Bodhi is over 10 years old now. He had a "stroke-like event" 20 months ago that left him with some pretty serious movement deficit in his hindquarters. That condition is stable and he's adapted admirably, although he is no longer a candidate for ski touring.
He's also got arthritis in his elbows. They are just about fused solid. He's bright and cheerful, showing no signs of losing his interest in the world, but he's slowing down a lot. Stairs have been out for 6 months or more. Recently the arthritis has gotten bad enough that even a carpeted ramp has become a challenge. I've gotten used to his small sounds of pain when he gets up, but hearing them when he tries to come up the ramp or raise his front legs high enough to get through the dog doors is enough to drive me to search for more options. He is on a glucosamine-chondroitin supplement. He also gets cosequin. He's on a low bulk feed and his weight is under control (slight padding over ribs, but getting a bit bony). For the last few months the vet has been suggesting we consider Rimadyl. She's given me a lot of information on the drug and suggested sources for information on its pluses and minuses. I have followed up and gathered a great deal of information from a variety of sources. There seems to be anecdotal evidence of some breeds being more susceptible to the bad side effects of Rimadyl, so I want to check in here to see if there's any information that's BMD-specific. Last week Bodhi was at the vet and we did a blood panel. His lever enzymes are at 170, up from 140 9 months ago. The vet says that she starts to believe she's seeing a clear indication of a problem when it hits 200, twice the normal level. I am considering the following: 1) Put him on 100 mg twice a day with food. 2) Continue for two weeks under close observation for all the side effects of Rimadyl. Stop immediately and get another blood panel if anything suspicious occurs. 3) If he shows clear improvement at the end of two weeks and he's tolerating the drug well then continue, else try something else. 4) If continuing, try reducing dosage and combining with cosequin to see what minimum dosage provides adequate relief. Get regular blood work to keep an eye on liver enzyme levels (vet will do a "short panel" to just check the liver issues for reduced cost). So, questions: 1) Is a two week trial long enough? 2) Opinions on likelihood of damage in a two week trial? How bad? Reversible? 3) If it seems to be working out, how often should blood work be repeated? Once a month? More often? Less OK? I know that few here are vets, but I believe many of you as caring for our three-color friends as deeply as I do, so I thought I'd ask here, too. Richard, Bodhi (10+ years) & Jack (8+, but still thinks he's a puppy)
