[Sabis mom]

Just got of the phone. Big note on her file now. No Metacam!
They said I did exactly the right thing and we are going to try the Gabapentin. I will go get her prescription in a bit.
I have also spoken to @Saphire, so will be looking at some other options as well.
All I have to do is get her through the winter. Eight more weeks is the goal. Then it can warm up and the sun can do it's job.
Hang in there Baby Girl.

 

[Sunsilver]

Hope the gabapentin does the trick!

 

[dogfaeries]

Sage was on gabapentin after we ditched the Deramaxx. It definitely helped with the pain in her spine.

 

[Sabis mom]

I have to call the vet in the morning. I read the dosage on the bottle when I got home and it sounds wrong so I want to double check before I give her anything.

 

[Sabis mom]

They are 100mg capsules and it says two twice a day.

 

[GSDchoice]

Rumo takes carprofen and gaba for his arthritis. The two drugs seem to work well together, and are commonly prescribed together, according to my internet research...
We started out exactly following vet's prescription and dose, but over the past months I've been reducing the dosage and seeing how he feels/does...so now he is on 33% of the prescribed GABA dose and 50% of the prescribed carprofen dose. I've discussed with vet and she is totally ok with it, and he is feeling fine, enjoying life and seems happy. (If he goes 2-3 days without meds, or before starting the meds, he would sleep most of the day, and minimize his movement. Now he follows me from room to room again, even upstairs, so I think he's feeling pretty good.)

We were doing "natural" stuff before (bone broth, minimizing impact, joint supplements, etc) but at age 10+ I guess he is at the point now where he needs meds...

Hope Shadow does well and is feeling better soon!!

( PS I'm sure they will tell you this, but one of the side effects of the gaba is drowsiness. It can be pronounced at first, but as their system adjusts, they won't be so sleepy. Carprofen can cause digestive upset, so I always give it with a meal...he's been fine so far, normal poops.)

 

[Bearshandler]

I don’t think shadow will be leaving you until she gets her puppy. She’s been waiting a long time you know?

 

[Sabis mom]

@GSDchoice Thanks!
Shadow is just on the gabapentin. She is the same age as Rumo, turned 10 on October 1. Vet did warn we about the drowsiness, and since she is falling occasionally I need to keep an eye on her since apparently it can increase that risk.
Our plan is that this will be temporary. I also will be attempting a switch to a raw diet with some supplements, see if I can keep my girl around for a while yet because looking at her now I wouldn't be putting her through another winter.

 

[Sabis mom]

I don’t think shadow will be leaving you until she gets her puppy. She’s been waiting a long time you know?

You have no idea how much I am praying that you are right.

 

[David Winners]

They are 100mg capsules and it says two twice a day.

That's fine. Gabapentin is safe at very high doses. I take as much as 2800mg per day. Fama was on 300mg 3 times a day.

They come in 100mg and 300mg doses

 

[Sabis mom]

I will be at work for 6 hours today and 9 tomorrow. After consulting with my vet we have decided not to start meds until Friday, to be sure that if there is a reaction She is not alone when it happens. Reactions are rare but since this is Shadow there is a risk.
On Saturday I will test the raw diet with her. We need to be sure she will eat before I move ahead with the switch. She has refused raw before.
I just happen to have some raw in my freezer.
Huge thanks to @Saphire for her guidance in planning this and Carmen for her valuable input.
I love this dog, and while I won't watch her suffer, I just am just not ready to say goodbye.

 

[ksotto333]

I will be at work for 6 hours today and 9 tomorrow. After consulting with my vet we have decided not to start meds until Friday, to be sure that if there is a reaction She is not alone when it happens. Reactions are rare but since this is Shadow there is a risk.
On Saturday I will test the raw diet with her. We need to be sure she will eat before I move ahead with the switch. She has refused raw before.
I just happen to have some raw in my freezer.
Huge thanks to @Saphire for her guidance in planning this and Carmen for her valuable input.
I love this dog, and while I won't watch her suffer, I just am just not ready to say goodbye.

