Can I safely stop my dog's daily meloxicam if joint supplements work?

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.

You are ok going forward with the supplements. Supplements don't have any interactions with medications that you get from your vet, which is why they are ok to sell over the counter. I do hope that Simba's prostate condition is manageable for awhile and that you can keep him comfortable. Consider getting an aspirate of the prostate if you want to know if it is cancerous or not. Best of luck and take care.

No, I would not give this to Dixie. It may be the incorrect dose for her, and you can accidentally do harm to her by giving her it. I would have her seen by a vet first thing Monday. Until then, I would rest her and keep her as quiet as possible. You can give her glucosamine and chondrotin sulfate supplements which help with joint problems such as arthritis.

Yes, it is safe to give gabapentin with Metacam and the joint supplement. Gabapentin is a drug that affects the nerves in the brain that are involved with the pain response. It can take up to three weeks before the body is used to the gabapentin and is not affected by drowsiness. The drowsiness is not something you have to worry about, it will go away. Be patient, it will take at least a week , up to three weeks.

I assume you mean 1/2 of a 7.5 meloxicam tablet. NO. It is an NSAID, as is Galliprant. To give both at the same time would likely result in a gastric ulcer and would put him at risk for kidney failure. For additional pain relief, you could ask your vet if he/she has or can refer you to someone who has a therapeutic laser or the ability to do acupuncture. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Happy holidays to you, too! Joint supplements can be helpful to support the joint and minimize further damage, but they won't make current joint issues go away. I would discuss other medications with your vet. In a young dog with hip pain, I would do x-rays to look for hip dysplasia or other bony changes. Your vet may also have a recommendation for a different supplement for long-term use.

If supplements alone haven't helped, it may be time to add in a pain medication or other joint medications to help relieve Halo's discomfort. Unfortunately, these do require a trip to the vet in order to be prescribed, but it's a good idea to schedule a vet visit anyway to monitor Halo's joint health and any progression of disease. Your vet may recommend regular bloodwork and X-rays to watch the hips for any additional deterioration so that medications and joint supplements can be adjusted as needed. Changing supplement types in addition to this, such as adding in fish oil and vitamin E, Green-Lipped mussel, or another glucosamine/chondroitin combo may also help, however, consulting with your vet first to make sure there is no interaction with other medications is best.