Rimadyl Side Effects in Dogs | Guard Your Dog’s Best Health

What are the Rimadyl Side Effects In Dogs

Rimadyl is a medication commonly prescribed to dogs to alleviate pain and inflammation caused by various conditions such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, and other joint-related issues. As responsible pet owners, it’s crucial to understand the potential side effects of Rimadyl in dogs to ensure the well-being of your furry companion.

Introduction to Rimadyl:
Rimadyl, released by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals in 1997, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) designed to reduce inflammation and alleviate pain in dogs. Veterinarians frequently recommend Rimadyl to improve the comfort and quality of life for dogs suffering from joint-related problems like arthritis and hip dysplasia. However, like any medication, Rimadyl comes with potential side effects that pet owners should be aware of before administering it to their dogs.

Before your veterinarian prescribes Rimadyl, it’s imperative to have your dog undergo blood tests to rule out any underlying health issues that may lead to adverse reactions to the medication. Dogs with impaired liver function, kidney disease, or bleeding disorders should not be given Rimadyl.

See also  Adverse Events and Side Effects

Rimadyl and its side effects in dogs

The majority of dogs suffer no side effects from taking Rimadyl, but a small minority unfortunately DO experience serious side effects as a result of taking the drug, so it is very important that you are vigilant at all times and monitor your dog for signs or symptoms of a potentially life threatening reaction to Rimadyl. For reasons as yet unknown, Labrador retrievers are particularly at risk of serious side effects cause by Rimadyl and should not be prescribed Rimadyl.

Today is Friday. On Monday our 6 year old Scotch Collie (75 lbs-looks like Lassie) was out running around with me and my daughter while she took photographs for a college course. On Tuesday we took the dog to the vet after he threw up (we believe he got into some rabbit poo). The vet called to say she noticed during the exam that he seemed to be in pain, and [...] Continue Reading
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Ray

owner of Scottie

Possible Side effects of Rimadyl in Dogs:

Rimadyl may cause various side effects in dogs, including but not limited to:

The onset of these symptoms may vary based on the administered Rimadyl dosage.


Symptoms to watch for are:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning regarding NSAIDs, suggesting a potential link to gastrointestinal ulcers/perforations, liver, and renal damage. Veterinarian supervision is recommended when using these medications.

If your dog is a candidate for NSAID treatment, your veterinarian will collect a thorough medical history and do blood and urine tests. These tests will be done often in order to detect liver damage.

Discontinue Rimadyl if your dog exhibits any of the following symptoms:

  • Changes in appetite or thirst
  • Vomiting, diarrhea, or black, tarry, or bloody feces
  • Lethargy, convulsions, aggressiveness, or disorientation
  • Jaundice (yellowing of skin, mouth, or eyes)
  • Alterations in urine habits (frequency, color, or smell)
  • Red and itchy skin

When used appropriately and cautiously, veterinary NSAIDs can enhance your arthritic dog’s mobility, reduce discomfort, and allow them to enjoy their favorite activities.

Long-term Side Effects of Rimadyl in Dogs:

The extended use of Rimadyl may lead to long-term side effects, and it’s important to consider how long the medication remains in your dog’s system.

The side effects of Rimadyl in dogs are mostly attributable to liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal problems. In some dogs, Rimadyl causes ulceration and bleeding in the gut, damage to the kidney function, and liver failure due to Hepatotoxicity, all of which are potentially fatal.

How effective is Rimadyl and is it really safe for dogs

See also  Safety of Rimadyl for Dogs | a 2023 Investigation into Rimadyl

Rimadyl Side effects in dogs can occur with hours of taking the drug, which is why pet owners must be extremely vigilant once Rimadyl has been administered to their dog. In other dogs, adverse symptoms do not appear until a few days have passed. Initially the dog might seem a little off colour—perhaps off its food and more lethargic than normal.

What should I do if my dog appears to be suffering from Rimadyl side effects?

If your dog has been given Rimadyl and you suspect it has had an adverse reaction to the drug, there are a number of steps you should take without delay.

Firstly stop giving Rimadyl to your dog immediately, what seems like a non-emergency at first can quickly become one. It is best to take the dog to your veterinarian clinic and tell them you suspect Rimadyl toxicity is the culprit.
If necessary, get a second opinion. If the adverse effects of Rimadyl are caught quickly enough, the right course of treatment can be given and the dog should recover.

You can even contact the pharmaceutical firm with your concerns. The Customer Information Sheet (included with the medication) offers the pharmaceutical company’s contact details. If you have concerns or issues with a medicine, a number of pharmaceutical businesses offer customer service and technical assistance.

If your dog has a side effect from an NSAID, the manufacturer may get in touch with the vet to discuss further testing or treatment options.

 

For information on how to report side effects watch these FDA Videos


To report issues with any medicine, including NSAIDs, the FDA recommends you to cooperate with your veterinarian.

More information on how to report any adverse effects may be found here. How to report side effects and other problems with animal drugs and devices.

It is important to remember that not all dogs will experience side effects from Rimadyl, and in some cases the benefits of the medication can often outweigh the risks of Rimadyl side effects in dogs. However, it is always a good idea to have an open and honest conversation with your veterinarian about any concerns you may have and to work together to find the best treatment options for your furry friend.

However, it is a good idea to keep accurate records of your dog’s symptoms and treatment in the event that you need to make a claim against Pfizer for a refund of your veterinarian expenses.

Long-term Side Effects of Rimadyl in Dogs

how long does Rimadyl stay in a dog's system. a schematic image of the enterohepatic circulation in dogs

Rimadyl withdrawal side effects in dogs

Rimadyl withdrawal side effects in dogs is a topic of concern for many pet owners who have been administering Rimadyl to their dogs for pain management.

Rimadyl is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly prescribed for dogs with arthritis, hip dysplasia, and other painful conditions.

NSAID drugs like aspirin, indomethacin, naproxen sodium and ibuprofen stay in a dog’s system even longer. The liver breaks down about half of these drugs every 48 hours. It takes about a week for liver enzymes to degrade them and the kidneys to flush them out of your dog’s system. source: https://allergyfreedogs.com/

If a dog has been taking Rimadyl for an extended period of time and is then suddenly taken off the medication, it can lead to withdrawal symptoms.

These symptoms may include:

  • Increased pain or discomfort – since Rimadyl is a pain reliever, stopping the medication abruptly can result in a return of the original pain or discomfort that the drug was treating.
  • Restlessness and agitation – Rimadyl can have a calming effect on some dogs. Therefore, when they are taken off the drug, they may become more anxious and restless.
  • Loss of appetite – Rimadyl can cause nausea and stomach upset in some dogs, and when they are taken off the medication, they may experience a temporary loss of appetite.
  • Vomiting or diarrhea – In some cases, dogs may experience gastrointestinal upset, including vomiting or diarrhea, as a result of Rimadyl withdrawal.

It’s important to note that not all dogs will experience withdrawal symptoms when taken off Rimadyl, and the severity and duration of these symptoms can vary. If you are planning to take your dog off Rimadyl or switch to a different medication, it’s best to do so gradually and under the guidance of your veterinarian to minimize the risk of withdrawal symptoms.

People also ask

Unlocking Your Dog’s Full Potential with Rimadyl: As devoted pet owners, we want nothing but the best for our four-legged companions. Rimadyl can be a game-changer in enhancing your dog’s quality of life. By effectively managing pain and inflammation, Rimadyl allows your furry friend to enjoy their favorite activities with enthusiasm and vigor.

Imagine the joy of seeing your dog chase a ball at the park or climb the stairs effortlessly, free from discomfort. Rimadyl’s powerful relief can help your dog regain their vitality, ensuring every moment spent together is filled with happiness.

Don’t let the fear of potential side effects deter you. While it’s essential to be informed, remember that not all dogs will experience these effects. Your veterinarian will work closely with you to find the right balance and ensure a safe, comfortable journey for your pet.

With Rimadyl, you’re not just addressing pain; you’re unlocking your dog’s full potential for a vibrant, active, and joyful life. Trust in the possibilities, and embark on this journey towards a happier and healthier future for your beloved companion.

Disclaimer: The following article on Rimadyl for dogs is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional veterinary care. The information contained in this article is not a replacement for a consultation with a licensed veterinarian, who can assess your dog's health and recommend appropriate treatment. Always consult with a veterinarian before starting any treatment for your dog, including Rimadyl or any other medication. Any reliance you place on the information provided in this article is strictly at your own risk.

314 Replies to “Rimadyl Side Effects in Dogs | Guard Your Dog’s Best Health”

  1. Today is Friday. On Monday our 6 year old Scotch Collie (75 lbs-looks like Lassie) was out running around with me and my daughter while she took photographs for a college course. On Tuesday we took the dog to the vet after he threw up (we believe he got into some rabbit poo). The vet called to say she noticed during the exam that he seemed to be in pain, and had yelped when she lifted him up under his belly. She recommended an injection of Rimadyl for his pain and possible inflamation., and sent home some Carprofen (75mg) to be given twice daily, starting Wednesday morning. When we brought him home early Tuesday evening, he seemed a little lithargic-we just thought we was worn out from our unusually busy day.

    Wednesday morning I gave him the Carprofen tablet after he ate breakfast. A little later that morning we noticed that he seemed to be stumbling and was having a hard time walking. By that evening, I had to hold his collar to help him outside for his business while he leaned up against me for support. He didn’t want his dinner, so I sprinkled bacon pieces on it to get him to eat. And then I administered the 2nd carprofen. That night I asked a friend for a referral to a vet/chiropractor thinking that maybe his back was out causing the walking problems, and thankfully I found one.

    When I checked on him Thursday, he was laying on his bed, his hind legs to the right and his front legs were to the left. In front of his snout was a pile of vomit. When i tried to get him to get up he wouldn’t move. I carefully picked up his hind legs and turned them under him to the left, and then urged him to get up. He tried to left his head, but nothing else moved. I called the chiro/vet’s office for an emergency appointment. My husband and I dragged him on his bed to the back door, and the dog tried to get up, but his hind end was basically not reponding. So we lifted him into the back of our van, and took him to the chiro/vet.

    The chiro/vet was able to get him to stand and walk, although he was still nery wobbly and needed help. They treated him throughout the day, and when we got the dog home, he hobbled in and collapsed on the living room carpet. We just kept him there all night.

    This morning, Friday, he was able to get up with help and get to the back yard for business, but then laid on the floor without hardly moving. I began to go through the details of every day to see what was out of the ordinary for the dog. RIMADYL was the glaring answer. As I looked at the list of side effects, it was like a check list of what our dog was experiencing. I quickly called the chiro/vet and he said he would review Rimadyl and call me back. Within a couple of hours he had he return the dog to his office to begin a detox program, and that’s what I did.

    So now we’re back home, and my sweet dog is on his bed in the living room, and I am here close beside him, wondering if he will make it through the night. I would not have believed you if you had told me this would happen a week ago. Just this Sunday he was chasing balls and frisbees in the back yard, barking at the squirrels and passersby, and playing chase up the stairs with my son…

    This drug should have RED FLAGS all over it!! DO NOT USE!!!!

    1. Yesterday we buried our sweet friend. Blood work showed that his liver function and kidneys were okay, and so he did not die from Rimadyl. The vet believes that he had brain lesions. I believe that the Rimadyl triggered this underlying issue to surface in a vicious way, catipulting him to a death that occurred much sooner than it otherwise would have. Up until he got that shot, we had little evidence that there were issues in his health. So today I awoke to a quiet house; it will take time to get used to not having him here. Please take extreme caution before using this drug–make sure your vet has a complete history and labwork done (with results IN) before it is administered.

      1. Hi,

        I just read your posting. My 13 year old Jack Russell Terrier’s back leg is having laser treatment on it, for a torn ligament. It is working wonderful. This is instead of giving her Rimadyl. I’am so sorry about the loss of your great friend. I’m reading this about a year later, but I so appreciate though your pain and grief, you had the courage to write about your experience with this drug. You have helped me, and I’am sure many others. Thank you. Your most precious dog will always be with you in spirit.

  2. My lab has been on rimadyl for a while now after surgery for a cruciate ligament injury
    She has been acting weird this week , staring and disorientated , she has had terrible
    Diarrhoea with blood in it , the vet diagnosed colitis, can rimadyl give
    Stomach ulcers ?
    She hasn’t had rimadyl since Sunday 10 march and I don’t think I’m going to
    Put her on it again doesanyone know of an alternative natural therapy for arthritis
    In dogs
    D

    1. Absolutely discontinue!! Go to OnlyNaturalPet.com & google alternatives. The vets only prescribe MORE meds with MORE side effects and they won’t admit that it’s the drugs that are causing any of it. Just got off the phone with a tech at my Vet office after I told them to PLEASE read this site. My 13 yr old chihuahua is now incontinent from it.

  3. My 4 year old Peekapoo was given Rimadyl for her luxating patella. She had surgery on 1/24/13 and almost immediately began omitting and diarrhea . She had been lethargic and her ALT liver enzyemes are elevated. We took her off it immediately and today 3/15/13 her enzymes are still elevated and she still vomits ever other day. This drug is toxic DO NOT Ever give to your beloved dog. Her treatment for her liver problem will end up costing us more than her surgery!

  4. We just finished burial for our English Bulldog. She was on this drug a few months for arthritis. Her lab values were normal last month. 4 days ago she woke up glassy eyed, dazed, uncoordinated. She vomited & had diarrhea. Refused to eat. Continued to drink water & urinate. Her lab liver values were elevated. She had blood in her abdomen. Her liver & spleen were impacted. She passed today and my children and I have lossed a deeply loved friend. The boys have never known a day without her unconditional love. This drug is very risky. If you have other options – choose them – before you are standing at your dogs grave. There has to be better options.

  5. Our Border Collie, Dakota, was prescribed Rimadyl and 90 days later she was dead.

    There is no doubt in my mind that Rimadyl killed our dog and best friend, Dakota. So I am writing this to inform others. We did not do enough research on the medication prescribed and instead relied on our veterinarian to make the best decision for treatment, which our family now sincerely regrets.

    Our Scottsdale veterinarian placed 13 year old Dakota on Rimadyl because he thought it was a great drug for elderly dogs. He did not run a baseline blood test at the start of treatment or any blood test during the 90 days.

