I just called the attention on a statement which is not 100% accurate, like: "There are much better drugs on the market now without the side effects of liver and kidney damage or failure." Are they really better ? no medication is 100% safe, that´s a fact, other drugs may not have the side effects of liver and/or kidney damage but they have other side effects that can be as undesirable as the possibility of liver and/or kidney failure. Why we know so much about Rimadyl now ? because it has been in the market long enough to be used extensively and as the medication is used and as there are more users the skeletons hiding in the closet begin to appear, other similar medications that have not been so long in the market apparently have no skeletons hiding in the closet, that doesn´t mean they are better/safer, that means the skeletons haven´t come out of the closet yet; as time goes by and the population of users increase the skeletons eventually appear. The history of pharmacology is filled with examples: penicilin, aspirin, cloramfenicol, gentamicin, kanamicin, enrofloxacin, carprofen, metamizol, etc, etc, etc, each and every one of them represents a potential risk if used, but if there´s no other option and the benefits are greater than the potential damage they are well worth taken in consideration. So it´s not THIS medication, it´s all the medications. And BTW, I don´t work for Pfizer nor have a large stock of their products.

I agree that any amount of mercury is not ideal. Does your father eat the mercury in the scales, or allow it to come in direct contact with his skin? If so he may already have been poisoned with his brain affected, which may explain his rather lame argument.... Just kidding of course. Anyway, aspirin is not the safest arthritis medication because it is very likely to cause potentially life-threatening GI ulcers. ALL non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) have this potential side effect, but aspirin is one of the worst offenders, even the enteric coated ones. Some of the other veterinary NSAIDs are generally safer, although any NSAID can cause GI upset, liver problems, or kidney problems. It is important to monitor any patient taking NSAIDs on a regular basis with bloodwork (I recommend every 3-6 montjs, especially in dogs over 8 years) to look for signs of liver or kidney damage. And if the dog stops eating, starts vomiting, or has dark tarry stools, then your mom needs to immediately stop giving the NSAID and call her vet, because those signs indicate serious drug reactions. Drug reactions can happen at any time, not just when the dog is started on the medication. There are several alternatives to NSAIDs: Tramadol- a synthetic opioid that controls pain very well, has a wide margin of safety, and usually does not have serious side effects, although some dogs get nauseous. Can be used with NSAIDs for a synergistic effect, or alone. Duralactin- a concentrated milk protein that has anti-inflammatory effects of unknown mechanism. Can be used with any other pain medication. No known side effects. Glucosamine HCL 1500mg/ chondroitin sulfate 1200mg- this is the only ratio and form of glucosamine that has been proven to work. I get it at Costco 210 tablets for $21, which is WAY cheaper than the veterinary drug Cosequin. This can be used with any other medication as well. There is also an injectable glucosamine product called Adequan which works well, but is very expensive. Acupuncture- may be hard to find a practitioner but this provides pain relief for many dogs. Usually the visits are more frequent at first, but you can lengthen the time in between visits as needed. Some dogs seem more painful immediately after the first visits, but this goes away. It can be used with any medication. NSAIDs- tend to cause GI upset to ulceration, liver problems, kidney problems. Can NEVER be given with any steroid, as this is VERY likely to cause GI ulceration. Must stop NSAIDs for at least 2 weeks before starting on steroids, and vice versa. Most dogs tolerate NSAIDs well, as long as the particular NSAID is chosen with the dog's medical history in mind. For example, I wouldn't give Deramaxx to a dog with any hint of renal disease, or Rimadyl to a dog with any signs of liver disease. You can combine NSAIDs with anything except steroids. Steroids- usually prednisone or a long-acting injectable. This is my short list of side effects with any steroid administration: Long term dosing must be gradually decreased to allow recovery of adrenals or animal will go into Addisonian crisis; EOD dosing may minimize but not prevent adrenal atrophy. Polyphagia, euphoria, osteoporosis, fibroblast inhibition, decreased Ca++ absorption, GI ulceration, pancreatitis, colonic perforation, Na+ and fluid retention, PU/PD, hyperlipidemia, lipolysis, protein catabolism, fatty infiltration of liver, steroid hepatopathy in dogs, anti-insulin effects, HPA-axis suppression, decreased T4 synthesis, increased PTH synthesis, decreased bacterial killing, increased risk of septicemia, recurrent septic cystitis, increased risk of cardiomyopathy in cats. That said, steroids are very effective for treating inflammation, but because of the side effects we generally reserve steroids for extreme debilitating arthritis or when other treatments fail. You cannot use steroids with NSAIDs because of the risk of GI ulceration, and must wait 2 weeks to switch from NSAID to steroid or vice versa. If given steroid injections, the wait is much longer. I hope your mom does get her money back, and that her dog is given an appropriate pain management plan. Good luck.

You may also want to investigate dietary changes as certain foods may increase inflammation and aggravate arthritis. Many dogs get relief with grain free food without foods from the nightshade family, such as potatoes. There's also fish oil capsules (not cod liver) which contain omega 3 to reduce inflammation as well as herbs and vitamins (turmeric, vitamin E etc) Keep his weight in check and provide opportunities for moderate low impact exercise, especially swimming as it's non weight bearing. Some dogs respond to acupuncture and chiropractic treatment. Of course, any nonconventional choices should be discussed with your vet before proceeding. It's important to know the dosages and timing of these supplements especially with medication in the mix.

Remy continues to improve and is about 90% "himself". He went for a walk this morning, and I'd even say he was jaunty ;-) Another good sign is that he's barking at all things that pass by the front of our house. He's still on Rimadyl for a couple more days, and of course is finishing out his antibiotics. The wounds are healing nicely, with the largest one still weeping a bit, but that one was really gaping. Remy's getting lots of love and attention (and home cooked meals), and is able to sleep on the bed with us again. I think that has been really helpful for him to do his normal nocturnal snuggling. Thanks for all the well wishes! Stitches removed in a few days.