report Share Posted January 13, 2003 Rob came to us from rescue and in Sept he began limping. We went to the vet and were showed his xrays. He had broken an ankle in the past, vet thinks about a year before. Any way it was never set and he apparently reinjured it while we were at work. Vet put splint on for 6 weeks. Now when Rob does alot of running at the beach, or hard play at the dog park he gets stiff and limps. Can you give a dog asprin or other pain relievers? The stuff the vet has give us is way costly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted January 13, 2003 Report Share Posted January 13, 2003 Cheri - If it is just occasional use, I use ascriptin - that is aspirin coated with Maalox - it is more expensive than regular aspirin, but reduces stomach problems in the dogs...and usually I just give 1/2 a tab... ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheri McDonald Posted January 13, 2003 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2003 Thanks Bill, I will look for it. I would be just occasional, maybe once a month, when he over does. I just hate to see him limping or stiff. Does happen that often, but if we can help I will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary & Dogs Posted January 13, 2003 Report Share Posted January 13, 2003 Just don't give him anything but aspirin - no Tyenol or Aleve or Advil. Don't know why but dogs don't tolerate those drugs that we can take all of the time. ------------------ Mary Hartman Kansas City, MO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted January 13, 2003 Report Share Posted January 13, 2003 Cheri, I have been given mixed reviews from vets about various aspirin products for dogs. I was using enteric-coated aspirin for occasional dog gimpiness, but was then told by my vet that the coatings on such aspirin actually prevented proper absorption in dogs (something to do with the fact that a dog's GI tract doesn't work exactly the same as a human's and so by the time the enteric coating was removed in the dog's GI tract, the aspirin component was not as "available" for absorption (because it was too far into the intestinal tract). This vet recommended buffered aspiring instead. I'm not sure if what Bill is talking about is buffered or enteric coated or something else, but it's probably worth asking your vet's opinion about. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ts Posted January 13, 2003 Report Share Posted January 13, 2003 My vet gave me the same information as Julie's vet regarding aspirin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted January 13, 2003 Report Share Posted January 13, 2003 The recommendation I had for the Ascription is a couple years old now, so if the latest info is for buffered only, I'll sure go that way, it's much cheaper anyway...thanks for the info Julie... ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted January 13, 2003 Report Share Posted January 13, 2003 I've been using enteric coated aspirin on the advice of a couple of vets, and I have seen it work. I had heard that it passes right through, and can testify that it doesn't. I have checked stools. The main thing is that dogs' stomachs are sensitive to aspirin (even moreso than ours) and the enteric coating is meant to get the aspirin into the intestines before dissolving. Aspirin is not absorbed through the stomach wall anyway. Buffered aspirin contains ingredients that are supposed to make it gentler on the stomach, so I suppose they're a good middle ground between plain aspirin and enteric coated. The dose for aspirin is 325 mg (one fulll-strength tablet) per 50 pounds. There's a pretty large window of safety, so my vet has recommended one full tablet for dogs that are 35 to 50 pounds, which takes in all but one of my adult border collies. The wee one gets two of the arthritis formula (81 mg) enteric coated aspirins if she needs it. If you do buy enteric coated aspirin, don't split pills. If you break the coating, you may as well give regular aspirin. This is not the case with buffered aspirin, which uses an additional ingredient rather than a coating to minimize stomach irritation. ------------------ Bill Fosher Surry, NH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted January 13, 2003 Report Share Posted January 13, 2003 Bill, I was not told that the enteric-coated aspirin passed right through but rather that it got well into the intestine before the coating was dissolved, the end result being that the drug did not reside in the intestine long enough to be fully absorbed (that is, by using the enteric-coated aspirin you are likely under dosing your dog--better than overdosing at any rate). I have used Ecotrin and buffered aspirin, as well as the 81 mg baby aspirin and all seemed to work. But if buffered aspirin will get the correct dosage of pain reliever to my dog more easily (and cheaply), then I'm happy to use it. And of course I'm talking about intermittent use for occasional soreness/lameness, not maintenance use for something like arthritis. J. [This message has been edited by juliepoudrier (edited 01-13-2003).