    Each time we raised a red flag regarding Dakota’s physical and mental changes the vet offset it with, “the dog is old we just want to keep her comfortable.” The tragic irony is that Dakota suffered immensely, bleed out on the way to ER and again at the ER. She was in grave condition and had to be was euthanized 6 hours later.

    This could have been avoided if the proper blood work was done before and periodically during the course of treatment.

    Do due diligence I can not overstate this and to say that it is a matter of life or death is an understatement.

    In closing our Scottsdale veterinarian cause our pet’s life to be cut short and for her to suffer the last months of her life by subscripting Rimadyl and not monitoring her vital signs. Think more than twice before going down the Rimadyl path it may well be the last path you take with your best friend.

  6. My girl is half german shorthair and lab mix. She is 14 yrs. old and for the last 9 mos. is showing stiffness getting up & down and some age related arthritis. The vet says she has slight arthritis but good shape for her age and no other medical problems. I wanted to give her something to take the “edge” off and have been giving this drug. Well….she stares into space and holds it for a long time, is shakey on her feet, can’t get comfortable, wanders aimlessly around the house….and I HAVE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THIS DRUG.
    I found a homopathic alternative on VETIONX.COM called Arthro-IonX ….check it out. Am hoping that these nasty side effects from the rimidal will go away and am watching her closely.

    1. Hi, I was wondering how your dog is recovering? I am going through the same thing now with my golden.

  7. We administered rimadyl to our 7 year old cocker spaniel who has a so call back injury. After prescribing the pill, he went from a normal active dog to a dog that stood around with and not listening to commands, nor eating, not going out to eliminate, vomiting. He is like a zombie. After checking the side effects we are pulling him off the pill immediately! Why aren’t the vets telling us the customer of the side effects prior to prescribing the meds?? Tomorrow we are requesting an X-Ray for his hip and back. No more rimadyl!!!! Ugh!!!

  8. I have an 8 year rold miniature dauschand who has a slipped disc and/or so called back problem was given Rimadyl. The fifth day on the medication I noticed that he is very lethargic, lacks coordination and is having trouble keeping his front left paw stable and stumbles. I began researching and came accross this blog. I am not going to give him anymore and call the vet tomorrow. Any other comments and/or suggestions?

  9. Our Australian Shep. mix is 13 yrs old. She recently started having trouble with her back legs being weak. The vet gave her rimadyl … she was fine the first week…but soon started panting, not eating, not walking. Just going limp and not able to stand or walk. Her skin is flaking…I thought she was dying after 3 weeks. I stopped the meds. and she is now eating and regaining her strength. Taking her to vet Monday…

    1. We are going through this now with our 13 yr old golden, Sammy. Our vet gave us rimadyl to try for her arthritis (not too bad-trouble sometimes getting up the 2 stairs on our deck) After 5 doses (2 1/2 days) she is not eating, drinking, can not get up on her own, can’t stand or walk unaided. Lethargic, and cant even keep her head up. Took her back to the vet today, he thinks its the rimadyl too and called Pfister and talked with their vets–did all kinds of tests, they are keeping her for a couple days and have her on IV’s now. Hoping for the best. Will post more as we get more info.

  10. Our 15 year GSD/Lab mix is doing well on Rimadyl. Her walking and ability to climb stairs has improved immensely. I am so happy this medication has worked so well for her. She started it a few months before turning 15.

  11. Our 14+ year old boxer/rottie mix has been on rimadyl for about a year and over the course of the last two weeks is now unable to use her back legs. Quite possible a rimadyl side effect, I hate seeing her go through this and I really hate the decisions that have to be made as a result but the reality is she’s an old dog that got a year of comfort from using it. We lost our lab/ridgeback mix last year at 13+ with a similar experience, it did wonders for her and then hind leg mobility started to fade after about 2 years on rimadyl… although in the end it was a brain tumor that took her.

    It sounds like it’s been a real problem for some but for us the year or two of comfort was well worth the possibility that it had a negative impact at the end. Not sure you can even call it a side effect after that long…

  12. My 12 yo cockapoo was put on Rimadyl for back pain. She was fine the first 2 weeks but then started having diarrhea, for 10 days now. Appetite and thirst were gone also. The vet said it couldn’t be from the Rimadyl. I brought in a stool sample…no evidence. After keeping me awake at night for 10 nights, because she has to poop every half hour, I have decided NO MORE RIMADYL!!! Hopefully she will recover….

    1. Our 12 year old Mini Schnauzer had surgery a couple of weeks ago, and was given Rimadyl for pain, He is experiencing the same symptoms your Cockapoo is having. I think it is obvious the problem is the Rimadyl, but when will vets admit it, and stop prescribing this dangerous drug? I think it is time for a petition to stop Pfizer from selling it.
      Pharma’s make drugs to make money, I don’t believe they have any real concerns for our beloved pets, who are considered members of our families.

  13. i have a 9 month old german shepherd my vet says she has hip dyplasia she was givin rimadyl and joint pills and calcium pills plus tramadol she has had exrays to sho and he wants to do surgery by taking out the ball joint and just let tissue fill in i don’t know what to do helppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

  14. My dog Spencer just passed on May 11th on our way to the hospital. He was bleeding internally and the cause of this? Rimadyl he was a beautiful 11 year old golden retriever and I have sent a letter to the vet who did this and needless to say it wasn’t a pretty letter. Please do not give your dog this drug it is a lethal and terrible medication. It should be banned from using it. My prayers and thoughts go out to all of you who have lost your babies due to this crap.

    1. So sorry to hear of your loss. I know that your story and lots of others has helped to save my 14mos. old lab’s life Thank You for posting your story! Will never give it again.

  15. I realize this article and most of the comments are dedicated to negative effects of rimadyl. However, we started using it with our 9 yr old collie and its like having his puppyhood back. He is clearly more comfortable and moves around more freely.
    We’ve been using it for about 2 months now with no observed negatives. we will have bloodwork done regularly, but that’s a small price to pay. I have regular bloodwork for the statin I take, so it seems reasonable to watch the dog’s liver function while on rimadyl

  16. My pitbull beagle mix received rimadyl after his neutering and has been using the bathroom in the house for the past couple of days

  17. Is their anything you can do to help your pet after they have had seizures after taking RIMADYL?
    Myself had a loving lab of 11 yrs.Had a Full bill of health plus praise of her muscle tone By the Dr. in Jan 2013.
    Feb of 2013 came down with bronchitus. Couple of doses of antibiotics(100″s of $ later)She was fine. This included a chest e-ray sent out to “SPECIALISTS” and a FULL BLOOD PANEL ( not the regular blood work, but exstensive blood work.
    In March brought her back for recheck. Another e-ray later pus a FULL BLOOD PANEL was done. All looked good great!
    Mid April came. Pebbles eyes were saggy and different. Rushed her to the Vet. Did eye pressure tests on her. Revealed a mass in her left eye. Dr. suggestion TAKE FULL BLOOD PANEL to make sure she was good for surgery treatment. All came back GOOD!
    Surgery was a success! She was prescribed RIMADYL (a go-to for most vets) for recovery.
    I was not warned of any side affects (specifically to LABS)
    For the next 6 days she was healing fine. Looked like she would live another few years.
    That knight out of know where she would start foaming at the mouth. She was very restless that night
    The next day more foam out of no where…. Then IT happend!! A FULL blown seizure.
    Looked up the side affects of RIMADYL (@#*& !!!!!) I felt like I just delivered a bullet .
    Why was I not WARNED, why didn’t I look this up earlier!
    After notifying the vet & him telling me what to watch for (if the seizure last for more than 15 min go to emergency), I went through the most horrifying and saddest night I will NEVER forget!
    Every 45 min to an Hr she had seizures that lasted about 4 to 7 min. In between that ,she paced.
    When I took her to the vet the next morning ( HE WAS EXPECTING ME!!!) I had to leave her for the day, But not before WE had one last seizure together.
    I was called later that day only to be told that we would need to put a family member to rest.
    later that day my son posted “There is no greater love than a boy and his dog:
    The Dr’s INSISTED that she had cancer and it spread to her brain.
    Well wouldn’t there be any indication in her THREE FULL BLOOD PANELS (in the last 2 1/2 months!) that there was something wrong?
    Why wouldn’t they just say they prescribed the wrong medicine.

  18. Please watch this drug very carefully. The vet put my lab terrier mix on this drug along with an antibiotic when she had a fever just in case she had Lyme’s disease even though she tested negative. My pup just turned 1 yr! She had a rapid decline within a couple of days and I could not figure out why. I decided to check side effects and realized that her behaviors were exactly what I was reading which were staring, paralysis, and even urinating accidents I was convinced I was watching my dog die. As soon as I stopped giving her Rimadyl she began to improve. We even went so far as spending 1500$ in x rays and testing to figure out what was wrong. Will never know if Rimadyl was the issue but will not ever give it again. My pup is part black lab! I was never talked to about possible side effects by the vet. Good luck everyone.

  19. After my 11 year old Greyhound had a lump removed from the inside of her leg and muzzle, she was put on Rimadyl. That was on a Monday. Because Greyhounds are very sensitive dogs to begin with, and she has a sensitive tummy, and the fact that I cringed when my vet prescribed Rimadyl, but I did not want my dog to be in pain, I decided to stop the medication on that Wednesday morning (so she only had it for 2.5 days). Thursday afternoon she had diarrhea 2x. I do hope that this is the worst of her side effects and she will improve quickly. This medication SHOULD be taken off the market!!!

  20. Can this cause hives? My doberman has been getting severe hives after breaking her leg and being prescribed this. Could this be due to Rimadyl?

  21. I eventually bought somewhere to call home in Moray, a county situated in the
    north east and positioned between the cities of Inverness and Aberdeen.
    Families are welcome to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy
    after the program. , Harford Community College, Joppa Hall, Recital Hall #1, Bel Air.

  22. These comments are scaring us! Our lab is about 12 and has congestive heart failure and is on drugs for that for a few months now without any problems. Then he hurt his foot and the vet put him om Rimadyl.

    We gave him a few doses but stopped when he developed diarrhea. Then when he began to limp some again, we tried the Rimadyl again. (I could kick myself for not looking up this med as I usually do!) and this time after a couple of doses, he developed diarrhea again so we stopped the Rimadyl a few days ago since we then knew it had to be Rimadyl and not his other meds. But, despite stopping it a few days ago, diarrhea is still present, but this time so is lethargy and the staring into space. Last night he was panting so bad, it scared us – we finally calmed him down.

    He was really restless last night and this morning he is shaky and lethargic. We have given him chicken broth and he seems a bit better, but we are taking him to the vet this morning.

    Many of the comments are familiar to what we are experiencing with our lab, so no more Rimadyl for us. In fact, if I had looked up the meds, I’d have seen this med is NOT recommended for labs! Geez.

    Sorry for all these problems with our best friends – it’s hard to watch and tears you up. Good luck to y’all. And hoping our big boy will be okay. He seems to be moving around better after the chicken broth.

    (watch for dehydration of course – though y’all probably know that – that could cause the shaking and lethargy to be worse – which is why the chicken broth is helping I suspect)

    1. Update: The vet said it wasn’t the Rimadyl that caused our dogs problems – so I don’t know. Either it wasn’t and it was all coincidental, or . . . it was and the vet just isn’t sure and doesn’t want to ‘go there.’

      I do want to say that Rimadyl worked beautifully with our other older dog we had. She did very well on it. She was a german shepherd mix

      So, I say proceed with caution and see what works best for your lovely friends.

  23. Our 11 year-old mixed breed (probably retriever mix) was showing signs of arthritis so we took him to the vet. He prescribed rimadyl and a couple other meds. Four days later our 70-pound dog, previously in good health other than maybe joint pain getting up, started to act confused, could hardly walk, when he did he staggered, refused water, peed in his bed, had difficulty breathing; we thought he was dying. Immediately we suspended all meds, did a google search and found out about the side effects or rimadyl on some breeds – it was as if they were describing our dog’s symptoms. This happened on a week-end so we were not able to find a vet to see him. By Monday, however, his health had improved. Today, Tuesday, he seems to be back to normal, thank God (not thanks to the vet in this case). He is better off with some joint pain than with rimadyl.

    George

  24. I gave my Female, Chow/Lab Rimadyl every day for a year. Had her blood tested every 3 months. I kept calling the Vet to ask about it. He kept telling me not to worry. She “within a year” stopped eating treats/food, urinated constantly…but in little spurts…and died within 1 year of being on that pill ..due to a tumor. She was such a healthy girl. I miss her sooo much.

    Now my Male is having back leg problems. He has NO LAB in him at all….but I am not sure Rimadyl is the answer. He stares a great deal into space, his eyes are glazed over, he appears so lethargic…I am at wits end….I don’t know what to do for him anymore. PLEASE HELP! Email me at [email protected] if you have any answers.

  25. Two hours after giving our 4 year old lab her first dose of Rimadyl she showed signs of adverse side effects. She started lying close and following us around (in a diffoerent manner than usual , like something was off or bothering her). She wanted to go outside and when she returned, one leg seemed paralyzed (temporarily) so I thought she stepped on something or she was sore from getting her leg x-rayed early today. By 1:30 am I heard her moving around downstairs and not settling (we baby gate the steps to keep her downstairs). Upon checking on her we found her face and eyes swollen, she was panting, she had in restlessness torn a hole in her bed (probably due to itching). She was thirsty but did not drink water, she wanted ice. Moving all around the room, was rubbing her face with her paws and biting her legs.

  26. Wow. That’s all I can say about this bs Drug. Why my vet would give it to my 15 yr old Lab mix knowing she has liver issues (probably from a previous weeks sample of this crapa few yrs ago) is beyond me. UUUGH, DON’T THINK TWICE ABOUT DISCONTINUING THIS CRAP..POOR DOGS/POOR OWNERS!! ****TRY HIGH DOSE OMEGA 3’S..KRILL/FISH OIL, AND SERO THE SAFE, NATURAL, BENEFICIAL PRODUCT CALLED “MISSING LINK” , AND GLUCOSAMINE. THESE ARE WHAT’S HELPED MY BEST FRIEND OF 15 YRS, GOD HELP PHIZER/MY VET/ANYONE ELSE WHO EVEN THINKS ABOUT JEOPARDIZING HER HEALTH, LET ALONE KILLING HER, OR ANY OTHER ANIMALS THAT I HEAR ABOUT-GODBLESS ALL U CARING, CONCERNED OTHERS.

