has anyone heard of Dotagis Karprofen?

[ben391]

hi firstly this is my first post so i would like to say hello on behalf of myself and my staffordshire bullterier.

Secondly my dog is 9yrs old and has slight artheritis in his front legs but this has never been a problem the ther day he woke up and struggled to walk, whimpering and dragging his back legs when i touched his back or tried to stroke him he cried in real pain i have 3 children who are rough with him i assumed hed pulled a muscle but after 2 days was no better i took him to the vets, she said she also thought hed pulled a muscle but could not feel his spine as he was in so much pain he wouldnt let her touch him she has perscribed 50mg tablets 1 and a quarter to be given daily for next 9 days on the wrapper they say "dotagis" "karprofen" and after reasearching the internet all my searches came back to rimadyl, is this the same drug does anyone know as im really worrid know hes only taking the tablets for one day and is walking as if nothing has happened , but the side effects seem terrible, i must also say that he has a bad heart, i was worrid as the search brought back nothing for these pills any advice or help would be really apprecited, thanks in advance

[tiffers]

Carprofen is the medicine name for the Rimadyl Product. If you're reading about the liver issues with Rimadyl, yes...it can happen. However, a one time use of the drug shouldn't affect your dog's liver. Did your vet run bloodwork to check the dog's liver enzymes before prescribing Rimadyl? You know, to make sure your dog can handle the medication? If the vet thinks he's pulled a muscle, he should be on Muscle Relaxers...like Robaxin or something of the like. Is the Rimadyl the only medication you're giving?

[ben391]

hi tiffers and thanks for your quick reply yes its the only medication i was given for my dog and no no tests was done this is the first time the vet has actually seen my dog i think i wil ring them up and discuss this, and yes she definatly said she thought he had pulled something

[benali72]

Hi Ben391,

I'm not a drug expert or vet but I have had a dog that was on Rimadyl.

My understanding is that Rimadyl is what a vet would prescribe for arthritis... but *not* normally for a pulled leg.

So unless arthritis is the problem I'm not sure why the dog would be on Rimadyl instead of muscle relaxants/pain relievers.

A dose or two of Rimadyl wouldn't have any side effects. But if a dog is placed on it long term, one *must* have the vet do blood work at regular intervals to ensure it is not damaging the dog's liver.

I had an elderly dog (13 yrs) with pretty bad arthritis and Rimadyl was a wonder drug for him. We had him tested every couple months for side effects and he was fine, but this is not the case for all dogs (which is why we continually tested).

[ben391]

well i rang the vet and asked exactly why he was given the drug as i thought it was for artheritis and she said it was the strongest pain relief they prescribe and because she couldnt touch him to see exactly what the problem was but assumed he had torn or puled something she thought it best to give im this as its anti-anflamiatory and pain relief where as a muscle relaxer would not ease his pain, which was so bad you couldnt even stroke him she also said what others ahve said that short term it shouldnt be a problem and to keep an eye out for side effects e.g not eating or anything out of the usual which i am doing so im hoping things will be ok im taking him back next friday so she can check him out so will keep you posted, thank you again for all the info and advice

[tiffers]

Ben, what you've said made perfect sense...and as I reread back through this thread...I realized you'd said he was so painful that he couldn't even be touched. So, yes...I agree with your vet.

How is your pup doing now?

[ben391]

hi yes hes seems to be in no pain at all we are all ignoring him sort of as hes extremely playful and we dont want him to get excited hopefully he willuse this time to rest but hes getting up walking around and going outside to the toilet so hopefully its working and will be better for her to check him out next week and so far hes still eating.

[tiffers]

I'm glad he's doing better. Rimadyl can really be a miracle for some dogs and do nothing for other's. I hope he continues to get better!