My dog has chronic pain. What pain relief protects kidneys/liver?

Hi Annette! Managing arthritis can be tricky since Joe's kidneys did not seem to tolerate some of the more traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like Metacam. I'm glad to hear that Joe is taking a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement, like YuMOVE, as this can protect his joint cartilage against further damage. Make sure that you are keeping him at a healthy body weight, as overweight dogs have more stress placed on their joints. Other strategies for managing arthritis include talking to your vet about a trial with Adequan injections for further cartilage protection or new classes of NSAIDs (such as Galliprant) that are much more sparing of the liver and kidneys. Acupuncture and water therapy can also be beneficial for some dogs with arthritis. I hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear about Tasha! Many dogs take NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) long term with no negative consequences. It is the rare case where the liver or kidney may be affected or the GI tract experiences upset. This is why we recommend blood work to monitor every 6 to 12 months when pets take the medicine long term, and often the effects are reversible. If your dog is in pain, I would follow your vet's advice and use the medication. There are other NSAIDs also available, a newer one called Galliprant is supposed to have less risks though it hasn't been used as long, so we don't know for certain if those claims are true. Other options also include omega fatty acid supplements, glucosamine chondroitin supplements, Adequan injections, acupuncture and laser therapy, so you can ask your vet about these options as well if you decide to take a different route.

Hello, Lola is indeed at higher risk for adverse reactions even after a single dose of meloxicam, however your veterinarian is likely not too concerned with the severity of her kidney disease. Therefore, the side effects of meloxicam to her kidneys would be dependent on how severe her kidney disease is. I would recommend monitoring her kidney values for the next five days as Meloxicam has a long half-life and can take up to 5 days to remove completely from the body. This could be done with daily blood checks. Also know that of all the NSAIDs, Meloxicam has the widest safety margin in the phase of kidney disease. Look for any signs of increased drinking, decreased urinations, lethargy, painful abdomen, vomiting, or a decreased appetite and have her evaluated immediately if you note any. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Because one of the possible side effects of a non steroidal anti-inflammatory like Metacam is kidney issues there is a possibility the changes you are seeing in Faith are related to kidney damage. Other possible causes for the changes you are seeing are a UTI, bladder stones, bladder inflammation or true urinary incontinence. Because kidney disease is a serious concern I would recommend having Faith seen for blood work as soon as possible. If kidney dysfunction is present Faith will likely need supportive care (like IV fluids). If you haven't already, I would stop giving the Metacam until blood work and an examination can be done. Allow Faith free access to food and water. But again, I encourage you to try to get to a veterinarian sooner than 2-3 days from now. Hopefully, this isn't a serious issue like kidney disease but with the history of being on Metacam, I would rather you err on the side of caution. Best of luck to you and Faith!

Metacam is similar to ibuprofen or naproxen and has both anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties. In general I feel like drugs in this class work better for arthritis than medications that only treat pain like tramadol. Each dog is different, and some dogs need multiple medications to relieve the pain associated with arthritis.

Unfortunately, a well-documentive side effect of Meloxicam (and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) is that it causes decreased blood flow to the kidneys, sometimes resulting in kidney damage. If Candy has been diagnosed with kidney problems, she definitely should no longer take Meloxicam. Your vet can discuss other alternative for pain control, including Tramadol, gabapentin, acupuncture, and physical therapy. The Azodyl can certainly be continued, but I would not give the Meloxicam, and likely she'll never be able to take it again.

Poor Rupert! He sounds like a sweet little dog! I think it is very appropriate to make sure he is on adequate pain medication at this stage, both for the tumor as well as the leg issue. For older dogs I like to use an opiate pain medication like Tramadol, in combination with something like Gabapentin that doesn't have liver or kidney side-effects. Acupuncture and laser therapy are often very beneficial in these older patients as well. Hope that helps!