  27. Hi I have a boxer Boris and he just torn his ligament on back leg. Did Xrays and the vet put him on Rimadyl and Tramadol. After i research side effects on those medication I did not gave him anything. I called the vet and let her know that I dont want to give him the medication and she told me that the medication will help him with the pain. I am scared, i want to help my baby but i dont want to hurt him. Please I need advice! What can I do? I love my baby so much. Help please!
    my email adress is [email protected]
    Thank you very much!

    1. I would give him buffered aspirin. My vet says it’s OK as long as it’s not long term and that you give it with food, and inspect poop for any signs of bleeding.

  28. After reading this blog, it dawned on me that my pit bull was having an allergic reaction to Rimadyl after 2 days being on it. She broke out in huge, itchy welts (hives?) on her neck and shoulders and was in misery ! I took her off it yesterday and she’s on prednisone for the next 2 weeks (per instructions from my vet). The welts are gone. I’m sooooo grateful that her reaction was not as severe as I have read here; also she had taken Rimadyl several years ago with no side effects. FYI I had ordered it from 1800PetMeds and when I called them they immediately said they would refund the $49.99 that I paid. So far, a happy ending. My heart goes out to y’all who have lost your loved ones. 🙁

  29. Hi Guys,
    I had the same problem with my 10 yr. old 86# golden retriver. Vet overdosed her with prednazone, Vetalog and Remadyl chews, and forgot to chart the shots he had given her. Unfortunately I had emergency surgery and was unable to monitor her myself, but my husband said she was aggressive (in a golden-really?) Severe panting getting up every hour to toilet and drinking like a camel. Nearly killed her. When I got out of the hospital (6 days) I removed her from the medication and took her straight to the vet. He denied giving her the shots. Had a doggy friend tell me about her dog only the vet put her dog on PHYCOX. (Anti-inflamitory, joint and bone rejuvinator) Said within weeks her puppy was like a new dog. Look it up on line, ask your vet (if they never heard of it – get a new vet, I am.)

  30. I have a Rodesion Ridgeback mix. He is a 8 years old and still very active. Very strong dog. He was diagnosed with arthitis and suspicion of possible bone cancer. He was having difficulty walking so my Vet perscribed Rimadyl. I gave it to him twice on Monday and once on Tuesday. When I got home from work there was diarrea poop all over. Then on Wednesday and Thursday there was one spot of diarrea but blood splatter around the poop. I can only attribute this to the Rimadyl. Have not given him any since Tuesday morning and hopefully he does not have another episode today. I hear some people have luck with it but it is not for my dog.

  31. My 5 yr old German Shepherd was diagnosed with one of the tick diseases on Thursday and started on Doxycycline and Rimadyl for fever and joint pain. She is clearly improved, but yesterday after 4 doses she became restless and biting at her back. I thought it was because the vet aspirated a cyst and the site had become irritated. I have been cleaning and treating the small wound and today noticed scabs down the length of her spine and her long hair is coming out in clumps………………not like the normal shed of her undercoat. She is becoming more agitated, biting at her back and taking off like she has been stung by a bee. I jumped on line to look up the side effects of Doxycycline and then moved here. After reading this blog, it appears clear to me that she is reacting to the Rymadyl. Thank you everyone for your stories……..

  32. My 13 year old german shepherd chow mix has been on Rimadyl since her knee surgery 7 years ago and cancer 3 years ago. She has also been on doxycycline for an auto-immune disorder for 2 years. NEITHER of these medications have been problematic. They have helped her live a happy, long (so far), and fullfilling life. I just have them do titer tests and blood panel tests every year to make sure her liver and kidney functions are good. She also receives acupuncture, which does allow me to pull back on the rimadyl dosages. Check with a TRUSTED vet, and local holistic facilities to receive a good balance of western and holistic medicine.

  33. I will never give rimadyl to any of my furbabies again. My golden had aggressive cancer and even though we knew it was fatal I really think the rimadyl made her condition much worse. She was having a decsent day and 3 days before I had to say my goodbyes I gave her rimadyl for pain. She was already taking tramadol but had some fluid building in her stomach so thought this might help. Within a fews hours she got worse and collapsed coming up steps and her face began to swell. Cant say it wasn’t the cancer but I really think this caused her last few days to be worse and something I hope I never have to watch another furbaby go thru again. Know way of knowing now and nothing will bring her back but this has been overwhelming. I miss her more than I can ever put in words!!!

  34. We have a German Shepherd dog who is almost 13. Our vet put her on Rimadyl about a year ago and she seemed to do better at first, although she was lethargic. She has a horrible skin condition, is loosing her fur and exhibits most of the symptoms others have posted. The only thing that hasn’t happened is she (thankfully) does not have vomiting or diarrhea. I am going to gradually take her off Rimadyl. She is also on Dasuguin which I am going to research right now! My vets also treated her skin condition with antibiotics. I truly love my Vets but I think that they just don’t realize the side effects.

  35. My English Bulldog (she’s 10.5 years old) is doing really well after starting on Rimadyl and a pain killer called Amantadine. We tried Rimadyl alone, but I didn’t see much change, since adding the pain killer she’s like a new dog. Before these two meds, she would barely move, we really thought she was suffering and thought we may have to have her put to sleep. 🙁
    She’s been on both meds for the past two week, and so far so good!

  36. my do, who is a mixed breed, was put on rimadyl 4 weeks ago. I am wondering why he looks at me like i am going to yell at him. he is acting odd and very lathargic! He is definetly far from acting normal! I can’t believe what Im reading here! I would rather see my dog struggling with his hip pain than feeling and acting as he is now. He acts like a dog that doesn’t know where he is, stares at the wall and hides! Im glad I googled this!
    Im so sorry to hear of the people who lost there friends to this medication! unacceptable!!

  37. My vet put my old girl on this drug and within a few weeks we went in for a basic check up and her liver was not doing well, based on blood tests. I took her off and had her blood tested a few weeks after, she was normal. My old girl is a shepherd mix. I just put our other younger dog on it for a fall she took and she is itching non stop, I googled side effects and found this site. I’m done, ask your vet for another pain pill.

  38. Our dog, Miss Beasley had only 2 doses of rimadyl and within 1 hour of second dose she was panting heavily and acting really confused. The vet thought she had back pain that’s why he gave it to her. She’s a mix between chihuahua and jack Russell and is 6 years old. I’ll never give her this med again!!!! Thank God she only had 2 doses and I found these remarks. The vet doesn’t want to admit the med done it to her but she never had these symptoms before and it was within a short time after giving her this med. Plus she was going in circles and her body temperature went up. Put her in the shower to cool her down. Please tell friends about this medication.

  39. My four year old Blue Tick Heeler mutt has been on rimadyl a few different times but this time she has actual bumps with scabs itching and overall tired. We took to the vet for a shot of antibiotic which isn’t cheap and worse scabs and bumps now so called in and got five days worth of antibotics and my other dog isn’t taking the meds but has red under her belly and was ripping her hair out. They are both on antibotics but the blue tick is taking rimdayl and tramodal for the pain. Do you think this is causes from Rimadyl or just Mrsa like they think like bacteria is what they are saying from misquito bites. She def doesn’t have flees I and the vet have checked. Don’t know what to do

  40. we have been giving buddy rimadyl for several months. his fur is falling out in clumps and he is panting, today seeming like an athsma attack. he is up and down so so so much. he can move around a lot better. im going to stop for a few, just give him his pain pill three times a day and see if his breathing improves. its truly a no win situation. if he cant take rimadyl he cant walk/sit/lay, he’ll be in horrible pain. if he takes it, he cant breathe. unfortunaly i think this is the end of the road for our buddy :'(

  41. Dog was placed on rimadyl (125 mg) for a 66 pound dog for swollen joints in her legs. After four days she now is panting heavily and seems to be confused. I have stopped giving her the medication. Waiting to see if shell be better in the morning. Otherwise ill take her to another vet. Do vets perscribe this so u come back thinking ur dog is worse to make more money.

  42. I think Rymadyl is too dangerous to give–too many unexplained side effects. Buy liquid ENP instead. My dog likes it, the results I’ve had are dramatic, all without those worrisome side effects. Originally purchased through my vet, but found it onsale recently via a google search.

  43. I found this information last night while searching for side effects as my dog, Friendly, had one dose yesterday but seemed unusually quiet all evening. She is almost 3 years old and has a sprain or strain or tear in her knee. This was given for her inflammation/pain in hopes that it is a sprain or strain and not a tear.

    After reading the posts above, I didn’t give her another dose last night and called the vet this morning. I’m waiting for a call back to see if there is an alternative. She is a mixed breed ‘mutt’ from the shelter and appears to have lab and retriever in her… the two breeds listed as most commonly effected. She was her peppy self this morning and was putting pressure on her leg once again.

    That being said, I had two 100 pound sister dogs (also adopted from a shelter as a puppies) with hip issues who took this medication for years. The were husky, shepherd, and something else big. Quincey occasional had a rash in her ‘arm pits’ (hot spots the vet called them), was itchy off and on, and did have urinary incontinence issues around age 9. Savannah a large fatty deposit growing on her side. Once removed, it was found to be a low grade cancer and more of these started appearing on her. Their quality of life was rapidly deteriorating around age 10 and we had to let them go.

    Quincey’s itchiness and scabbing was attributed to allergies and other medications did clear them up. But after reading all this last night, I was heart broken…. wondering if the Rimadyl, while helped control her hip pain, caused the incontinence and loss of feeling in her back legs that caused them to cross.

    It’s been 3 years since we had to have them put down and I still miss ‘my girls’.

  44. Hi
    My 9 year old lab has been diagnosed with joint effusion on his lower r rear leg after weeks of tests bood ,urine x rays and a synovial tap . He was put on Tramodol and gabupentin . He was still limping and there was swelling /heat from the joint. On Tuesday my vet said lets try Rimadyl for 7 days he started on Tuesday and has had 5 pills . he started to vomit on Thursday , refused food and water so I have stopped. I am taking him in for blood work today. I have been researching and one of the girls on my lab board suggested Trameel … Im going with this if he needs any medications NEVER will I give this drug again. hoping that these 5 pills arent going to mess him up. I’m not blaming the vet I agreed but I will Never give him this again.

    If any of you are interested in a more homeopathic way to treat your dogs heres the link Im sure many places even amazon carry this

    http://www.1800petmeds.com/Traumeel+Tablets-prod10795.html?AFFID=GG&ID=293734418

  45. We have a 9.5 year old German Shepherd, Bailey. We had given her Rimadyl a few times for 3-4 days post op. over her 9 years and she seemed to do ok with it. This summer she seemed to be in a bit more pain moving around and arthritis was confirmed by the vet who then recommended Rimadyl. 75# dog taking 75mg/day. Bailey almost immediately developed several very large hot spots. These of course treated with antibiotics. All blood work coming back perfectly normal after 2 weeks. After a few more days Bailey started having troubles moving as her back legs would just give out. Keeping her on the Rimadyl we then noticed her having problems catching her ball. This is a dog that would sleep with the ball in her mouth and has amazing coordination. We immediately stopped giving her the Rimadyl but the damage is done and NOT reversible. It has been 3 months since we stopped giving her the Rimadyl and she can catch her ball again but the coordination in her back legs is not reversing no matter how much strengthening exercises we try with her. This was a in shape dog running 12-16 miles/week. Unless she is going in a straight line her back legs now give out very easily. Now worried about her breaking a hip from falling all the time. PLEASE TRY ALL OTHER OPTIONS before giving your dog Rimadyl.

  46. Added to last post on Sept 14th Harley became dehydrated , lethargic and now has an ulcer been at the vets for two days getting fluids IV due to Rimadly Its been 5 days since I stopped it! Dont give this medication.

  47. My French Bulldog had to have surgery to repair his righr rear knee. I gave him Rymadyl for the pain. Less than 15 min after I gave it to him he broke out in a rash and could not stop biting and scratching. I will never give my pets that again.

  48. Our puppy just had intestinal surgery yesterday & was put on Rimadyl for the pain. She has been fine all day, but now this evening is urinating very frequently. It does say this is a side effect, so perhaps I will not give it to her tonight. Anyone else have this problem>

  49. I lost my 2 year old Doberman Pincher after a misdiagnosis of arthritis and one month of Rimadyl. Turns out she had a torn ligament and was taken off Rimadyl by the orthopedist. But it was too late. She lost her battle with liver failure after 4 months of trying to fight it. This is a terrible, terrible medication and I’m totally baffled as to why it’s still being prescribed.

  50. My bull mastiff was on Rimadyl a couple months ago…he took a full prescription of it and has acted different and strange ever sense then. His appetite has changed…has diarrhea …skin infections…he isn’t bubbly anymore and whines a lot…we have taken him back to the vet and they just keep giving him medicine to help with skin infection and now a anti-diarrhea medicine and still having issues. I had no clue this could happen. Now I know what is causing my dog’s issues I think.

  51. I am reading all of these comments and it is making complete sense as to why my 14 year old husky has been listing and stumbling for the past week or so, as if she has vertigo, and has been panting and acting restless. Its just awful and I don’t even know what to do for her, short of giving her something to calm her stress. She lost the ability to use her hind legs back in June of this year due to issues with hip displaysia, and since she is in excellent health otherwise, I made the decision to try a dog wheelchair. It has been an amazing godsend, and has given me more precious time with her.

    Anyway, for pain and inflammation management, I had been giving her 1 dog aspirin a day, in addition to tramadol, a non-NSAID arthritis medication, after speaking to my vet. She seemed to be doing fine, but since I live in the Pacific Northwest, and our rainy season is upon us, I am concerned about her inflammation getting worse with the change in the weather. He recommended rimadyl and I started giving it to her about 2-1/2 weeks ago.

    At first she seemed fine, but about a week ago she started listing to the left, and had a hard time standing up in her chair when it came time to eat and go potty, and it has gotten to the point that she wont go pee until she cant hold it anymore. Last night and into this morning was especially difficult, she couldn’t get comfortable, she was constantly moving to the left and her eyes couldn’t stay focused on the same object, and she even got so disoriented she fell over in her chair because she lost balance on her front legs. I began to think about it, and I have come to the conclusion that the rimadyl is doing this to her. It has been over 24 hours since she had her last dose, and she seems to be not as disoriented or dizzy as she was, and she is actually sleeping more peacefully.

    I am halting this medication for good. This stuff is poison for my dog and she is just too old and to precious to take this kind of risk. I wish everyone else luck who has posted on this site, and I am sorry for those who have lost their dear friends.

