Can I stop my dog's Rimadyl medication suddenly without tapering?

I definitely agree that prednisone tapering should take much longer but if you have already switched him to Rimadyl you cannot give him the prednisone anymore. if you have not switched him yest you should do a much slower tapering over a period of at least 2 weeks, reducing gradually every 5-7 days.

Please do not give ibuprofen. It can be toxic to dogs and with your cute girl being small I am very concerned about an overdose. Your veterinarian should refill the rimadyl or there are also several generic equivalents than may be less expensive. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to recommend any treatment or dosage of medications on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Legally, a pet must be physically examined by a vet before any treatment can be prescribed or recommended. Rimadyl can be used for any muscular or joint inflammation or pain, so it is probably the right choice for Westley. If you get in touch with your local vets, they should be able to advise about the dose for Westley. You will also find Rimadyl dosage on the leaflet, that should be provided with the tablets that were prescribed for Winston.

While a washout period is recommended between NSAIDs like Rimadyl and corticosteroids like prednisone the actual number of days to wait has not been determined by a research study. I typically recommend a 7 day washout but there are many times I have started prednisone right away when I thought it necessary. You could ask your vet about using gastroprotectant medications like antacids to help lessen the likelihood of side effects.

I am sorry to hear that Mattie isn’t feeling well. Rimadyl is great for arthritis pain and problems that improve with an anti inflammatory medication. However, without know what is wrong with Mattie there is a possibility that the Rimadyl could make things worse. Such as if she is suffering from liver disease, pancreatitis, intestinal foreign object, or a bleeding abdominal tumor. I know it is hard to watch your dog be uncomfortable, but until there is a diagnosis I would be very cautious about using the Rimadyl. I hope this helps you make a decision, and I hope you find and answer soon. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

I understand your concerns - you can definitely read some scary things on the internet! All medications have the possibility of causing problems or side effects - thankfully, for the most of drugs that we use commonly, these issues are extremely rare. Rimadyl is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), very similar to Advil in humans. All NSAIDs have a theoretical risk of causing side effects like GI upset, irritation, and stomach ulcers, as well as liver or kidney issues at very high doses. But just like it would be extremely rare for Advil to cause these problems in humans, it's also extremely rare to see any serious side effects with Rimadyl. This is one of the most commonly used drugs in the veterinary field, and is well-tolerated by the vast majority of dogs who take it. Personally (knock on wood!) I have never had a patient have any serious problems with it, and we use it every single day in our clinic. So while nothing is every 100% guaranteed to not cause any problems, Rimadyl is a very safe and effective drug - just make sure to always give it according to your vet's directions, to minimize the chance of any issues :)

Hi there. I'm assuming you mean Rimadyl? If so, this medication should NEVER be given more frequently than directed by your veterinarian, since overdoses can cause serious damage to the stomach and kidneys. I would recommend calling your veterinarian tomorrow morning to see what they suggest - they may ask you to skip Evie's next scheduled dose. You will also need to monitor her for any signs of a problem such as vomiting or not wanting to eat, and take her in right away to be seen if any problems are noted.