Dear Dr. John,
Our German Shepherd is 13 years previous and was recognized final 12 months as being anemic, discovered to have a mass on her spleen, had it eliminated, and by chance it was benign. Arthritis has set in, and our vet gave us Rimadyl which appears to work properly however it’s pricey! I perceive there’s a generic model which prices much less however is it equally efficient? She has had intermittent diarrhea and an upset abdomen with some regularity. Tests have proven no parasites. She does will be predisposed to get into varied issues that she ingests open air comparable to feces from wildlife and even rubbish. Can I give her Tums to settle her abdomen? Most of the time, the diarrhea resolves. Sometimes there’s additionally some vomiting. What do you recommend? I’m virtually too embarrassed to contact my vet about the identical challenge repeatedly. W.M.
Dear W.M.,
Let me begin by saying that I’m glad for you that the splenic mass proved to be benign since so many are malignant hemangiosarcomas that always result in a really shortened life. The NSAID drug, Rimadyl, is my favourite drug of alternative when such a medicine is named for. As with most medication, generic choices can be found, and you may certainly ask your veterinarian to order or prescribe it on your canine. It’s value a attempt to see if the efficacy is identical. If not, you may at all times return to what you might be utilizing now.
As for the gastrointestinal points, the very first thing is that it’s good to be vigilant in watching what she ingests. I think that, given the historical past, quite a lot of what you see is because of her consuming issues that she shouldn’t. Tums isn’t one thing you need to give your canine! It has an ingredient referred to as xylitol which is extremely poisonous to canine. If your canine has an upset abdomen, giving Pepcid or Prilosec may very well be used safely however don’t accomplish that with out consulting along with your veterinarian first. It isn’t unusual that pet house owners attain for over-the-counter human medicines for widespread illnesses however, whereas some could also be protected to present, dosing could be a lot completely different or inappropriate all collectively. The excellent news is that it appears your previous canine’s GI points typically resolve spontaneously. Never hesitate to contact your veterinarian.
Dr. John de Jong owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic.He could be reached at 781-899-9994.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”