    “Whoever said, ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ never had a dog.” ~Unknown

  52. I had a boxer that was on rimadyl for back and joint pain. I won’t ever know for sure but i gave him the medicine and 1 hour later he had a seizure and on the way to the emergency vet he also had a stoke. I had to have him put down so my advice is to have your vet give the dog a complete examination before taking this medicine. My boxer was 13 so i didn’t ask for autopsy. After reading all the side effects of this drug I wish I hadn’t given him rimadyl. I am heart broken by my loss.

  53. My 115 lb black lab/German shepherd mix was prescribed 100mg of Rimadyl 2x daily.
    After being on the medication for one week he stopped eating and started having extremely bad diarrhea and vomiting. He then started pooing blood and broke out in a rash all over his abdomen. I took him to my vet today and have stopped giving him Rimadyl. Never again will I use this drug. I am praying my sweet boy recovers 100%. I am so sorry to all of you who have suffered the consequences of this drug.

  54. My half lab/pointer would not jump at all. Took him to the Vet and he gave him a shot of b12 and Rimadyl on friday.Saturday he was fine and took 100mg pill of the drug, sunday the same. Monday he was terrible vommit and bloody stool with dierria. I stopped the meds and called the vet and was told to keep an eye on him an call if it got worse. By tuesday it was just as bad,called the vet and he said He could give him a shot to try stopping the runs,thats about it. Now he won’t even drink any water and hasn’t eaten in two days. I called Phizer and all they do is make a case file,no advice on how to treat the poor dog,just call your vet, and my vet is closed on weds.any advice?

  55. Same here. Had large bread dog who was super healthy for 10yrs, started to take this drug to help with a hip issue, dead several weeks later and had many of these symptoms as well from the drug. We were never warned of the side effects by the vet. Passed away in the end from ruptured organ and internal bleeding as a result of this drug. Rip max 06/09/2011

  56. We adopted the most lovable stray lab mix a couple of weeks ago. Being responsible pet owners, we got her vaccinated and took her to get spayed. They asked if I wanted to give her pain meds, and I agreed. When I picked her up, she was lethargic and definitely not herself. The next morning, she was a bit better, but still lethargic. I gave her the daily dose of the pain med (rimadyl) and went to work. At 1:30 pm, my wife called in a panic. Our dog was dizzy, could not stand on her own, and her eyes were wildly twitching. We took her back to the clinic and they kept her overnight. When I got home, I researched the side effects of Rimadyl and was astonished to see this warning, especially that it should not be administered to labs.

    We contacted the vet after hours and asked to make sure she received no further meds. They were unaware of these side effects of Rimadyl. She is on an IV drip overnight and we are praying she will be better in the morning and fully recovered. We have contacted Zoetis (formerly Pfizer) and are in the process of reporting this adverse reaction. I hope all of the pet owners that have had similar experiences are doing the same. The # of occurrences on this site alone are astonishing.

    1. Thanks for the tip on their name change. When they had the name Pfizer in 1999 there was a class action suit against them for this very drug.

    2. I hope your dog is better. On December 28 I took my 14 yo Sheltie to the Emergency Animal Hospital because his paw was very swollen and painful. The vet suspected cancer or possible infection and prescribed Rimadyl and an antibiotic. On January 2 my dog was acting very dizzy and falling over almost like he was drunk or having a stroke. I rushed him back to the animal hospital suspecting he was having a reaction to one or both the medicines. A different vet poo-pooed the idea that it could be a reaction to the meds he said that my dog had Vestibular Disease or disorder and that it just happens in old dogs. When I asked what causes it he said that they don’t usually know it just happens in older dogs. When I brought up the medicines again he said no he was sure that neither of the drugs could cause this and that I should continue to give him the medicines, but if I liked he would try to look up and see if these medicines could cause this and he would call me if he found anything. Guess what I never got a phone call. And the pharmacy at the animal hospital doesn’t give you any information on side effects when they admister meds. I did look up both meds myself when I got home and well as Vestibular Disease and guess what the Rimadyl site does not mention this side effect at all. I just found this site tonight 1/31 and wish I would have found this back on January 2nd or better yet before. My poor boy hurting and then falling over like a drunken sailor because of a medicine that is supposed to help. I will be contacting the animal hospital and letting them know.

      1. I forgot to mention that Buddy did and now does have a slight head tilt now that he did not before this. If you look up Vestibular Disease you can see that this happens and sometimes severely. I think Rimadyl or Rimadyl combined with the antibiotic brought on the Vestibular Disease not just old age. My dog has been old for awhile now, but never had any of these symptoms until he had been on the Rimadyl and antibiotic for about three days. I am researching other ways to treat his pain. I will not allow him to be put on Rimadyl again.

      2. Feb. 23, 2017. I just posted what my dog experienced this past week. I just read this site, after my dog experienced similar reactions to Rimadyl. I had taken him to the animal ER for the same “drunken sailor” symptoms and was told he had vestibular disorder!!!!! I was told the exact same thing again at his follow-up appt. with his regular vet a day later. I told the doc at the animal ER that he was on Rimadyl.
        What is wrong with these veterinarians? Why are they so afraid to tell you what side effects to watch out for???

  57. My 8yo Sib. Husky mix was given Rimadyl after ligament surgery on his hind leg. Within hours of the meds, he started oozing (diarrhea x10). It just wouldn’t stop, and the smell was beyond foul. He is long haired, and I had to shave more than his leg to clean him. The mess was horrible after surgery, and he could barely get up. After reading these side-effects, I consider myself very lucky to have discontinued the meds as soon as I did. My deepest condolences to those who suffered further loss from this drug.

    1. Yes our 12 yr old Siberian also had the same response to Rimadyl with diarrhea. We had him on it (very briefly!) for arthritis but we switched him over to Nupro Silver Joint supplement when he kept having accidents. 🙁 The Nupro tastes good so the dogs have no trouble eating it. Works great! Best of luck. http://www.nuprosupplements.com/dog.htm

  58. My 12 year old hound has been on Rimadyl for 8 days. Last night around 9pm she had been in the garage and I left the door open from the garage to my kitchen so she could come inside. A little while later I heard awful flailing and scraping and she had fallen on the single stair and could not get up. Her back end had completely given out and she was stuck. I picked her up and sat with her on my lap for about 20 minutes while she calmed down. She finally stood up but her back legs seemed super stiff and uncoordinated. She has never done that before and it was horrible to see. I am absolutely certain this is somehow Rimadyl-related but my vet insists it is not. Nevertheless, I did not give her Rimadyl this morning and will not give it to her ever again. She is on Triple Joint Max and cod liver oil and, once the Rimadyl clears her system, I’ll put her back on Bufferin.

    We tried Rimadyl on my 14 year old Chow mix a year or so ago and it skyrocketed her liver values in just 2 weeks. Fortunately, after immediately taking her off Rimadyl, her values went back to normal and she is fine, save for Vestibular Disease.

    I just don’t trust Rimadyl. 2 dogs, 2 bad experiences. No thanks.

    1. Elaine, ask your vet about Qi Ye Lian or see a holistic vet. Also, acupuncture is amazing.

      Qi Ye Lian is considered an excellent and safe analgesic herb without the side effects of addiction, mental impairment, liver toxicity, or diminishing effect. One can use it for acute and chronic pain due to injury, including fractured bones. Rheumatic pains in the joints and muscles. Also, useful in trigeminal neuralgia, headache, toothache, sciatic pain and lower back pain.

      1. Alex, would you mind telling me more about Qi Ye Lian. My funds are limited and I am afraid I won’t have the funds for a Holistic Vet. I have a 1 1/2 year old Shepherd. Akita/Chihuahua mix, a rescue from Puerto Rico. Leiko looks and is the size of a mini-Shepherd but with a huge tail and short legs. He was diagnosed with arthritis in his hind legs (in which I found out was common in small dogs). The Vet put him on Rimadyl on a as needed basis (basically 2 a day for 2 days if he had a flare-up). I have never had a problem before and now Leiko has had severe diarrhea and becomes very tired after taking his pill.. Once the effects of the pill wears off, he is back to normal playing and his eating habits do not change at all. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Steph

  59. It seems to me that the vets need to include info for any meds given to an animal for possible side effects.

  60. Our 10 week old labradoodle was diagnosed with pneumonia. The vet gave antibiotics and Rimadyl for pain from the fever. Within hours our pup was lethargic and stumbling and in a daze. The vet said it was from the fever. We worked to get his fever down but our puppy quickly went downhill and was unable to walk or drink. With a normal temperature, our pup continued to decline. We called the vet again and he said it was not the Rimadyl.

    Our pup is paralyzed in his hind legs at this time and has been off of the Rimadyl for 20 hours. We saw a new vet today that said he was puzzled about the neurerolical damage and administered coritzone. We were not given much hope.

  61. After our Australian Shepard was put on Rimadyl for pain caused by dysplasia we were initially pleased to see that his pain seemed to be more in control. Over time his behavior became more and more disturbed. Every night after he eats (and gets his dose of Rimadyl) he becomes restless, rushes between the front door and the back, throws himself against the doors, stares at us and whines, which he’s never done before, obsessively licks his foot, has developed round bald spots on his stomach where he has lost the hair, pushes his food and water bowls around the kitchen, hides in the tub or shower. He pants all night. I thought about whether there might be a connection today so looked up side effects. Tonight will be his last dose of Rimadyl.

  62. Our 6 Month old Ridgeback has a knee injury in her rear leg. She was put on Rimadyl and has suffered from severe diarrhea. We couldnt figure out what was causing it until my husnand suggested it could be the Rinadyl which prompted me to research it. No more Rimadyl for any of my dogs. So sorry to all that have lost their precious babies unnecessarily to these drugs.

  63. yesterday i had to put down my st.bernard lilly because of the side effects of this medication what started out as a leg injury lead to her being put down. the emergency vet informed me of the side effects and i was just stunned i was never told also i was told a dog should be monitored when put on this drug. DO NOT PUT YOUR DOG ON THIS MEDICATION IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK

  64. I’d like to just put out there that there are a lot of fantastic natural supplements on the market that will not harm your dog. We usually recommend Nupro Silver Joint Supplement to any of our dog show friends that have dogs with pain or injury before ever suggesting Rimadyl. Although we have in the past used it in the right situation when needed. The Nupro Silver is amazing stuff. It takes about a month to build up in the system. We had an 7 yr old female that for some reason her knees became swollen and she could barely walk. The vet took an xray but was unsure what was causing the swelling as he saw no damage to the ligmanets or tendons. We decided to put her on the Nupro and within a month she was nearly sound and was able to trot and run in the yard. As time progressed, I felt that she was sound enough that no one would have ever known she had a problem. It really is great stuff. The webiste is:
    http://www.nuprosupplements.com/dog.htm

  65. I wanted to post on here about Rimadyl and Labs. My beautiful yellow Lab of 11 years died last week – 2 months after starting Rimadyl on a regular basis. He died of ITP – Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia – ie. low platelets and died from internal bleeding.

    There was nothing else wrong with him, he had a little limp after running for a long time and I thought I was doing the best thing for him by helping his pain but alas, now I feel like I was poisoning him for the past 2 months. He didn’t take the medicine well either I had to hide it in things which makes me feel even worse. Dogs know best when they turn their noses up especially labs as they eat most things 🙂 Anyway beware – I don’t want anyone else to go through this. I sent this article to my vet also he had not heard about it so I hope that will prevent unnecessary deaths of these gorgeous dogs. Merry Christmas to all

  66. So sorry to read all of the issues with the Labs, but did you not read the warnings to NOT give Rimadyl to Labs? It is a warning in plain sight. If your vet was the one who recommended the drug, change vets.

  67. I have a 8-10 year old dog that was put on Rimadyl for a back problem. (L3,L4 stenonis) She was on it for 4 days and was able to walk better. She did however develop mouth erosions around her teeth and the side of her tongue. Has anyone ever heard of this from using Rimadyl? Her mouth was fine before the Rimadyl.
    I would appreciate any help.
    Happy New year,
    Nancy

  68. i have a 14year old jack russell she has been on rimadyl for quite a long time she doesn’t appear to have any of the side effects that i read about she does however not sleep through the night she wakes me up to take her out 2 or 3 times a night then she will rarely go back to sleep would this be because of her age or the rimadyl

    1. My teddybear American Bulldog was given rimadyl for a suspected elbow dysplasia which was ruled out after xray. He had ligaments causing his limping. This caused him to be aggressive and 4 attacks later we had called 911 and animal control to remove him from the house. 10 days quarantine and he was euthanized at 1 year. old .(just turned 1 on 12/4/13. I was heartbroken and tore myself up trying to find out why. He was prescribed this nasty drug on 11/22/13 and less than a week he had me.Thank god my son was home or I probally would be dead. I thought that was bad but a week before Christmas he attacked my husband when I went to Kohls to finish up last minute holiday shopping. My son called on cell and said get home dad needs to.go to er. At approach blood was all over thecporch and inside on foyer and on hardwood floor. Hubby had his arm wrapped and I took one look and we were off to hospital. Looked worse because of all the blood. He said he was breaking up the two girls and brother. They were raised together and very close and loving. Friday after holiday he cornered me in family room room after I called his name to stop picking on his sister’s. Managed to get the door to garage open and with strength I never thoughthought I had got him in the garage and shut the door. I was messed up bitten in stomach,back,arms and legs. I was frightened! Oh each time it seemed he never rememberef what happened. Less than 24 hours he had my husband again this time calling 911,police and animal control. When all was done he was himself and even walked out calmly as. I shed tears crying. Before the attack he was on husbands lap licking his face! I started trying to figure this out and looked up the drug. Amazed and annoyed that it was put on the market after 400 animals were tested and Xra approved it. I would love to choke the person who made this drug. A perfectly healthy animal was wasted . The company Iam sure knows their wrong when they pay and don’t give a fight. I even had my boy neutered because the vet said he probally had a high testosterone level and it would help. He was a show dog and planned on doing that since his gf held grand champion for title for four years. He was my boy and like one of our children. His worth in. $ is priceless. His companiinship worth everything. Don’t risk it and tell everyone that will listen about this drug and it’s manufacturer.

    2. We are having the same experience with our 10 year old golden. She wants to go out several times a day to just lay and lap at the snow. Also drinking a lot more. But her pain is controlled so well with the drug. Wouldn’t be able to function without it. Recently had a stomach upset but her liver function was fine.

