My dog is still in pain after Rimadyl. Did I accidentally harm her?

Hi there. So if I'm understanding correctly, it sounds like she just had one extra dose of Rimadyl at 2:30 am Thursday morning - is that right? While it's true that we always want to stick to the label dosage with this medication, as there is a risk of causing serious side effect issues with higher doses and/or giving it more frequently than prescribed, I would generally not expect to see any major issues with just one accidental "extra" dose. Most of the toxicity issues we see with this medication are related to dogs getting into the bottle and eating a large number of pills at once, or with chronic overdosing over a longer period of time. If your girl is acting normal, eating and drinking fine, and not vomiting, then I don't see any major cause for concern right now. I would definitely recommend calling your regular vet to let them know about the extra dose and make sure they don't recommend doing anything different - but otherwise, I would just monitor her for any problems, and stick to the prescribed dosing schedule from here on out. The main things to watch for would be vomiting, or not eating - if you see either of those symptoms, I would let your vet know right away. If you feel like she's still somewhat painful in between Rimadyl doses, you could also ask your vet about getting her a different pain medication that would be safe to give along with the Rimadyl if she seems painful at night before her next scheduled dose, such as tramadol or gabapentin.

I can understand your concern. It is unlikely that she will have a serious complication from getting this dosage early due to her weight of 17lbs. I would recommend monitoring her for vomiting, bloody stool or refusal to eat for more 12 hrs. I assume you gave her the Rimadyl with a full meal as instructed. If you didn’t and she won’t take a meal now, then that is cause for concern and she should see an ER vet right away. But if she ate a full meal and is just sleepy it’s ok to wait it out. I would also give her a half of slice of bread, if she’ll take it and if anything else changes over the next 12-24 hrs Paige should be seen by a vet to make sure she is ok. Giving back to back NSAIDS do have the tendency to cause an upset stomach and in severe cases they can cause stomach ulcers, but typically this happens after long term usage of the drug or any drug interactions. Best wishes and I hope that Paige turns out ok.

The accepted dose of Rimadyl is about 1 mg per pound every 12 hours, so I would not give more than 50 mg in a 12 hour period. Rimadyl comes in 25, 75, and 100 mg tablet sizes and I don’t know which one you have. If she has already had an appropriate dose and she is still uncomfortable then she should probably be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Normally, a one-time double dose of Rimadyl will not cause any serious problems - but if you're concerned, you can always call the vet who prescribed the medication to ask they want you to bring Rocky in. If Rocky has any vomiting over the next 2-3 days, acts lethargic or doesn't want to eat, then I would recommend having him checked by a vet.

If Clara was 48kg, then this would be the correct dose, but you correct that this would be an overdose for a 48lb dog. I wouldn't worry too much about the dose you gave, but would recommend calling your vet to confirm the correct dosage before giving her any more. I doubt she will have any toxic effects from this dose, but if you happen to notice that she's vomiting profusely, vomiting blood, or has bloody diarrhea, then she will need to go to the vet for treatment. I hope that helps and all is well with Clara.

Hi there. It's certainly possible for dogs to have a mild upset stomach for 12-24 hours after an anesthetic episode, but it would be unusual to see this three days later - especially with such severe symptoms. I would recommend having her rechecked by your veterinarian tomorrow morning, or going to the ER tonight if she seems overly distressed or lethargic. It's possible that she could have a stomach ulcer as a result of the Rimadyl (uncommon, but can happen occasionally even with appropriate dosing), or may have some other problem that may or may not be related to her surgery. It sounds like she needs an exam and likely some lab work +/- x-rays to help determine what's going on and see what kind of treatment is needed.

Carprofen and Rimadyl are the SAME medication, she should not be taking both as she will overdose. Rimadyl should be given once or twice a day, not 3 times a day. i strongly recommend taking her to a vet ASAP in order to get her on the proper dosage before you make he serious health damage.