Doggie pain relief??

[dirty ethel rackham]

Our poor labradoodle seems to be in pain this evening.  We were out of town this weekend.  Earlier today, he played fetch on a large hillly backyard.   He seemed fine, but I was concerned about him getting hurt chasing the ball down that hill.  Then we went on a long hike in the woods.  Later, we got in the car for our 5 hour ride home.  He seemed fine until we got home.  Now he is groaning and seems uncomfortable.  He won't go out to potty.  He needed to be carried down the stairs.   I've massaged and probed him all over.  He isn't resistant to it and doesn't seem to react to any specific tenderness.

 

What can I do to help him?  We can't get him to the vet until Tuesday. 

[gingersmom]

Could he have possibly eaten something?

 

You may want to consider emergency vet.

[Slache]

Call the emergency vet. In my experience they are awesome. If yours just wants you to come in call Dove Lewis in Portland Oregon. Awesome folks. They'll talk to you all night.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I don't think he ate anything.  I do think it was a lot of strenuous activity that he was unaccustomed to (this was a very hilly area and it is pretty flat where we live) and then a long car ride.  He went to the bathroom and he seemed a little better after he walked around the yard a bit.  He did just use the stairs to follow me.  I hope it is just stiffness due to activity and then forced inactivity. 

[Spy Car]

If you can't give Rimadyl, I'd give Ibuprofen. The dose is 2 to 4 mg per pound of dog, every 12 hours.

 

Human NSAIDS for dogs is a subject of controversy, but in your shoes, I'd treat with Ibuprofen until you could see the vet.

 

Bill

[StephanieZ]

FWIW, there are some painful things that can be deadly in hours. It's not always "just" a strained muscle, etc. that could wait . . .

 

Dh is a vet . ..  this summer, while we were on a family road trip, one cat got super painful and the pet sitter called us . . . he was able to diagnose it over the phone successfully, but it required emergency pain control. It was some kidney related thing, of all things (and dh says it is incredibly painful) . . . anyway, he had our pet sitter take her to an emergency clinic for confirmation of his diagnosis and appropriate pain measures. (There was no curative treatment possible . . . but needed fluids and pain control to give her a day or so to see if she's get better for a time . . . she didn't  . ..  she passed away, but she was not in pain . . . Sad.)

 

Sudden pain can also be pancreatitis or in large dogs it can be a gut-twisting thing . . .

 

Some of those things can kill in hours. So, anyway, sudden onset pain really needs a diagnosis within hours, not days, if at all possible. 

 

(((hugs))) and hope that she feels better in the morning. 

 

Do NOT give NSAIDs or other meds not prescribed by your vet. Really, really bad idea. IMHO.

 

 

[StephanieZ]

ps. The reason I would not, not give an NSAID or other med not prescribed is that you really have no idea what's going on and what meds are going to be needed. There are some meds that are contraindicated to be taken within a number of days/weeks of each other. Specifically, I believe that any NSAID should not be taken within a couple weeks of a steroid. There are "wash out" periods, and I think it's ideally at least 2 weeks. Some conditions might benefit from an NSAID or a steroid, and I just wouldn't want to give anything that might mess up the ideal treatment plan that the vet might want to do . . . So, in particular, I'm careful about avoiding NSAIDs or steroids if I'm not sure what is going to be needed. 

[StephanieZ]

PS. Specifically on ibuprofen, I just wanted to clarify for any readers that it is NOT safe for dogs or cats. 

 

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=3342

 

Here is the full text of the above linked article which was posted in 2012 at veterinarypartner.com a very reputable vet-supported reference website for lay persons. 

 

+++++++++

 

Ibuprofen Toxicity

 

DO NOT GIVE IBUPROFEN TO A DOG OR CAT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

Ibuprofen has been available as a human pain reliever in the United States since 1974. In 1984, tablets up to 200 mg became over-the-counter and such brands as Motrin, Advil, and Nuprin became household names. Ibuprofen has been prescribed for all manner of human aches and pains as well as for other less common problems. It is a common remedy found in many if not most homes and offices all over America.