  69. I have a 12 year old golden retriever that has been taking Soloxin for years due to a thyroid problem. We have also been giving her Glycoflex. What is your thought about also getting her on Rimadyl? She has arthritis in her back legs & they sometimes collapse when she gets up after laying down for a long time.

  70. This drug just killed my dog. She was diagnosed with sponduolosis on Friday and given an injection of this drug and I was sent home with 20 pills of rimadyl. She was looking pretty good with her walking yesterday and walked about 30 feet with little assistance. I gave her her pill about 5pm and within two hours she was breathing heavy and I began to suspect that she was having a reaction to the drug. I gave her some charcoal to counteract the drug but apparently it was too late. She was 12 years old and one of the sweetest dogs– a Belgian Sheepdog mix. She wasn’t in pain and could have done without the stuff. She always got aggressive toward other dogs if she was in pain and never showed any signs of being in pain. Oh, I’m going to miss her so much. This is a wicked drug. The truth is that drugs never cure they only change the form of a disease (aka side effects). In only 4 days this drug killed my dog. How I wish we had given her an herbal anti-inflammatory instead. I don’t see any websites talking about turmeric or alfalfa causing the side effects this stuff does.

  71. Our lab was prescribed rymadil for arthritis, she died two days later from complications, our vet did not warn us of the side effects, she was 10 yrs. I only discovered the awful side effects today. She was cremated today. Our heart is aching due to the loss of our beloved marshmallow.

  72. Just lost my Maggie Mae to this drug, She was a 7 yr old mini schauzer,within 24 hours she was in the Louisville, Ky ICU hospital, The vet never told us anything about the side effects of this drug, IF YOU LOVE YOUR PET, DO NOT USE THIS DRUG,IT IS A DEATH SENTENCE

  73. I AM ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED OF THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN MY DOG’s SYMPTOMS AND OTHERS ON THIS SITE. My 10-yr-old Schnauzer fell down the stairs a year ago and injured her right hind leg. She was prescribed Rimadyl 25mg daily. For months she was doing fairly well although her leg was showing atrophy, which is expected since she wasn’t using it as often. However, she was prescribed an increase in the dose with a check up with the vet. I noticed her gait getting worse so I went back to the smaller dose. Over the last few months her health has deteriorated DRASTICALLY. she went from having an issue with her leg and now both legs have atrophied. More startling (similar to others on this site) she has been falling on her hind legs and wobbling. She can’t walk on her hind legs without falling down. She walks as if she’s drunk. As well, she can’t defecate properly (stool gets stuck) and she can only urinate while walking. She can no longer squat to urinate or defecate. I am stopping this medication tonight!! I will follow up regarding her symptoms and let you all know if any progress has been made or at the very least, if her health decline has ceased. I pray my sweetheart gets some of her functioning back. Please do not let your dog take this drug. Although initially helped her, her health has declined drastically, all from, what originally was a sprained leg. Btw, her levels were checked and came back normal. However, it is clear, something is making her health deteriorate drastically and I think it is the Rimadyl. I too was not warned of the side effects by Banfield.

  74. Our 10 year old dog, Hunter died Saturday, March 1st 2014. He was a lab/mix and had been taking rimadyl intermittantly, as needed for joint pain for about two years. He especially had a bad left side hip that at times would incapacitate him. We thought we would have to put him down it was so bad, but after starting him on rimadyl he became his old self again; playing with my daughter Sarah, chasing our cats, and enjoying life again; almost miraclulious. He had been doing so good that we hadn’t needed to give him any medicine since Nov 2013. When he started showing signs again of having hip pain, my wife gave him one 75mg pill that morning. He was much improved by eary afternoon. At 6:30 that evening however, my wife found him dead lying on a pile of leaves in our back yard. There was no apparent signs of illness or trauma; it looks like he just layed down and died. So there you have it, wonder drug or killer drug? I think probably both. We probably would have had to put him down two years ago if not for rimadyl, but in the end the rimadyl is probably what killed him. I’m glad we had those two years.

  75. Update: so I took my dog off Carprofen. The next day her gait was markedly better where she stands on her hid legs and rarely falls down, and she isn’t walking like she’s drunk. As well, it’s been a week of the medication and she’s now able to urinate on her own (I’ve been expressing her bladder for a week). All the vets say it’s not the medication but I think it is.

  76. My four year old jack Russell was prescribed Rimadyl and antibiotics for an injured toe, last August.
    Since then she has developed gastro problems and at Christmas had a bout of Pancreatitis, from then on she has continued to lose weight, from 8.75 prior to the attack, now down to 7.10 she has been to the Vets continually throughout this period and each time I have brought the subject of the Rimadyl, I have been assured it would not have done lasting harm. Now they are asking could it be worms! Although she is on their recommnenThe dog appears on the surface fit and active, although I don’t think she has quite the same energy as she once had.

    The food appears to go straight through, although not as diarrhoea, we now extremely concerned about her health and just don not know what to do next,

    Can anyone please help with advice. We do hope so.

  77. My almost 3-yr old golden retriever was put on rimadyl (and an antibiotic-simplicef) last Monday for an infection on his paw. Since he has been on the medication he often stands and stares at the ground. He sometimes paws at the stop on the floor where he is staring (but there is nothing there). I have halved the dosage of rimadyl because I am really concerned about this behavior. Do either simplicef or rimadyl cause hallucinations? Has anyone ever experienced this before??

  78. My Shepard has been on theses for 5 years never had any of theses problems they help her a lot with her joints I,m shocked at what problems people have with them

  79. My Siberian , Hajjii , 13 yrs., has been on rimadyl for a year and a half. We have not had any problems until this past week. Drinking a lot urinating then deficating at same time. Lot of pain in abdominal area. Vet didn’t see significant numbers on blood work to indicate significant problem none she could pinpoint. But some blood in urine but normal blood count. On anti biotic, rimadyl, tramDol when needed. Monday ultrasound to rule out anything else. But noticed symptoms after using swiffer wet mops. Could be coincidence or combo or just rimadyl . Will keep posted.

  80. My yellow lab, who was 17 years old (yes, I know that was a Long life but not long as it should have been)…… He was prescribed 1\2 of a 75 mg rimadly tablet twice a day. I only wish I was smart enough to read this article before I ever started the medication because I had to put my little girl down on the 21st of April. The saddest day of my life! After reading the side effects, and what it says about giving it to labs, I know she died as a result of taking the rimadyl.
    My advice to all us avoid rimadyl at all costs. It’s deadly to dogs! I will never forgive my vet for not knowing the facts. Yes, Kenya was almost 18 but she could still be here for a while longer if not for this poison. Kiss my ass pfizers!

  81. Two days after being on Rimadyl our lovely German Shepherd lost his sight, is confused and anxious. Had NO advice of side effects from our vet! How can they ALL not know???

  82. My dog ramby was a retriver he die after 1 month of take rim afoul medicine that medicine is no good for dogs I m very disappoint an very sad for my losti wold like to know how I can get my redound for my expense in the veterinary

  83. My dog, Tinkerbell (pug/yorkie cross), was attacked by a pit cross. She was hurt really bad and had to have surgery. I brought her home from the vet at 4pm and about 2 hours later she was crying and panting heavily. I called the vet and he had me give her 1/4 tablet of a 75mg of rimadyl and 45 minutes later she was still crying and panting. I called the pet ER and told them the situation but as I was on hold with the vet on call, she passed away. I am so so sad. I buried her that night in my pasture under a tree. I am not sure what happened. Can a dog die from to much pain? Did her heart just give out? Could it have been the rimadyl? I’ve been crying all day and I miss my friend.

  84. My daughters American Stafford Terrier 5 yrs old “Bella” was living with us for about 3 years. She was so lovable. She was given Carprofen on Thursday evening (1/9/14) and had a total of 4 pills, last one was given to her Saturday morning (1/11/14). She went to sleep and we noticed she had not left her bed. She couldn’t move. My daughter came down from LA to take her to emergency. Her eyes were so dilated, no feeling from the neck down. All tests show neg for anything showing up in blood and X-rays. The vet recommended putting her to sleep since she was so lifeless. The Vet said it wasn’t the pills. So what was it??? She had a vet visit 6 mo earlier and she was fine. All blood tests were fine. She was given the carprofen because she was limping. I wish we never called the vet that night. She probably would be alive today. This has devastated my daughter and us. She was put to sleep on 1/12/14. This should have not happened!!!!

  85. 3 weeks ago I took my 12 yo lab to the vets for sore hips, he was given rimdyl last night I had to put him to sleep. He developed all the symptoms described in this article. He went from following me around the house, to panting and staring off into space, weakness in back legs, circling, itching, falling down signs of and in the last day night seizures, partial blindness and dizziness and loss of front perception. Trips to vets inc talks of brain tumours and MRI scans, massive middle ear infections causing loss of balance, some seniors thing that causes onset quickly of these symptons. Sites and itchiness on skin, dehydration after initially drinking a lot. The long and short if it, my beautiful boy went from being an elder with a dire leg, to a dog that could not stand , walk, eat, drink, hold his head up, moving in circles and fitting in less than 3 weeks .was it rimdyl vets didn’t think so, in my heart I think maybe do please do not give to your elder labs, especially if they show signs of anemia. His tox levels showed ok in blood test but the nerve neurological degeneration was fast and distressing to watch.

  86. I am really worried. My cockapoo had a laparoscopic spay three days ago, she has IBD and my vets prescribed Rimadyl which she has taken. I was unaware that dogs with this condition cannot take this medicine until this evening. My vets never said anything to me about this and tonight she is panting heavily and has been really out of sorts, I thought it was all to do with the surgery etc but now I think she’s been poisoned by Rimadyl? We have an appointment first thing. What can my vet do to check she has no stomach bleeding etc etc?

  87. My dog is approximately 12 years old and we adopted her 9 years ago. She has always been very happy and healthy! This past March the Vet saw her for a well check and vaccines. Because of her age and suggestion of Rimadyl, we did blood work that came back normal. Since then my dog has lost 5 pounds, has no appetite, black diarrhea and black tar like stools. She is anxious, lethargic and depressed! Blood tests, stool tests, ultrasound and medications and still no answers or improvement! They now want to perform an endoscopy starting at $1700! She was perfectly healthy before this drug!!! The Vets just say that Rimadyl could be the cause or could have aggravated an already existing condition. The Pfizer Rep is refunding the medicine and starting a case report. They should also pay for the endoscopy and everything else! I ‘m so sorry I ever gave it to her!! She is part of our family and we hate to see her suffer and wither away like this!! Not thinking Koda is going to survive this! I really think this drug is the reason.

  88. I have a mastiff puppy, and I gave him rimadyl, now his tongue is paralyzed, He can’t eat or drink by himself, so we have to feed him. He’s 9 months old. If anyone knows anything about this please reply. Thanks, much appreciated.

  89. I noticed most of these posts are over a year old but hoping my question/concern gets answered.
    I have a lab mix who had a tumor removed from her rectum this past Monday (it’s not Wednesday night). We’re still awaiting the biopsy results.
    Ellie was given Rimadyl as a pain reliever. I gave her one Tuesday and another one today. She’s acting really weird. Reading through the possible side effects I see restlessness can be a side effect.
    Ellie hasn’t been herself at all. She can’t hold still, she won’t even stay still long enough to do her business.
    She’s normally a very laidback dog (couch potato). I don’t know if this behavior is leftover from anesthesia or pain or the Rimadyl (yes calling vet in the morning).
    Can Rimadyl cause restless/anxious behaviors?

  90. I have a 2 year old boxer that was bitten by another dog. I took him to the Vet and she prescribed him Rimadyl to prevent possible bacteria infections from the scar. So far, I have only given him one pill. Several hours later, I see that he is very lethargic and only wants to lay down. He looks miserable and is not eating all of his food. When I tried to take him outside to use the restroom, he simply stood there. My dog is still young so he is usually very energetic and LOVES to play. It is hurting me to see him in such a state. I’m hoping that since he was only given one pill, the side effects will soon ware off and he will return to his normal self. Needless to say, I will NOT continue to give him the remaining pills in the bottle.

  91. Our service dog was given Rimadyl at an emergency vet and had several seizures — the vet insisted it was not the drug and told us to keep him on it. We ignored that advice and immediately stopped and fortunately, so did the seizures. Our regular vet would not even prescribe it for him. He is now on Metcam which has helped him a lot but now I am concerned he could develop ulcers.

    We had to make another emergency trip yesterday for another one of our older dogs with arthritis — the same vet again prescribed Rimadyl — she is in pain but I won’t give it to her and plan to followup with regular vet for another drug.

    For those reporting “staring” that is a sign of a seizure — so is urinating spontaneously. I am so sorry for all the losses being reported here but am grateful that people took the time to share their horror stories with others. Perhaps other lives can be saved — this drug should not be prescribed to dogs!!!

  92. Wow! I just had my 1 yo Gold Retriever nurtured on Friday and they gave me 4 / 75 mg of Rimadyl for him. He’s only 40 lbs. I gave him on tablet Saturday morning and he had such bad diarrhea I had to go out and rent a rug shampooer. Just thought it was from the anesthesia so I gave him his second pill as prescribed in the evening and he thru up all night. That’s when I saw this web page! We have to get the word out somehow that this drug is very harmful for ALL dogs! Now he is not only in pain but he is so humiliated about messing in the house. Poor guy. I love him so!!

  93. I have been working in the veterinary industry for 4 years now full time in one of the biggest practices in England and have never once seen/heard of any dogs ever having a problem with Rimadyl (Carprofen)
    It is a very rare occurance and reading through most of these responses it seems that it was not Rimadyl that caused these problems but they were just underlying diseases that your elderly animal already had.

    1. Lauren-
      Perhaps the formulation of Rimadyl in the US is different than in England?
      Please read through these posts again-most of these dogs were given Rimadyl for joint issues, and had no underlying diseases. Not all are elderly. My dog was a very healthy senior!!! before the Rimadyl. (You probably won’t see this since I’m just posting it now.)

