Is my senior dog's poor walking caused by Gabapentin or Carprofen?

Hello. I agree, surgery at this age would not be ideal given her age. You do not indicate what meds she is already on, but she should be receiving an NSAID such as meloxicam, carprofen, or any one of several excellent drugs in this classification. I would also have her on gabapentin, possibly tramadol, & maybe even Adequan injections, just in case some of her joints are painful. An alternative for the NSAIDs would be steroids as they are very good at reducing inflammation, but that does put her at some risk for side effects. Hopefully, these can keep him comfortable for some time to come. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Dudley! I think the biggest question I have is WHY he is on those medications. I commonly prescribe those 3 medications for back pain. The biggest concern for dogs with back issues is to watch them closely because if they get worse they start to walk drunk, drag a leg or both legs or even lose the ability to walk. If it is the neck that was painful all 4 legs can be affected. This is due to pressure of a herniated disk on the spinal chord. So with out more information, I think it is imperative that you bring Dudley to an emergency hospital today to be sure that he isn't neurologic from progression or his back or neck disease. If you think he isn't walking because he is too sedate then you can try stopping the tramadol and lowering the methocarbamol. But is better to be safe than sorry if you are not sure. I hope this helps and I hope Dudley does well!

Hi and thank you for reaching out to Pet Coach about Gaby. I am so sorry to hear that she got hurt. Since Gaby's pain level has not significantly improved on the medications she has at home I am just as concerned as you are. You did not mention the exact medications that she is on but I am wondering if an additional medication may help her. If Gaby had any sort of neck/back pain during her trauma, it may help her to add a muscle relaxant to her treatment regimen (methocarbamol/robaxin). You should give your veterinarian a call right away to see if this would be an appropriate addition to her current treatments. You mention trouble walking and this is concerning for either primary neurological or orthopedic problem related to her fall. Even though xrays did not reveal a fracture, there are many problems that may still not have shown up (herniated disc, pinched spinal nerve). Sometimes the pain from these types of falls is bad enough that these older dogs need to be in the hospital on IV pain control to get them feeling better. I would highly recommend to consult with your veterinarian and assess if Gaby's pain is bad enough to warrant treatment in the hospital or just possibly try an additional medication at this time. In the meantime please restrict her exercise and movement to a bare minimum so that she does not further injure herself. Best of luck to your sweet Gaby.

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concern. Based on your description I would not suspect that a probiotic would cause this symptoms. In my years of using probiotics in dogs, this is one symptoms I've never seen arise from using a probiotic. Probiotics are quite safe to give to dogs and rarely cause side effects apart from GI upset (vomiting / diarrhea). I would recommend monitoring Roxy for 24 hours and if the symptoms persists, take her in to be examined by a veterinarian to help rule out other causes of this. Vestibular disease or other neurological disease would be possible causes. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns that I may help you with. Please see the below article for more information that may be helpful for Roxy. If after reading this article and following the recommendations Roxy does not improve, I would get her seen by a veterinarian. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree that this is possibly arthritis especially if this has been an issue before. Usually this can improved with joint supplements like Cosequin and the food Science Diet j/d. Pain control medications such as NSAIDs and gabapentin can be used on an as needed basis to help with pain. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment of this. If they agree that this is likely, they can go ahead and prescribe this to help her. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi there and thank you for your post! Rimadyl does not have this side effect typically. I would suspect that Shanti could be dealing with weakness from arthritis or vestibular disease. Vestibular disease will typically go away on its own after time. Arthritis weakness will usually be around long term and providing palliative care to reduce discomfort is the best thing to do at this stage. If the weakness / loss of balance worsens, I would see your vet to have her examined. A dog Shanti's age may also develop brain lesions that can affect her gait, balance and cognition. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation.

Hello, while I am glad you have been using a good joint supplement, it sounds like your girl needs some more serious pain medication for her osteoarthritis. There are many to choose from, and they can literally give an aging pet a new lease on life. I have literally seen crippled dogs that owners wanted to euthanize become happy, active pets. The first thing to do is see your veterinarian for a thorough exam, blood work & possible x-rays & hopefully start your pet on a medication to ease her pain. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.