Please read this!

[jayell79]

And please take this seriously, because it is! I will back all my info up with websites and the proper sources, so you will know all I say about this is true.

Please do not ever, ever give your dog Rimidyl. It was not made for dogs, Pfizer originally developed it for arthritis in people. It's like giving Advil to your dog! No wonder it kills dogs. My family has lost two dogs, that I'm certain was because of this drug. One dog died only a few days after taking it. And the other dog's liver shut down after months of taking it.

Rimadyl (carprofen) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) of the propionic acid class that includes ibuprofen, naproxen, and ketoprofen. Carprofen is an NSAID, and as with others in that class, adverse reactions may occur with its use. The most frequently reported effects have been gastrointestinal signs. Events involving suspected renal, hematologic, neurologic, dermatologic, and hepatic effects have also been reported.
Adverse reactions may include decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, dark or tarry stools, increased water consumption, increased urination, pale gums due to anemia, yellowing of gums, skin or white of the eye due to jaundice, lethargy, incoordination, seizure, or behavioral changes.
Serious adverse reactions associated with this drug class can occur without warning and in rare situations result in death (see Adverse Reactions). Owners should be advised to discontinue Rimadyl therapy and contact their veterinarian immediately if signs of intolerance are observed.
All dogs should undergo a thorough history and physical examination before initiation of NSAID therapy. Appropriate laboratory tests to establish hematological and serum biochemical baseline data prior to, and periodically during, administration of any NSAID should be considered. Owners should be advised to observe for signs of potential drug toxicity (see Information for Dog Owners and Adverse Reactions)
http://www.rimadyl.com/display.asp?c...ies=CN&sec=660

[jayell79]

Of all the ADE (adverse drug experience) reports CVM (FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine) received in 1998, thirty-nine percent (39%) or 3626 involved Rimadyl®. The number of ADE reports received by CVM for Rimadyl® is considerably more than that received for other animal drugs. They typically involve the gastrointestinal system, renal/urinary system, hematopoietic (blood) system, neurological system, and the liver.
Approximately 13% of the 1998 Rimadyl® ADE reports for dogs involved death of the dog, either on their own or by means of euthanasia.

http://www.fda.gov/cvm/index/updates/rimadyl2.html

[jayell79]

Please check out this website. It has many heart wrenching stories, from real people who lost their dogs. Plus it is a wealth of information.
http://www.srdogs.com/Pages/rimadylfr.html

[lou3]

all drugs have risks, this one no more than most. These websites are DESIGNED to put people off using the drug so obviously mention the less than 0.1% of cases that have an adverse reaction and fail to mention the other 99.9% that experience considerable benefit from the drug.

[Dax]

It is sad that these people lost their dogs but I would wonder if it was the drug or the fact that most of these dogs were quite old to begin with.

That would be like blaming aspirin for every heart attack that humans have while taking aspirin.

I think it's up to us as responsible dog owners to ask our vets what if any side affects, adverse reactions to watch for, etc as associated with any medication including vaccines.

[weimlover0816]

I appreciate the warning. I will be more weary of Rimadyl from now on. We have some on hand, from Roslynd's spaying back in October, but I have yet to give her any....

I know that all drugs have risks, and have posted my own warnings on this forum about the dangers of ProHeart 6 (heartworm injection) and a few have responded saying they wouldn't consider a "few" cases as truth. But, you have to give some validity to some of these websites. and to the stories of those who have lost their pets. I think people should be a little more open to the fact that the FDA does not know all. As a scientist. I know from personal experience that the FDA does not "APPROVE" drugs or other things. They CLEAR them. And, for animals there is a smaller amount data needed before a drug, etc is cleared. Remember, most tests are done on animals first, before they are moved to human case-studies. It may only be a few months of data collected before the FDA clears a drug for vetrinary use, and side effects/reactions may not be seen in the "subjects" (dogs) the drug was tested on.

Anyway...

Thank you again, jayell79, for your warning