  94. We brought our 13 year old golden lab to Berwyn Animal Hospital for bloody diarrhea they prescribed pain medication and joint supplements. The next day we returned and they prescribed rimadyl I gave it to him for two days 1 every 12 hours then stopped because he had all the symptoms mentioned for serious side effects . Our Louie passed away this morning and the clinic won’t even let me talk to a manager. From what I understand it is a very common drug given by vets, if you LOVE your pet please don’t give them rimadyl. When I called the vet before he passed and said per the internet labs should not take rimadyl , all they could say is don’t believe what you read. I’m very angry right now , do they really care about our pets? The prices they charge seem to be their only motive for all the awes, ohs, poor baby and etc. I’m so sorry Louie for trusting them. Love you

    1. It’s not your fault, I do know how you feel. I’m heartbroken with so many regrets and blaming myself for trusting the vets and letting down my dog. I lost him within 2 weeks of administering Rimadyl, he was euthanised due to paralyis with no previous issue with hind legs. He was only 7 and lively and happy until he was given this drug for an enlarged prostate awaiting castration.

  95. my dog , who is part lab, was givin Rimadyl. We were not told of any side effects at all. I have now read that before being prescribed Rimadyl it is very important to have blood work on your dog to rule out any underlying health problems, also for reasons unknown labs are particularly at risk of serious side effects from this drug! I think the vet should of at least told us of the side effects before prescribing this drug to our dog!! My poor dog suffered so much & so did we. He has diarrhea so bad its hard to describe, loss of appetite, does not want to drink, vomiting,blood came out of his poor red sore butt, itching, Jumpy” he jumped real bad & was very nervous when our air conditioner went off, he has never done this before. In the 5-6 years we had our dog he has never gone to the bathroom in our home, now I have diarrhea on my carpet! ” not his fault” It says pet owners must be extremely vigilant once Rimadyl has been administered to their dog, How can I do this when we didn’t know? We were told it was for pain & inflammation, My daughter & I thought it was like motrin or something, you trust what your vet say’s & this is what happens! I hope their is no serious damage to him, he gets checked out today, a free exam because of what happened, but i’am told I have to pay for any fluids or testing, which I do not feel is fair, after all it’s because of this drug, & a vet not doing her job completely right, I believe.Again she should have known about this drug, the side effects, my dog is part lab, my dog also has a record of sensitivity to drugs, & the fact that it says before giving Rimadyl he should of had a blood test.

  96. Our border collie is 13 years old now and our vet put him on Rimodyl just on a daily regime basis.It was given because of small walking disabilities
    After 2 days our dog started vomiting and was sleeping all the time, lost his appetite completely and gave impression couldn’t take any breath.
    Gave us the impression don’t touch me and leave me alone.
    He refuses to come when asking and he is just another dog.

  97. My Sassy, a Sitzon, pulled a ligament in her leg, was put on Rimodyl and 5 days later had her at the hospital for bleeding in her stomach. Was told to stop the Rimodyl immediately and given other medications to help her. Now all she does is scratch. More medication to stop that. I was not told of any side effects to the drug Rimodyl until it cost me $650 with a hospital visit along with the initial cost to our vet. Rimodyl should be banned. My poor dog had to suffer because of it and still is.

  98. So I’m sitting here with an unopened bottle of Rimadyl that our vet has just prescribed for buddy’s arthritis. We did a blood test and all Bud’s organs are okay, but I’m really reticent to start this medication….. what to do?

  99. My chow chow started having bloody stools, stopped eating and drinking, the vet came to see her and now she is doing great. WE do not give her rymadil anymore, we are giving her tramadol instead and she is doing well.

  100. A better alternative is to give your dogs Ascripton as needed for pain. A good friend of ours is a retired vet and this was his recommendation. It seems to work fine for my Lucy, an eleven year old golden. Yes she has arthritis and gets a stiff and sore after alot of exercise. She has also had both knees repaired. He said to keep her moving with walks and such and give her as Ascripton when she needs it or overdoes it, like when we take her upj north and she swims and plays all day.
    I would never put her on this dangerous drug that all of the vets seem to be pushing now. They get kickbacks from the drug companies!

  101. I just lost my dog suddenly after a drastic deterioration in his walking particularly hind legs, where no previous issue, leading to collapse and paralysis 10 days after I began administering Rimadyl. Side effects started on 3rd day. Needless to say I’m devasted and have so many regrets. I wish the vet had known more about possible side effects so I had known about them before it was too late. If nothing else I thought it worth mentioning if you are really worried your dog has had an adverse reaction to a drug it’s really important you notify the Veterinary Medicines Directorate by completing a Suspected Adverse Affect form. You can do this online or print a paper copy. This enables DEFRA to monitor concerns about drugs and maybe dogs will stop suffering needlessly.

  102. So glad I found this site my miniature poodle was put on this drug on Wednesday because doctor think he has a pulled muscle as he has been crying out when he stands up. My George is only 5 and has been a very healthy dog so I am going to discontinue thus drug today. Thanks

  103. I had my 55lb Boxer/Lab (and maybe part Pit Bull – I’ve been told) of just one year old neutered last Friday. He was prescribed this for pain along with Acepromazine to mellow him out while he’s recovering. He’s a high-energy dog anyways, but I thought he would be low-key after the surgery and with the meds. Instead, he’s been bouncing off the walls all weekend (way more than normal for him)…

    I called my Vet Monday and spoke with a Tech. I asked if there was a different tranquilizer we could try since I couldn’t get him to calm down. I explained that he was very fidgety and his front legs were tremoring when he was sitting along with his head (when he was laying on me I could tell). I was concerned that he wouldn’t heal properly or possibly make things worse at his surgical site if he didn’t calm down. When I crated him Sunday afternoon with his E-collar on, I returned after only two-hours finding the collar off and in pieces. They prescribed Alprazolam…

    The 100Mg Rimadyl chewable tabs were given once every twenty-four hours starting Saturday (as prescribed) and I administered his third tablet (out of five) at 6:30am on Monday. He got his fourth at 8:00am on Tuesday and I picked up the Alprazolam later that afternoon. I gave him half of a 2Mg tab at 1:30pm and then gave the other half at 4:30pm because he was still hyper…

    This morning we woke up at 4:00am and he was fine. At 5:30am I gave him a whole 2Mg Alprazolam (hoping that would do the trick and keep him low-key). He actually went in his crate and fell asleep not too long after. I thought “well that did the trick”. Then at 7:00am I gave him his last dose of Rimadyl and within a half-hour he was all amped up and had the tremors again…

    I decided to research the Rimadyl and found this discussion forum. I can’t believe this was prescribed or at least not reconsidered by the Vet when I called to discuss his condition and symptoms. I was originally instructed to keep him quiet with minimal activity. I’ve been stressing out and ready to duct-tape him down to the floor. Come to find out, the very medication he’s been getting is what appears to be causing his issues. I can only imagine what he would’ve been like without the tranquilizers. It sounds like I was lucky compared to most of the other replies on this thread. At least we’re done with his prescription now, I just have to endure the last dose he got this morning. I won’t be using this medication on him ever again…

  104. I just found my notes from our previous dog’s reaction to Rimadyl a dozen years ago. It seems the drug continues to do damage to too many dogs. At least vets should warn their clients about warning signs of a bad reaction. Here is our experience.

    Our large English springer spaniel, about 12 years old, started (non-chewable) Rimadyl for arthritis. Three days later he fell down 3 times, which he had never done before. Six days later, after numerous falls,we stopped Rimadyl in case it was causing these problems. Over the next few days, with Rimadyl still in his system, he continued to fall, with growing depression and overall weakness. We carried him to the vet between us in a blanket because he couldn’t walk, and blood tests 5 days after we stopped Rimadyl showed raised liver enzymes. Fortunately he started to get better that day. Started prednizone and antibiotics that night and there was a gradual slow return to previous level of health. ( Vet said he would report reaction to Rimadyl.)

  105. We started our 12 year on Rimadyl and within a week, she started having a negative reaction. The vet then prescribed Famotidine in case she developed stomach problems.
    Needless to say, we stopped both medications.
    The drug companies love to prescribe meds with no concern about side effects.
    As with humans, it’s all about the money.

  106. I gave this medicine to my terrier as prescribed for a knee problem that she had. The same night she was walking funny (staggering) and I assumed it was because her knee was bothering her. I gave her a second dose before I left for work and when I got home she couldn’t walk and she was staring into space. My dog is paralyzed and I’m taking her to the vet today. I didn’t mention my dog is only 2 going on 3 years old

  107. My Macy was given Rimadyl after she was spayed for a pain releaver. I gave it to her as persribed. She didnt have any major reactions to thr drug other then it made her not want to eat or drink anything. Which are listed symptoms on several sites. I wasnt informed of these from the vet. I now learned you better know of all possible side effects before given to pets. In the mean time i have to wait for these drugs to get out of her system so she wont get dehyderated.

  108. My 13-year-old Corgi went on Rimadyl 2.5 years ago. Lately it has not been of help to her so at the vet’s suggestion we weaned her off of it. She never had a problem while she was taking it all that time. Now she suddenly seems to be urinating a LOT and not have much control over it. And this is a dog that also had control for as long as needed. Is this just a reaction to cleaning her system of the drug, or is it something that requires her to be checked by the vet?

  109. I have a 10 year old pug that was put on Rimadyl for a back problem. He had only had 9 doses and had 3 granmal seizures within 24 hours from his last dose. He is now having to take anti seizure meds. Would like to know how to contact the drug company to see if we can be compensated for all the money we have spent over thid last week as well as compensation for pain and suffering.

  110. I’ve had my 12 year old MinPin on this for 2 months for leg ligament issue. He did great on it. Last week he wasn’t much interested in food and was becoming lethargic. Last time he ate much of anything was night before last. Also runny ORANGE poop, drinking lots of water. I did also notice the “laying there staring” thing. Hadn’t given him any Rimadyl since Sunday but hasn’t improved. Vet did blood work and says his autoimmune system is attacking red blood cells! This dog NEVER gets sick. Red cells were down to 15,000 – normal should be more than double that – and white cells were way up. Vet suggested autoimmune suppressants which I ok’d to start. I’m supposed to go there in a couple hours to discuss the game plan and I think I’m going to suggest another blood test for liver enzymes. Poor little guy…

  111. We have been giving our dog remadyl for 4 years now and he has had a skin condition for the last two years, He has been given CIPRO by the vet and when he is taking it he cant have his remadyl. While taking the CIPRO his skin condition gets better but when he goes off it and back on his remadyl his skin gets worse again. I thought it was because he was off his CIPRO but now I am wondering if it is because he is back on the remadyl. It seem like the vet should have known about the side effect. He wanted us to spend $200 and a panel of blood tests to see what was causing the bad skin. Please advise us on what to do.

  112. max-our 12yr old austrailian shepard 60 lbs prescribed 100mg(RIMADYL) daily,(under the 2mg per lb guidline).we were given a free trial of 7 cewables,noticed that his stiffness/arthritis seemed better,but not moving around as much.we took max back to vet for blood tests,was told all organs good .I purchased 60 100 mg chewables of RAMADYL).gave him one for ride home,2 hours later when we went to go in house he staggered at the bottom step,back legs fell from undernieth him . he managed to make it inside.next 2 days stareing at ground not drinking or eating ,dizzy staggering.wondering if he was dying.he would go in anther room and stay there by himself.I did not tell you bowie our other ausie is 11 yrs they are inseparable,but he doesn’t even notice her.after reading a couple of these heart felt horrific accounts of (RIMADYL),I sopped them imediately. I stoped the (RIMADYL)after that one dose on the way home.for the next three days we enticed him with ice to get him to drink water.rubbed it on his gums,he would eventualy drink laying down,a small amount.eating small amounts ,which to me is allright,because I was trying to flush this (rimadyl)out of his system.5 days later,max is almost back to where he was before the (RIMADYL)was introduced to him.follows us around the house,barks when I come home,up and down back and front stairs.I feel like one of the lucky pet owners whose pet escaped this nasty drug.(DO NOT GIVE( RIMADYL) TO YOUR DOG)I flushed the other 59 pills down the tolliet.

  113. Rimadyl, gave my male spaniel, severe gut pain, and bloody diahrea and vomiting, with in a hour..so he is on the severe allergic alert on all his records, and the vet and animal hospital. if your dog is allergic make sure this is documented. now Rimadyl helped my female spaniel, tremendously, she went from not being able to walk to jumping on the chairs. how ever after her surgery when they boosted up her dose, it made her incontinent, and then her fur fell out. been battling severe dermatitis now. when she was off of it, and big caution here you cannot mix Rimadyl with Prednisone. you must wait a week for one to get out of the system before starting the other, she calmed down her fur started to grow back. we decided to stop the pred, it is harmful to their immune system and went back to Rimadyl in a lighter dose, that night she went into an itchy biting frenzy. so unfortunately, as good as Rimadyl works, it can have bad side effects, my previous spaniel 20 years ago was on Rimadyl with no problems at all. I do not know if they changed it or what. it can be a miracle pill. but now I think I over toxicified my dog’s system when the vet boosted up her dose. my male spaniel is on Tramadol. the first week they want to sleep not eat much, but then that wears off…and they are ok. too high of a dose, can cause severe constipation, so monitor your dog and you can tell what dose is safe for them. now when he had surgery and they tripled his dose, he got skin peel. and yeh it does cause panting, that is withdraw symptoms, when their dose wears off and it is time for the next, you can’t stop cold turkey. it must be stepped down. so a light dose works fine on him, but he will let me know when his dose is wearing off, he starts to pace and pant. ALL PILLS animal or human have side effects you have to balance the dose and which is preferred what side effects at a min….. or the pain it was meant to help. every dog like every person’s body and system is different and toleration levels, I always start at 1/4 what ever a vet doses. and work my way up, keep a journal of side effects vs benefits so I know where the best dose level is…. if it is below the vet recommended….now my female spaniel, I am debating, pain relief vs severe itching and dermatitis. which is driving her crazy. and we are doing the baths etc. Tramadol does not seem to benefit her. like I said every dog is different, every dog has their own tolerance levels. be safe start LOW. keep a diary….you see so many human drugs that were once praised as miracle pills, now under class action suits.. every drug has pros and cons. my question to Pfeifer is: since my previous spaniel in the 1990’s took Rimadyl it was a red pill back then, with NO side effects…she was 17, for arthritis, did you CHANGE something? I know it is chewable now..but I mean any ingredient or place you are outsourcing your ingredients from? can I get the red pill again? maybe my dog is allergic to something in the brown chewable? my dogs have been through allot surgeries, cancers, and broken bones. and old age. so we have been through many pain meds. I did see Miracles happen with Rimadyl. but NOW I see LOTS of side effects. what’s changed? thanks.

