Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi,
I need some feedback about rimadyl and tramadol. Last night I decided not to give Buster his nightly dosage of the 2 drugs mentioned. He usually gets about 50mg of rimadyl and 50mg of tramadol nightly. I give it to him before bedtime to help him sleep. Without the drugs he seemed to sleep without hyperventilating. Is it possible the drugs may be causing this? Am I mistaking a possible side effect of the drugs as the lung cancer progressing?
I did consult the oncologist… she suggested to up the drugs. (My gut tells me no)…Is it best to switch prednisone? That's the other option suggested.. I would have to stop the NSAID although it's part of the protocol. He seems to tolerate the NSAID in the day time. Initially she thought prednisone was a quality of life issue since it's side effects also..
Any advice would be appreciated, since the episode of the heavy hyperventilating was very scary and prompted me to make an appt with a vet to put him to sleep.. I am having 2nd thoughts.
Confused again,
Kim & Buster
Kim & Angel Buster
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."
–Anatole France
Kim,
Rimadyl usually does not cause panting. It is possible that Tramadol could cause panting, especially in a dog with diminished lung capacity. Prednisone is a stronger anti-inflammatory than Rimadyl but is more likely to cause GI upset, increased thirst, and also panting.
I would try stopping or at least cutting back on the Tramadol to see what happens. The maximum dose of Rimadyl is 1 mg per pound twice daily (or 2 mg per pound once daily). Have you considered repeating a chest xray? Even just 1 view would give you an idea if the cancer has progressed.
It is also possible that the artemisinin is contributing to panting so you could also try stopping that, then add it back slowly if he is doing well. I have noticed Tazzie panting a bit more lately, but not at night.
Maybe Buster has some more time left. Is he still eating? How is his attitude? I know that it is very hard to try to determine when is the "right" time, but usually the dog will let you know...
Pam and Tazzie
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