Pet Exposure

When pets have pain, people want a simple solution and tend to look in their own medicine cabinet just as they would for themselves. It is unfortunately common for people to make an assumption that a safe medication for people will also be safe for pets and a number of animals are poisoned by ibuprofen when their owner attempts a simple treatment for pain. Alternatively, playful animals may knock over a bottle of pills and swallow an unknown quantity.

Medications are not approved for human over-the-counter use unless they show a good safety margin and their use is difficult to botch. The problem is that every species is different and what is safe for humans can be lethal to a dog or cat.

Never use any medication on your pet without checking with your veterinarian.

Do not attempt to extrapolate dosing from one species to another.

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS)

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (called NSAIDs) inhibit an enzyme called cyclooxygenase. This enzyme is involved in the production of inflammatory chemicals called prostaglandins. When the inflammatory cascade is active, cells use their cyclooxygenase enzymes to begin to convert fats from their cell membranes into prostaglandins. NSAIDs put a stop to this.

It turns out that there are several types of cyclooxygenase, however. Some types are involved in producing inflammatory prostaglandins and others involved in producing prostaglandins needed for normal body functions. Ibuprofen is what is called a non-selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor, which means it inhibits all types of cyclooxygenase, not just the ones that produce inflammatory mediators.

Ibuprofen inhibits prostaglandins involved in the blood supply to the stomach as well as blood supply to the kidneys.

In humans, these effects are minor enough that they did not preclude approval for over-the-counter use but in dogs or cats, these issues are life-threatening. It turns out that dogs and cats are much more sensitive to these issues than people.

Stomach Ulceration
Ibuprofen is felt to be too toxic for safe use in pets at any dose but if a pet is lucky, exposure will not have reached the toxic dose but it may not take much given that the typical non-prescription pill contains 200mg.

The first level of toxicity involves ulceration of the stomach. This leads to vomiting with or without blood, appetite loss, and/or stools that are black from digested blood. The worst case scenario is rupture of the stomach leading to death. Repeated use of ibuprofen will increase the risk of toxicity even at doses that would not be toxic in single exposures.

Ibuprofen inhibits production of prostaglandins needed for normal blood circulation to the stomach. Without normal blood flow, the stomach cannot produce a proper protective layer of mucous to protect its tissues from the harsh digestive acid it contains. Ulceration results. Treatment involves intravenous fluids to restore circulation and medications to heal the ulceration.

Kidney Failure
The next level of toxicity occurs at higher doses. After interfering with blood flow to the stomach, the blood flow to the kidneys comes next. Reduced blood flow through the kidneys leads to death of kidney tissue. As kidney function decreases, toxins that the kidneys normally remove from the body begin to build up. Damage may be permanent or temporary depending on how much ibuprofen was ingested and how healthy the kidneys were prior to poisoning.

Kidney failure is a metabolic disaster with numerous aspects to be addressed. In the short term, symptoms include: nausea, further ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract, low body temperature, and diarrhea. It may be possible to avoid toxicity of the kidneys by beginning intravenous fluids promptly and supporting circulation despite the NSAIDs in the patient’s system. If toxicity is severe enough to cause the patient to stop making urine, prognosis is substantially worse and treatment must be more aggressive.

Cats are more sensitive to kidney failure effects than are dogs.

Neurologic Signs
The final level of toxicity is neurologic. At very high doses of ibuprofen, the patient will have tremors that can progress to outright seizures and ultimately coma. The patient will need to be supported with medications to control the involuntary muscle contractions until the ibuprofen is out of the patient’s system.

Treatment and Monitoring

As with other poisoning situations, if the patient is seen promptly (like within an hour or possibly two) it may be possible to induce vomiting. This can be done at your veterinarian’s office or possibly as directed by a toxicologist at the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC, see below). Activated charcoal can be given by your veterinarian to prevent any un-vomited ibuprofen from being absorbed into the body.