  114. My dog diagnosed with arthritis and possibly torn ligament was just put on rimadyl, now going on her 4th day. She is 7 yrs old, mixed lab/retriever. I feel she is panting excessively and has this strange habit of licking and snapping at the air. This is happening each night now. It lasts for about 20 minutes, and this is hours after her 2nd dose of rimadyl for the day. I am calling my vet in the morning, but my husband doesn’t agree with me. He says her panting is from being hot, and her snapping in the air has always happened before. I have ‘never’ seen this in her before. I decided to look up the medicine, and now I am extremely worried.

  115. hi my golden retriever has been on rimadyl for a few years now but the wetting is the problem we have to cover the carpets what else can we do she has a tablet every two days now

  116. Our 9 year old Chesapeake was given rimadyl on Saturday for arthritis, on Monday, severe diarrhea, vomiting, today severe vomiting, endless and blood. Took her to her regular Vet, diagnosis hemoraging pancreatitis. He said we came very close to losing her. This drug is not for retriever type dogs!!!

  117. Our beloved yr old puppy was given rimadyl after he got stitches in his foot, 7 days later on mothers day we had to say goodbye, they couldn’t stop the bleeding in his stomach …… The vets said it could upset his stomach never did they say he could potentially bleed to death internally. I will NEVER give another pet rimadyl, & they will be compensating for what has happened. My family including my 2 kids are absolutely devastated.

  118. My dog was diagnosed with anxiety/panic attacks after full blood work and X-rays this was the explanation. I brought him to the vet because he was having episodes of a horrible squealing cry!! This started after a close friend who was staying with me passed away. My dog is now on Xanax and rimadyl. Now he hardly ever cries but I notice d after taking his second rimadyl pill he goes from playing to staring into space and hardly moving ?’ I think it might be the rimadyl????
    I knew it was an antiinflamatory but I didn’t think it had these kind of side effects ? Do you think it is from the pill?????

  119. My 4 month old baby (german shepard) died after taking the drug. Took her to the vet for swelling on his right leg…Got to injections and rimadyl. The next day he was dead…Im SAD SAD SAD

  120. My 12 year old black lab -German Shepherd mix was put on Rimadyl because of osteoarthritis and hip dysplasia which was causing him great discomfort. He has been on the drug for 3 weeks now and I has been doing great. We are able to go for short walks and he can run a little in the park. Before giving him Rimadyl he was almost unable to move.
    My vet has recommended not using Rimadyl for more than 3 months though, and I am wondering what alternative medicine other people have tried.
    We live in Honduras and treatments are limited to medications and light exercise.
    If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear from you.

  121. My almost 2 year old chihuahua mix was put on Vetprofen (generic Rimadyl) for his right knee which was causing him pain when he jumped on and off furniture. The vet told us to use the drug for 3 to 14 days and see how he feels. He seemed to be having less pain while he was on the drug and showed no adverse side effects.

    However on the 12th day of treatment he went from running around on a walk to refusing his food for dinner. Soon after he began vomiting and continued to every 30 minutes. By midnight he was having black tarry stools which eventually turned into bloody liquid diarrhea. The vomiting and diarrhea persisted through the night and in the early morning we rushed him to the 24 hour vet hospital. When he arrived the vet said that he was going into shock and was in critical condition. His blood pressure was extremely low, undetectable for most of the time, his blood sugar was low, body temperature was low, and heart rate was at 180. By noon of the same day the vet said they had replaced 2/3 of his body weight with fluids and was still unresponsive to treatment. He continued to bleed out through his gastrointestinal tract and would have required to be hooked up to machines to keep his blood pressure up unless we put him down. The vet said that all these adverse side effects could be attributed to the Vetprofen and while it is uncommon for death to occur they do see it happen. Within 20 hours of showing any adverse symptoms to the drug my beloved young chihuahua had to be put down.

    I am currently in the process of contacting the manufactures of the drug and filing a FDA report, if anyone else has gone through this process please contact me. No one should have to see their dog go out like this, especially a dog that was full of life and not even two years old.

    1. To everyone: DO NOT GIVE THIS MEDICATION TO YOUR DOG!!!!!!!!
      My dog was prescribed to it for a minor issue. After 2 days, he could barely walk. He staggered when walking when he could get up. His back legs kept buckling. I took him off the medicine 2 days ago and am already seeing improvement, but not normalcy like before. His back legs are still very lame and weak.
      THIS DRUG IS POISON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate Rimadyl and the makers need to take this poorly designed drug off the market. WHY IS IT ON THE MARKET AFTER THIS MANY SIDE EFFECTS? THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      The quality of my 3 year-old bichon’s life should not be determined by a drug that is supposed to FIX a problem. Instead it causes more pain and problems. I cried for 2 straight days thinking my dog was paralyzed and might possibly die. It made me wish I never went to the vet to begin with. My dog was a very happy, playful, and youthful dog. He has now lost that and is having to be crated until he hopefully has a full recovery from this poisonous drug.

  122. We have a 10 yr. old rescue dog who was severely neglected and abused before we got him 2 yrs. ago. He has been on Temaril P since we rescued him. After developing a front leg/shoulder arthritic condition he was prescribed Rimadayl (6o days ago) and has done wonderfully and limp is completely gone and his blood labs are all fantastic. He is like a puppy again. However he has suddenly begun to go deaf…any suggestions as I don’t see deafness as a side effect for either medication. He is a Chorgi (ChowChow/Corgi mix).

  123. Our dachshund was prescribed Rimadyl to help control the pain of an ear infection. Of course, we were concerned that our dog was suffering, so we simply trusted the vets and we didn’t investigate the potential side-effects. Within a couple days of using Rimadyl, our dog was unable to walk due to partial paralysis in his hind legs. He had a terrible seizure that lasted a half-hour. Unfortunately, it didn’t occur to us that Rimadyl could have this effect until our 2nd dachshund received a single dose and lost the ability to walk within 12 hours. That is when we started researching and discovered countless stories from others with similar experiences. We are devastated. Please be warned. I know some dogs are helped by Rimadyl /carprofen, but the risks are very real and very serious. These are not “upset stomach” or “lethargy” type of side effects. These are paralysis, liver or renal failure, and death side-effects. Please use a pain management drug with less risky side-effects. If you decide to use Rimadyl, watch your dog very carefully and start with very small doses. It is absolutely horrible to watch your beloved family member suffer because you kept giving them something you thought was going to help them.

  124. July 21 2015. Rimadyl was prescribed for luxating patella. Vet knows she has ( had?) ITP. After X-ray 25 mg. Was prescribed. She is 12 lbs. 4 oz. Pom. Vet said give with food. 2p.m. We fed her chicken thigh & a bit of rice. She ate the drug. 3:30- 4 a.m. July 22nd. vomiting. 12 P.m. vomiting. Drug will never be used twice. Sad to say i believe ,this is far more common than the vets would have you think. I wanted the X-ray after she went lame, but was concerned about the drug. 99.9% of the vets will say ” Maybe its something she ate”……YEAH RIMADYL!

  125. Hi i have a 10 yr old black lab she has been on rymadyl for about 3 months no problems today i gave her her pill and also gave some benadryl
    Cause she has allergiex i went out and when i came home her whole face top of head and under her neck was very swollen took her to vet they said it was some kinda allergic reaction maybe a bite gave her a shot of benadryl
    Im worried did anyone ever have this happen after being on for awhie?

  126. Our beloved black lab Molly died 3 days ago and age 13.5.
    It started with a cough, the et put her on diuretics because of pulmonary congestion and thought early eart disease on a chest X-ray. At the same time she started Rimadyl for her weak arthritic hips. Thought he cough and pulmonary congestion resolved she started to go down hill. Listless, non enthusiasm, absolutely no appetite, increased water intake and urination, went from 168 lbs to 166lbs. Back to a different vet who diagnosed renal impairment and started her on IV fluids then we took over with subcut fluids at home. NO Rimadyl. SHe responded for only a few weeks. Then her creatinine shyrocketed to 10.6 and there was no saving her. Complete renal failure and starting to have liver problems. COULD the Rimadyl have caused this? Miss her so much it hurts!! Jenny

  127. I actually ment that Molly lost 12 lbs she went down to 156 from 168. Perhaps she was just old but I think the Rimadyl is what hastened her renal failure. Love to see some comments.

  128. My 13 year old Lab almost died from Novox 100 (rimadyl)

    Kody was healthy but with a sore leg and was on it 3 days, only 1 pill per day. On 4th morning he took a huge turn for the worse. He was shaking, crying (almost convulsing) he couldn’t get up or walk all morning. By noon I called my vet and he was coming to my house by 3:30 to put him to sleep! I was horrified. At 2:30 he got up, ate a steak we cooked as his last meal and he walked around the yard , did his business, assisted by us. I decided to postpone the vet. Now almost 3 weeks later he has made a remarkable improvement. He gets up no problem, even trots out in the yard! His appetite is back. He is still a little bit wobbly at times. I now give him 6 Glycoflex daily by Vetri Science daily and they really help. Give your dog time to recover like I did, this is terrible medicine for dogs!!

  129. It’s breaking my heart reading all of these stories. I brought my 5 year old Pointer/Basset mix to the vet as she was moving slower and seemed to be favoring her back/lower legs when she was sitting down. Our vet prescribed Rimadyl without running bloodwork on her. Five days later, she started vomiting, stopped eating/drinking and was extremely sluggish. I rushed her to the vet and they ran bloodwork which indicated she was in severe renal failure. To the point that their machines couldn’t even register how high her levels were. We tried IV fluids and renal ultrasounds but there was no hope so we put her to sleep 4 days later after bringing her home to spend her last 24 hours with us. We think that the back pain was most likely her kidneys (she was a rescue and we only had her for 9 months so we didn’t know her history) but that the Rimadyl killed her. We were devastated. And yes, we left that veterinary practice. When I questioned the vet about the Rimadyl after she died, he blew it off.

  130. I beautiful and smart 11 year old border collie, had a seizure of unknown cause. Top three possibilities according to the vet were embolism, she had been on a very long walk the day before, cancerous brain tumor (untreatable) or un known toxicity (she drank from a local creek). She was recovering from her seizure, given valume, but she was still very stiff when we got her home, she was prescribes rimadyl for her stiffness along with Methocarbomol. The next day we took her for a check up and fluids, mind you her blood work is fine, they said to discontinue the Methocaramol, as the relaxants may be inhibiting her walking, she continued on the rimadyl. On the third day, she developed the nygamus- eyes twitching, dizziness, tail wagging in circle symptoms described as a reaction to rimadyl. We stopped the medication fourth day. She is eating, drinking, trying her best , sitting up, defecating and urinating, but unable to stand and still dizzy and eyes twitching. How long after stopping rimdayl did your dogs’ symptoms go away, if at all? The symptoms have reduced, but are still present. It has now been 5 days since she has taken it, she took it a total of four days.

    1. Please Michelle, let me know if your dog is fine? My boxer is been bad for 3 days since I suspende the Medicine. Did your dog became well after those days?

  131. Our Lab started taking Rimadyl 10 days ago, and I noticed she was biting and licking herself. When I looked at her stomach area, I was alarmed to see she was all red and swollen! Of course, we stopped giving it to her and started on Benadryl. She seems better.

  132. A week ago my 6 year old husky was prescribed rimadyl for his leg pain , the vet thinks my dog is infected by a fungus that affected his bones. he is unable to walk on that leg and is in pain. but Rimadyl made him a lot worse , now he is vomiting blood, he has difficulty breathing , not eating and he is lethargic and he still seems to be in a lot of pain. two days went to the vet again , he say to give him half of the tablet instead. but my dogs is getting sicker and sicker. I call the vet again and said that I was going to stop the rimadyl and I will give tramadol instead, he says its fine 🙁 I wish the vet would had prescribed something else instead of the this medication. maybe this medication is still in research and our dogs are in clinical trials somehow because the contraindication are horrible plus reading these comments just open my eyes, I am so scare my dog will eventually die 🙁

  133. My vet wants to put my dog on this stuff too. I said no. I’ve been a pet care provider and have owned my own company for 20+ years. I have watched my customer’s dogs suffer from Rimadyl unnecessarily. We trust our vets , sometimes unconditionally, until it’s too late sometimes. My dog has a form of IBD, thus I’m shocked that my vet would try to push the Rimadyl – he won’t even allow my boy to receive rabies shots anymore. I said “No, Dr. J. I’m not giving him that medication”. His reasoning was something like ” … we treat many many many dogs successfully with this medication…” while I was thinking “So what ? Those dogs have nothing to do with my dog”. I have learned to listen to my gut and when it’s screaming “no way – don’t do it ” if I don’t listen, I pay the price. Never again. Reading all of these stories has broken my heart for the suffering of your innocent little ones and for the guilt you have felt. I’m so very sorry for all of you who trusted in this poison and got burnt in the worst possible way. Thank you for having done it for us and for sharing your stories. Because, I’ll tell ya- when he goes, I go. Well, unless the kitties are still with us. They’re older than the dog and of course I won’t abandon them.

  134. My Doberman was put on Rimadyl for pain after a tumor removal. He has been acting funny by walking around in circles, starring into space and very lethargic. I wish I would have read these comments before getting this medicine for my Diesel. Does anyone have any positive feed back on this drug? Is everything bad?

  135. I can not believe all these comments . We lost our Molly she was 13.5 years old a black lab mix. It started with coughing and we took her to the vet. We were told she has mild congestive heart failure, It cleared with a diuretic and a heart medication. The vet also put her on a generic Rimadyl for her weak arthritic hips. She started losing weight and her renal values started to go up. She became lethargic and had no appetite, lost 12 lbs. No interest in life and looked so sad. Just after a few days I realized it was the same medication as Rimadyl which gave her diarrhea a few years earlier and I had sworn to never give her again.

    Even so Molly’s creatinine rose above 10 normal I think is below 1.5. Sadly we had to euthanize her.

