Dutch Shepherd Forum

Based upon my fading education I just don't understand this...

Abigail (the non DS) has been put on Rimadyl because of a torn ACL ... side note: how is it every dog now seems to have a torn ACL? ... which they plan on performing the "tightrope" procedure on when the swelling finally goes down.

A pharmacist I used to work with had mentioned to me a while back that they had a bunch of Rimadyl left over from their dog's torn ACL (unfortunately it tore another ACL and passed of natural causes within months). Today I went to his house to get the leftover drugs and we got talking about dosing, drug metabolization and motorcycles.

...

a) When reviewing the literature that is with the bottle you can clearly see that it says to dose the drug at blah blah blah ... but the vet (both his and mine) have dosed it lower.

b) the packaging shows that the drug half life is such that it should be given in less than an 18 hour cycle - or at least twice a day. So why the once a day recommendation?

c) I took Cino with me. It was the first time he had met Cino or any Dutch Shepherd and he was duly impressed with the temperament and personality.

d) much conversation about motorcycles that has nothing to do with this board.

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So .. the vet techs / animal behaviourists / people in the know / anyone with a theory ...

Why did the vet (his and mine) dose the drug so differently from what is recommended?

No expert here but for what it's worth there is often a 'theraputic range' for dosages on medications. Your veterinarian will know what it is for various drugs. Often they select the lower dose range as more isn't necessarily better ( just like for us ).
I don't know what dose you were prescribed for what weight dog so cann't comment on it being low, mid or high dose range. If you are concerned, ask your vet. I bet they'd be happy to explain why they selected "X" dose for your dog.

On a side note .... be careful using medications from other peoples old stock. You don't know if it was stored correctly. Incorrect storage can cause medications to degrade and sometimes changes their chemical composition so they aren't quite the same drug anymore ( react with moisture, light, air, heat etc ).

According to the Rimadyl prescribing information sheet there is a once a day or twice a day dosing option :
"DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION: Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration consistent with individual response. The recommended dosage for oral administration to dogs is 2 mg/lb (4.4 mg/kg) of body weight daily. The total daily dose may be administered as 2 mg/lb of body weight once daily or divided and administered as 1 mg/lb (2.2 mg/kg) twice daily."

Full info sheet where above quote was taken from can be found here :
https://www.rimadyl.com/docs/pi.pdf

Even more Rimadyl information can be found here :
http://www.rimadyl.com/

Hope Abigail has an uneventful surgery and speedy recovery

Here's my disclaimer
I'm not a veterinarian and am not making any recommendations or suggestions for treatment of your dog Abigail. Only your veterinarian can do that. Any concerns/questions you should direct to them.
You had asked for comments/thoughts/theory and so I shared mine.

Brindle wrote:On a side note .... be careful using medications from other peoples old stock. You don't know if it was stored correctly. Incorrect storage can cause medications to degrade and sometimes changes their chemical composition so they aren't quite the same drug anymore ( react with moisture, light, air, heat etc ).

Very true for both the dogs and humans. Tylenol is a big one that people let lay around the house and it does not "age" well at all.

This bottle is from someone who knows ( as in their profession ) how to properly store it...

The makers of Rimadyl have published studies demonstrating the effectiveness of the drug - and they keep changing their mind on what dosage rate works best. Unfortunately, what's new and known isn't always received by the veterinary community unless the sales rep makes a point of telling them, or the veterinarian chooses to attend a lecture.

The basic dose for Rimadyl is 2mg/lb over a 24 hour period. When it was first released, it was 1mg/lb every 12 hours. Then a new study showed that it was more effective if given the full dose once a day. THEN, they changed their mind again.

Also, like with any pain med, sometimes a lower dose is effective. I give Dante 75mg once a day for arthritis...etc. He could have up to 110mg in a 24 hours period, but this seems to work.

Lastly, it only comes in 25mg, 70mg and 100mg tabs. Sometimes decisions are made simply because of convenience based on pill size.

PS - Sorry about her CCL (its unlikly an ACL tear). There are lots of theories on why they blow out. I have no idea which ones I do or do not believe.