Beagle with pulled muscle
Our 10 year old beagle (chessie) pulled a muscle in her bottom - back in August of 04. She woke up very stiff and could not move at all - yelped when touched - took her to the vet and the Dr did sonogram and x-rays thinking it may have been the start of arthritus (sp?) but discovered it was a pulled muscle…she put her on Deramaxx and within a day or two Chessie was her old self! Jumping and running and begging…last Sunday after a huge run around the house and up the stairs and such - she showed the signs of the pulled muscle again. So…I called the vet and she gave her more of the Deramaxx (25 mg per day) She would wake up very stiff, not able to walk or lie back down…I would give her the med and within a few hours she would be her old self!!! So…I began to give the pill in 1/2 form (Dr.s okay) one 1/2 in am the other at bed and this seemed to make her less stiff in the mornings…however on THIS sunday, she ran around and pulled it again!!! At least I think that this is what is going on - Dr. gave us more meds yesterday and today she woke up sooooo stiff and sore and not able to move - I gave her the medication and within a little time she is acting normal - slight soreness when trying to move more than she should.
Is this normal? Any one else give their pet Deramaxx? What can I do about her morning stiffness? Would she be stiff all day if it were arthritus?
We love her sooo much and I don’t like her to be in such pain in the mornings! Someone please help us with advice…it would be much appreciated!!!
THANK YOU!!! LORI
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Has your vet seen your dog after each of these incidents to confirm that the problem is just a pulled muscle? A vet should not be prescribing strong drugs like Deramaxx without an actual physical exam and periodic bloodwork. Deramaxx, like all non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs, can have very serious effects on the liver, and its use should be monitored through periodic bloodwork to make sure the liver isn’t being adversely affected.
There are conditions far more serious than a pulled muscle that can leave a dog immobile and in pain. It’s very important that a vet confirm the diagnosis each time her condition worsens.
The problem with drugs that relieve pain, like Deramaxx, is that a dog who ought to be resting an injury so it can heal will run around instead and aggravate or compound the injury. It’s going to be up to you to enforce rest on your dog by keeping her confined to a small area and taking her out on-leash until her injury has had time to fully heal.
If, however, your dog is arthritic and doesn’t have an acute injury like a muscle strain, light exercise will keep her joints lubricated and less sore. That’s why an accurate diagnosis is so important. You need to know whether Chessie needs to rest or needs to exercise in order to improve her condition.
Please, though, insist on bloodwork if you intend to continue to use Deramaxx or any other anti-inflammatory drug, and have her blood retested *at least* once every 6 mos as long as she’s on the drug.
It might also be advisable to get a second opinion from a different vet.
Good luck with your girl,
Tempest
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Okay - now I am a bit concerned about the Deramaxx…I DID ask the vet about side effects and she said that Chessie wasn’t on enough of a dosage where it would harm her over time…however, I am deeply concerned now that this is one POWERFUL drug. It sure does work on taking any pain away - so there must be more to it than I realize.
Anyone else used Deramxx? What was is prescribed for and did you notice any side effects?
THANK YOU Tempest for your reply. We are doing everything we can to keep Chessie still - she DOES have to go up and down stairs to do her business (leash of course)…but other than that she has been limited to an area where she can’t run around and such. Today (this morning) was a better day…but now I worry about what the side effects will do from all of this.
THANKS everyone that can give me some more insight!!!
Lori
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It’s not just Deramaxx. It’s all NSAIDS (Etogesic, Rimadyl, even aspirin). They can all adversely affect the liver in dogs. Different dogs respond to different drugs differently. One dog may go on a drug and have an immediate, serious reaction. Another dog may do very well on the same drug for a long time, then suddenly develop problems. A third dog may do perfectly fine on the same drug for as long as it’s necessary without ever developing any problems at all. It’s all of that variability in response and reaction that makes monitoring so important. There simply isn’t any way to predict potential side effects or lack thereof with any drug.
Just keep a close eye on Chessie and contact your vet immediately if you see any changes in her appetite, water consumption, or in the consistency, volume, or color of her urine and stool. Also, keep note of any behavioral changes - aggressiveness, excessive sleepiness, hyperactivity, etc. Any noticeable changes could possibly be drug-related and should be discussed with your vet.
Muscle pulls can take quite a while to heal, so don’t let the drugs fool you into thinking Chessie ready for action prematurely. Ask your vet how long it should take for such an injury to completely heal, and keep Chessie quiet for the full time period, regardless of how raring to go she may be. Oh, and you might want to start carrying her up and down those stairs so she doesn’t risk reinjury while she’s still healing.
All the best to you and Chessie,
Tempest