Unfortunately, ibuprofen toxicity is common enough that a basic protocol has been put forth by APCC. Typically 48 hours of intravenous fluids are needed to support the stomach and kidneys. Kidney function tests must be monitored and, if possible, this is done at intervals over 3 days following the poisoning event. Medications to prevent stomach ulcers/protect the stomach are frequently needed for a week or so. Strong antacids such as famotidine or omeprazole are commonly used. Sucralfate is often used to form protective webbing over any erosions in the stomach. Misoprostol is a prostaglandin protective to the stomach that can be given orally and is often included in treatment.

Prognosis depends on how much ibuprofen the pet was exposed to and for how long and how complete the treatment is.
 
Animal Poison Control Center is available 24 hours a day at 888-426-4435 and consultations cost approximately $65.00. Once a case number has been assigned, follow up is free which means you can get initial first aid information before seeing your veterinarian and your veterinarian can consult with a toxicologist before beginning treatment.

If your pet has a HomeAgain microchip, free poison control consultation is included in the full service registration. Call 1-888-HomeAgain.

Date Published: 1/31/2012 10:46:00 AM
Date Reviewed/Revised: 01/31/2012

 

 

 

[Spy Car]

If there were signs of GVD (aka bloat/torsion) you'd see abdominal swelling, perhaps non-productive attempts to vomit, abdominal soreness, listlessness, maybe heavy salivation etc. If this sounds like the case, get to an emergency room pronto. GVD is fatal if one doesn't act immediately, and often fatal anyway.

 

Doesn't sound like pancreatitis. Did the dog get into the trash and eat large quantities of cooked fats? Are any medications being taken currently? Steroids?

 

If it is just muscle soreness, I'd give ibuprofen if I could not get rimadyl. I think the case against human NSAIDS is overstated in terms of risk. It is a matter of controversy.

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

Cats should NOT get NSAIDS, but dogs can handle ibuprofen at 2-4 mg per pound. If ones math skills are shaky, don't administer. Rimadyl is preferable.

 

Bill

[Laurie]

Our poor labradoodle seems to be in pain this evening.  We were out of town this weekend.  Earlier today, he played fetch on a large hillly backyard.   He seemed fine, but I was concerned about him getting hurt chasing the ball down that hill.  Then we went on a long hike in the woods. 

 

We had an incident with our dog last week.   All of a sudden he started having problems getting up and couldn't walk normally.  We almost took him to the emergency vet that evening but didn't since he would loosen up after walking around for awhile.    I put a microwave heat pack on his lower back which he liked.   (He was eating normally, no vomitting/diarrhea, etc.)    When we took him to the regular vet, the first question he asked was if our dog had been more active than usual.  

 

I hope your dog is okay.   Our vet didn't find anything obviously wrong and wanted to take a wait and see approach.   Within a day, our dog was back to normal. 

 

[Pawz4me]

Buffered aspirin is my go to for emergency pain relief.  My vet has okayed it, and says it's what he gives his own dogs when he doesn't have any Rimadyl or something similar on hand.  Maybe not the best choice nowadays for long term pain relief, but for short term it's fine.  I forget the dosage range, but it's readily available with a quick Google search.

 

Buffered aspirin is getting harder to find, though.  Bufferin used to be what I'd buy, but I haven't been able to find it in a long time.  Walgreen's has a store brand, and that's what I've been keeping on hand.  You don't want enteric coated aspirin--supposedly the coating can prevent it from being absorbed correctly by a dog.

 

I hope he feels better soon!

[Journey]

google Golden Paste...turmeric.....I give it to my dog who had a constant limp and now the limp is gone. we give it to our horses as well. I'm trying to take it and like it but it tastes terrible!

[cera2]

Honestly, he sounds like he feels like any human would who all of a sudden ramped up the amount of exercise they did.  If there is no specific area of pain and he is eating and drinking plus able to go to the bathroom (even if he doesn't want to have to get up to do so) I would just watch him and wait a bit.  He is probably just stiff and sore.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Thanks for all the suggestions.  Sorry I didn't update yesterday, but I was having some computer problems and have trouble posting from my phone.  Bear was back to normal the next morning.  He ran up the stairs to make sure I knew he was awake.  I do think it was some stiffness after the unaccustomed activity (running on hills) followed by 5 hours of forced inactivity.