Stopped Rimadyl because dog is sick.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Paul...we can definitely converse back and forth via this website. You can respond as many times as necessary. I wish I could do it as a chat function but I haven't found a way to make that work logistically for me.

It sounds like Aussie is really not feeling well.

Was any bloodwork done by your vet when he went in on Thursday? This would tell us a lot about whether we need to be worried about liver or kidney disease.

It sounds like the drugs they have him on are in case of stomach ulceration as a result of the Rimadyl.

While Rimadyl can cause some liver or kidney issues it usually only happens in dogs that have a pre-existing problem. However, there is the odd dog that can have a very strange reaction that causes liver failure.

So, I have a few questions for you:

1. Was any blood work done? If so, were there any worrisome results?

2. Is he eating anything at all?

3. Have a look at the white part of his eyes...does it look like there is a yellow tinge at all?

Thanks...I'll be awaiting your reply.


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

---

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Dr. Marie replied:

You're very welcome.

Thanks for that extra information. You're right in saying that I can't offer absolutes, especially without seeing Aussie but I'll give you my thoughts on his situation.

When I see a dog with blood in the stool, my initial thought is to not be too worried. It doesn't take a lot of inflammation in the colon to cause some bleeding. I think it was reasonable, initially to assume that he was not handling the Rimadyl well.

However, when I see that there is a lack of appetite that goes on for more than 24 hours then I get worried that there is something more serious going on. The other factor that I would consider in your case is that Aussie is an older dog. This makes me concerned that we might be dealing with a serious problem as well.

I think we have made an assumption that these issues are due to the Rimadyl, but there may be something else going on that is not connected to the Rimadyl, especially since the situation is not getting better even though the medicine is stopped.

If Aussie were my patient I would definitely be recommending a trip to the emergency vet today. If this were something mild he would be much better by now. I think it is really important to have some blood tests done on him to determine if there is a serious concern here. Most emergency vets can have blood results within minutes of taking a blood sample.

The vet may indeed suggest IV fluids and I think this is a good idea.

I hope everything goes ok!

Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

I hate mentioning the "C" word, but yes, Cancer is always a possibility in a dog of this age.

It's hard to directly answer your question about Rimadyl because Rimadyl can cause a couple of kinds of reactions. If this was just gastrointestinal upset because of Rimadyl then we should see a very quick recovery once we stopped the medicine.

If this was a stomach ulcer because of Rimadyl then it could take longer. Or, it could potentially be life threatening if there is an ulcer that has penetrated the full thickness of his stomach. However, you mentioned that he had blood in his stool. Usually, with an ulcer, the blood that we see isn't even recognizable as blood - it will look black and tarry. So, this doesn't sound like a stomach ulcer.

Then the next possibility is if the Rimadyl has contributed to liver or kidney disease. The outcome to this is hard to predict because it depends on whether there was pre-existing disease or not.

If this is kidney or liver disease then there is a good chance that a few days of IV fluids could do wonders. If it is indeed kidney or liver disease solely because of the Rimadyl (which is really not common) then a couple of days of IV fluids could cure him.

Your vet will guide you on how to interpret the blood results. If they see mild kidney or liver elevations then they'll likely suggest a few days of IV fluids. However, if the values are extremely high then this is more serious and could mean either a cancer or liver/kidney failure. This is when decision making is hard. Your vet will give you a bunch of options. Make sure to ask what they feel the prognosis is. If they don't feel optimistic for Aussie to recover then it may be time to consider euthanasia.

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks Paul. I like your site.

I pray that things are ok with Aussie.

Dr. Marie.