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Pain Relief for Dogs
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The proverbial bottom line? It takes time to make changes in the nervous system. The owner has to have faith and not keep jumping from one option to another. Dr. Moses generally uses a treatment plan for four to eight weeks before trying something else. “Think about it — the way your dog shows discomfort often waxes and wanes. If you change the treatment plan too frequently, it’s hard to know whether it’s working or not.” And how do you know a treatment’s working? Look for markers of normalcy, says Dr. Moses. “It might be your dog’s ability to once again get up on your bed. It might be a male dog once more cocking his leg to pee. My favorite comes from an owner who said he knew his Miniature Poodle was responding to treatment when the dog tried to hump his wife’s leg!” |
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This article first appeared in The Bark, Issue 69, Spring 2012
Photograph by Ellen Soohoo
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Contrary to what Dr Moses says here, the information on the Internet can be helpful. Many vets, including Dr Moses, do not provide the Information for Dog Owners sheet that Pfizer provides for Rimadyl. I know first hand. My dog died while under the care of Dr Moses. She noted in his records his intolerance to Rimadyl, yet asked me to provide regularly so that it built up in his system. After just 10 days on the drug his stomach perforated and he suffered neurological side effects. So much for her being quoted as saying the side effects need to be monitored closely, she even prescribed it while his blood work showed some elevated liver levels. I noted my concern for how my dog reacted on Rimdayl, she dismissed those concerns. Had she listened carefully she may have recognized he was actually suffering more from the side effects of the drug than arthritis or a "tick borne illness". She is considered an expert in this field and resides at one of the premier veterinarian hospitals in the country, and she made errors with the use of NSAIDs with my 9 yr old Yellow Labrador. Trust your own instincts, question even the experts more carefully, and yes research on the Internet. Go to the drug manufacturers website, read everything you can, and be your animals advocate by making informed decisions.