Sounds like a good plan with wonderful people helping you through this. Peace.

 

[Jenny720]

I know someone that gave their dog adequan injections and helped with arthritis. She sounds like she is doing really good. When the body is stressed it gets hard to keep weight on. The winters are rough for them with arthritis. I can only imagine the rough winters are like in Canada.

Karat had arthritis that started to slow him down at 8 years old he would get to the point where he had his limitations on our walks even in the soft sand even in the warm weather. Although he slowed down a great deal he was comfortable till the end. It did get to the point his last winter was when he was 12 the arthritis was so bad he cried in pain it was co start crying. It was pretty awful. He was put on given and pain injection of some sort and was put on rimadyl it seemed to help only for a short time but that started to make him sick , food started to make him sick. They let you know when it’s time.
Spring is around the corner I hope she is feeling her self again.

 

[David Winners]

I will be at work for 6 hours today and 9 tomorrow. After consulting with my vet we have decided not to start meds until Friday, to be sure that if there is a reaction She is not alone when it happens. Reactions are rare but since this is Shadow there is a risk.
On Saturday I will test the raw diet with her. We need to be sure she will eat before I move ahead with the switch. She has refused raw before.
I just happen to have some raw in my freezer.
Huge thanks to @Saphire for her guidance in planning this and Carmen for her valuable input.
I love this dog, and while I won't watch her suffer, I just am just not ready to say goodbye.

Carmen was an absolute godsend with Fama.

 

[WIBackpacker]

Gabapentin was a game changer for one of my dogs. Like most of you guys, I'm wary of long term painkiller use, but the interesting thing about gabapentin is that it "took the edge off" but didn't convince my dog she was invincible. She would self-limit on gabapentin, which is what the vet and I were hoping for - but she was far more comfortable and relaxed. I hope you get similar results.

Sounds like you already have an army of helpful of supplement gurus on your team. If you're struggling to bring her appetite up, making your own bone broth might be worth trying. Fill a crockpot with bones, a small splash of apple cider vinegar, cover with water. Cook 1-2 days on low. Cool completely - I put the whole pot into the fridge - so the fat solidifies. Skim off all the fat and discard, pick out all the bones and any tendons/etc and discard. You should be left with jiggly, meat-flecked gelatin. Gently re-warmed, you can mix it into kibble (or raw) and it seems to really bring their appetite up. No dairy, and no excessive fat, if either of those are problems with her system.

Once she's eating, you have the important meds balanced, and the big pieces of the puzzle figured out..... you could take a deep dive into reading and asking your doc about whether or not CBD would be a good choice for her. I was very skeptical for a very long time, but it's been a positive thing for my senior with mobility problems.

Hang in there.

 

[Sabis mom]

Carmen was an absolute godsend with Fama.

I figured if anyone could give us a chance it would be Carmen. Between her and Saphire I think Shadow is in good hands.

 

[Sabis mom]

Shift got cancelled today so I gave Punk her first dose of the gabapentin about an hour ago. She is laying on the couch with her head hanging over the edge. Been that way for 20 minutes. Lol.
Doesn't look comfortable.

 

[Sabis mom]

Well, I got the big sore on her back all cleaned up. Gave her a taste of the raw with her evening pills. She was begging for it so that's a good sign.
Sore on her back is just from her chewing where her back hurts. It just gets matted from the vet spray so I need to clean it all the time. She hates it so it's always a fight.
Now on the hunt for a nail grinder because she can no longer walk far enough to keep her nails in check. Every store in North Bay is sold out and for some reason Amazon has a one month delivery time on them.
But the meds seem to be not making her too wobbly, she just sleeps for a bit.

 

[Dunkirk]

Have you checked ebay for a dremel?

 

[Sabis mom]

No! I will do that.