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted January 14, 2003 Report Share Posted January 14, 2003 Hi Julie, The underdosing concern is a new one on me. I guess I made my decision based on the following matrix: enteric coated .... works .... zero stomach irritation buffered aspirin .... works .... some stomach irritation plain aspirin .... works .... lots of stomach irritation The main point is that aspirin -- in whatever formulation -- is the only over-the-counter pain killer that should be used in dogs. There is a very small margin between toxic and theraputic doses of acetemetophin (SP? -- the active ingredient in Tylenol) and ibuprofen in dogs. In other words, if you're seeing a theraputic response to one of these drugs, you are very close to toxic levels. ------------------ Bill Fosher Surry, NH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Dog Posted January 14, 2003 Report Share Posted January 14, 2003 I also use Ascriptin. It's more expensive than regular aspirin--I don't know about the enteric-coated--but a heck of a lot cheaper than Rimadyl. My vet recommended it after surgery on one of my dogs. She says it's aspirin buffered with Maalox, so it's soluble like buffered aspirin but not as hard on the stomach. She also says that frequent use of any aspirin product over a long period can cause stomach problems, and if you need that sort of pain relief for arthritis, etc., Rimadyl's probably the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted January 22, 2003 Report Share Posted January 22, 2003 So if the dosage is 325mg per 35-50lb dog, is that 325mg every 24 hours? 325mg every 12 hours? Thanks, Betsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlwelshhans Posted January 26, 2003 Report Share Posted January 26, 2003 It has been my experience that even buffered aspirin can cause GI upset in dogs, and is not all that effective. If you are only using it occasionally, why not use a veterinary approved anti-inflammatory since in the long run it's not going to cost that much. Also, ask your vet about Deramaxx, the newest anti-inflammatory for dogs (a cox 2 inhibitor, similar to Vioxx). It's very effective, very safe, and has once a day dosing. For occasional use, it won't break the bank. Also, if you know your pup's going to overdo it, try giving the med before the exercise (preferably the day before) and after-it's more effective that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Dog Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 Originally posted by Riley's mom:So if the dosage is 325mg per 35-50lb dog, is that 325mg every 24 hours? 325mg every 12 hours? The dosage for buffered or enteric coated aspirin according to the Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook is 1 5-grain (apx 300mg?) tablet per 30 pounds every 6 hours. Sounds kind of high compared to Bill Fosher's dose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrid Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 Has anyone been using Deramax? I have been giving it to my 15 yr old border collie for his arthritis for just over a week, and while he doesn't seem to be having quite as much discomfort, he sure is having a really hard time keeping his legs under him. He can barely keep his balance to lift his leg and urinate. When he walks, he reminds me of a drunk staggering from side to side. I am wondering if this balance problem is a side effect of the Deramax and if anyone else has an animal that has experienced these symptoms after being on that drug. He was previously on Etogesic, but received very little relief so he was switched to the Deramax. We have an appointment with the vet this afternoon and maybe he can tell me if it is the drug or just my dog's general condition. Other than being very arthritic, this dog is in fairly good shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 jrid, I can't help you with the balance problems, but when you see your vet ask him about potential side effects of the drug. I understand it can be similar to Rimadyl, but having not used either I don't really know. But it's best to be as informed as possible so that you know what to look for should your dog have problems with the drug. There has been a discussion of the drug on the tick list, but I have to admit I've been kind of skimming that stuff lately. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brookcove Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 I have a BC, same age, that does the same thing when we start up Rimadyl. I figure it's muscle weakness from sitting around feeling bad before we used the Rimadyl. Eventually his muscles strenghten and the drunken swaying stops. He's had regular panels and nothing shows up so that's our theory. Is there anything stronger than Rimadyl for dogs? Rimadyl doesn't seem to be cutting it anymore for this dog. Obviously I'll be asking our vet soon but I was just wondering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful information in this thread! For what it's worth... A couple of weeks ago the vet had Riley on Deramax. In fact, he ate his entire prescription in one sitting and had to be induced to vomit! Luckily, they say Deramax is a very safe drug, and the blood tests a few days later showed no side effects of ingesting the majority of the drug. We got another prescription for the Deramax after that whole episode, which he was on for 2 weeks. I never saw any type of "drunken sailor" effects from it. In fact, when he had eaten the entire 700mg (and probably vomited about 1/4 of that 8 hours later) he was super hyper and running around. Thanks again for the info on the aspirin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.