    We will miss her every day! She was a beautiful loyal companion. Research very carefully before you lose your doggie friend to this drug.
    Jenn

  136. I am so sorry to everyone who has had to see their beloved pets suffer from this XPoisonX Drug Rimadyl. Dogs are the sweetest and most unconditionally loving creatures. To lose that is to lose part of yourself.
    To anyone considering this medication: DO NOT GIVE THIS MEDICATION TO YOUR DOG!!!!!!!!
    My dog was prescribed to it for a minor issue. After 2 days, he could barely walk. He staggered when walking when he could get up. His back legs kept buckling. I took him off the medicine 2 days ago and am already seeing improvement, but not normalcy like before. His back legs are still very lame and weak.
    THIS DRUG IS POISON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate Rimadyl and the makers need to take this poorly designed drug off the market. WHY IS IT ON THE MARKET AFTER THIS MANY SIDE EFFECTS? THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    The quality of my 3 year-old bichon’s life should not be determined by a drug that is supposed to FIX a problem. Instead it causes more pain and problems. I cried for 2 straight days thinking my dog was paralyzed and might possibly die. It made me wish I never went to the vet to begin with. My dog was a very happy, playful, and youthful dog. He has now lost that and is having to be crated until he hopefully has a full recovery from this poisonous drug.

    To have big smart dog eyes stare into their masters with full trust in their being taken care of and here you are actually poisoning them.
    To watch their spirit dwindle.
    To watch them change into comatose creatures.
    To look at them wanting so badly to play or run, but the top of their paw drags the ground when walking. They fall over. Fall into their feces when trying to do a normal function of life. How embarrassing to any creature.
    To watch big brown eyes, say “mom can you help me up this 2″ step” because his legs have failed.
    To watch this drug still be administered after people are battling this depression from their torment in watching their pets go DOWNHILL.
    Put this drug away.

    1. Samantha , please tell me if your dog had a complete recovery of Rimadyl. My boxer is being at the hospital for 2 days since I suspended the drug. Please tell me your dog is fine now! What medicine helped here to recovery? Please! Answer me, I am desperate.

  137. I just gave my 10 half yr old one for first time in his life . I should researchd before doing this not after. He has crystals in his pee an a uti so this was prescribed for pain. Is there an antidote or anything I can give him to help delute the pill. These post have scared me to death.

  138. Our 11 year old Siberian husky has been on Rimadyl for over 2 years for arthritis in her rear legs and it seemed to be helping on the whole. Several months ago she started getting itchy skin patches on her chest & the vet said it was due to her sleeping on our damp patio (by choice – she likes to be outside a lot). We thought no more of it but at Christmas we increased the dose as she seemed particularly stiff. Within a week she’d had a weird mini seizure and seemed dizzy & wobbly. The vet said to keep an eye on her but didn’t mention the Rimadyl. Over the last few weeks she has had two more occasions where she seemed dizzy and was leaning to one side – both we have realised coincided with us increasing her dose of Rimadyl at times when she seemed particularly stiff. After reading up on Rimadyl side effects we now believe this is causing the reaction and have stopped giving her the drug. We’ll be taking her back to the vets to insist on an alternative treatment and are hoping there is no long term damage. Can’t believe the vet hasn’t put 2&2 together & it has taken research from us to figure out what’s going on.

  139. Please let me know, if these side effects ALWAYS are senen immediately after giving Rimadyl for a short period of time or could this also happen after not given it for a few weeks?

  140. My 15 year old Keeshond was on Novox ( generic version of Rimadyl) for arthritis in his hind legs. He’s was on it for about 3 months my Vet never told me about any type of blood work to check any levels in his blood. One night after my poo Baby Bear had a less than normal appetite Iwas woke up about 2 hours after we went to sleep with Bear gasping for air his tongue was pale. My son and iIrushed him to the closest Animal Emergency Center the Vet said he was bleeding internally and there was nothing they could do. I had to put my Baby Bear to sleep because these pills should not be used they are Poison!!!!!!!! Bear has been gone since August 26, 2015 and I can’t stop crying thinking that I killed him with these pills thinking Iwas helping him with Arthritis pain! Please do not give this to your pet it is POISON!!!!

  141. Our 6 year old Doberman was just put on Rimadyl for a bad hip – we have spent over $350 in vet bills because of his strange behavior. Walks in circles, can’t seem to lay down – its like he wants to crawl out of his skin. I have been up all night with him and we are both exhausted!! He may have a bad hip but it is worst now because he won’t settle down and he is continually moving. I am very angry at my vet that I had to find the side effects on this website and not from him. My poor sweet dog. Hoping the side effects wear off soon.

  142. My 4 year old lab has been on rimadyl for 1 1/2 days for a sore and inflammation on top of a front paw. He has to pee every 10 minutes after taking 3 doses. I will be sleeping on the couch in the family room tonight.
    He had the same problem with medicine when he had to go under so the vets could deal with a bad ear infection. He peed for 2 days continuously every 10 – 15 minutes. I do not know if he was on rimadyl then. I thought it was the drug to put him under because it happened both times. I will find out tomorrow and get back to everyone!!! He will never take this drug again.
    Vets give out drugs without the disclosure that we get as humans! Something to get in the future.

  143. My heart is breaking with what I am reading in these comments. My 14 1/2 year old jindo/lab mix also suffered a seizure, on day five of taking Rimadyl which I reluctantly agreed to when our vet said at her age she had “earned the right” to some pain relief for arthritis. I have cared for this dog her whole life with fantastic raw and cooked human grade food, holistic supplements and she has even survived for a whole year after oral melanoma surgery, so rare. Only to have her felled by a hideous, carelessly prescribed evil drug. She is now staggering, walking into walls, getting stuck behind furniture and endlessly pacing. This is the 2nd day on milk thistle, Holy Basil, turmeric and Ashwaghanda to detox her liver and I am starting to see some slight improvement. But she is not the dog she was a week ago.
    [wbcr_snippet id="664"]

  144. I wish I had known:(
    My Cocker pulled a muscle in Feb & was in pain. I took him to the vet, she did a Lyme’s test, gave me the pills & said he would be fine. Two days later I called the vet due to paralysis of back legs, bloody bowls, and lethargy. She just said “bring him in & I will run tests”!! Wrong wrong wrong! I stopped the medication & treated him as though he had a stomach bug (no food, lots of water etc). It took him 2 weeks to begin moving & having bowel movements w/out blood! Three days ago he hurt himself jumping again so 1/2 the recommended dose one time before bed. Next morning diarrhea w/blood. Since then he has not been able to eat, & only passes blood. My vet never warned me…ever. I found all these horrible side effects and now everything makes sense. How is this product available, why do vets not warn pet owners & why if this has been known for so long-why do they still make it?!?!?

  145. Right now our seven year old Maltese-Shih Tzu mix is having what we believe to be Rimadyl side effects. A week or so ago she wasn’t eating or playing, and the vet thought she hurt her back so they prescribed Rimadyl. She got better at first, but started vomiting three days ago and now has bloody diarrhea. My mother took her off the Rimadyl immediately, but she didn’t improve. The vet said it was a side effect and prescribed Flagyl (metronidazole) to help her colitis. Still no improvement after two doses. Anyone had a similar experience? And anyone else had a pet prescribed antibiotics for Rimadyl side effects? I am so, so worried about our little girl… my husband and I don’t live with my parents, of course, but the sick dog and her Cavapoo brother are our babies anyway… they’re the family dogs, you know? The Cavapoo (who is quite a bit bigger than the Mal-Shi) has taken Rimadyl many times and it has worked wonderfully for him with no side effects. They, however, gave our little Zoe the same dose that he took, which I find confusing. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

    1. My girl just died after a dose of this drug!
      She had an enlarged spleen and was due for surgery tomorrow ?
      I ask the vet if this was a good drug for it can cause bleeding and I was told it what she needed! And she died this morning I do t like this drug and I’m not into trusting vets just now I knew in my heart thus drug could be an issue so I asked again about it and was told it was better then tramodol? I’m so sad I miss her so!!

      1. Hi Alice,

        First of all our heartfelt condolences on the passing of your beloved dog to you and your family.

        Regarding your question(mark) pertaining to Tramadol compared to Rimadyl. Let me first tell you that you were absolutely right having serious doubts about Rimadyl. It’s a drug that can be very dangerous in certain situations – there are well over 300 real life stories on this website alone providing more than enough examples.

        The thing on Tramadol is that it is a synthetic opioid where Rimadyl is an NSAID. There is ample evidence that Tramadol as a pain reliever is far more effective on cats than it is on dogs. Therefore on it’s own it will do little to nothing to relieve arthritis pain but it often can enhance the effectiveness of other medication and therefore often is prescribed in combination with other drugs like Rimadyl.

        The problem is that both Rimadyl and Tramadol have the same (bad) side effects, in addition to this both drugs can only leave the dogs body through the liver and kidneys often causing serious weakening of both systems.

        I hope this short answer helped to make things a little bit more clear. We are planning to post a full article on the subject Rimadyl vs Tramadol in the coming weeks.

        You and your family are in our thoughs

        Warm regards

    2. Yes, although this happened a while back for you, the best thing you can give your dog are these things —alcohol free liquid Milk Thistle, 2,000MG (lots of places have it), and you daily one drop per every two lbs of your dog’s weight for 6 weeks. Put the Milk Thistle in food. The Milk Thistle is to heal the liver. Also get Manuka Doctor 24+ strength and give this on a regular stainless spoon. Some will like it and lick it off, and sometimes you have to put a tsp of it on the spoon and then rake it off onto his front teeth. It can heal ulcers, burns and all kinds of things. Also, be sure to ask for Sucralfate from your vet (demand it, no arguments).
      [wbcr_snippet id="664"]
      It is a tablet, but must be dissolved in a syringe in pure water so you can drizzle it into your dog’s mouth twice a day about 30 minutes before feeding. This drug is very mild and helpful, and is known to not only soothe the digestive system, but cure ulcers as well. I have done all of this after my dog vomited blood and had bloody diarrhea from Rimadyl, and it did work to stop the bleeding and upset stomach. Metrodionazole will NOT help yoir dog’s reaction to Rimadyl. That is only for things like getting rid of candida in the gut. I wonder sometimes about these things I hear. Having had dogs since 1984, we have learned a LOT, and we have a sensational vet who explains everything.

  146. I gave Rimadyl to my 14 year old shitzu who had his bloodwork and X-rays come back completely normal a few hours prior to giving hine the pill. I only administered one pill and within an hour he was hacking as if he was trying to cough something up. I called the emergency vet who said he was probably just relaxed from the pill and coughing was not a reaction to Rimadyl. Within 4 hours he was struggling to breath and I rushed him to the emergency vet at 4 am in the morning. They immediately put him on oxygen and began administering antibiotics. They performed another X-ray showing fluid now on the lungs. He was given lasix and at 8 am I took him to the internal specialist. They performed tests and melts him on oxygen and fluids, antibiotics, lasix, etc but within a day he was gone. He was taken to A&M where a necropsy was done and his cause of death was due to a sudden onset of pneumonia. This was an old dog, but never had this issue prior to Rimadyl and for it to be within an hour of giving him the dose to go downhill this quick the vet believes there is a possible link to the pill. Please beware before giving to an older dog… I have used this same pill for another 10 year old dog who went lame out of nowhere and it made the world of difference with him with no adverse reaction. Unfortunately that was not the case for our Gizmo.

  147. Dear all, it came too late for me as well, after taking 25mg of Rimadyl for four days, for limping after a walk, my 11 yr old cocker spaniel’s appetite decreased massively and she turned into a moody and depressed dog. Although she has no violent vomit nor bloody stools, she seemed to have completely lost her appetite, eating only 1/3 of her regular portion.

    Having stopped Rimadyl four days ago, she still hasn’t recovered and still is a depressive state. Anyone can advise on how long this will last? Her urea is 4 times higher than prior to the drug, but all other things are normal and urinalysis did not show any abnormalities as well. God, i just want her to be back to her happy, greedy self.. anyone can tell me how long does it take for the effects of Rimadyl to wear off?

    1. Please see my recommendations above another comment. It can work. They side effects don’t usually wear off. The liver, and the intestinal tract need to be treated. You can do this. Best wishes.

  148. A dear friend died and I now have her small dog, who is on Rimadyl. I will no longer give it to her, since it is for joints and arthritis pain and inflammation. I had been limping markedly for 2 years , was seen by 3 orthopedic surgeons and scheduled for a total hip replacement. One physician told me, when I asked about alternatives, that about 50% of people respond to Glucosamine and Chondroitin. Within 5 weeks I was speed walking and canceled the surgery. That was 2 years ago. I will probably take it indefinitely. I gave it to our dog who could no longer climb steps and he recovered. I will put this baby on that plan. No fear of overdosing…they are food products. I could not afford the special doggy brand so I got mine at the Dollar store or Walmart and ground up both in a mix to store in a jar. Then I gave 1 tsp daily to the dog. He was a G. Shepherd. Blessings…

  149. I think it has killed my chocolate lab he is dying now in the vets office i never read the side effects or knew about them he had redness of his skin and itching but that was it and then all of a sudden he started to coughing and cough up mucus vet said he had bronchitis and he started stumbling and falling down vet said he is loosing blood somewhere in his body and won’t last long

  150. I have found that the chewable tablet had more side effects. I spoke to my pharmacy they said that the binders could be causing the problem. If you talk to your vet and see they think the pill form.

  151. My dog is an 18lbs chihuahua/pug mix. I took him to the emergency vet on Monday because of what I thought was an illness. They took xrays and said he has inflamation and gave him Rimadyl for 7 days. 75mg that they prequartered. No bloodwork was done… now he is super lathargic and his limbs are trembling.

  152. My 6 year old Springer Spaniel was given Rimadyl today by the vet as he had a limp. She thought he had dysplasia of his knee joint on his front leg. He’s hardly moved today and keeps staring at me as if to say ‘what’s going on’.
    A couple of years ago I lost a previously healthy terrier with chronic pancreatitis after a course of Rimadyl, I didn’t put 2 and 2 together at that time. I will not give my dog any more Rimadyl, I’d rather he had a limp rather than the poorly dog I have in front of me now. He won’t drink either, I’m worried he won’t get well now. A sleepless night for me ahead. If you can’t trust your vet, where do you turn when your animal needs help? I was only told he may be a bit sleepy as a result of this medication! Really don’t know what to do, other that not to administer any more Rimadyl.

  153. Earlier this week, my dog had massive bleeding and died. Given this drug due to eye irritation. She was otherwise healthy. Horrifying.

  154. I’ve taken my dog (field spaniel) Sammy off of Rimadyl just this past week on Sun. He’d been on it for about 1-2 yrs. I feel all the strange things that have happened to him since have been due to the Rimadyl, and I didn’t put them together. Here is a list of symptoms he has developed since placed on the drug (Started on it Jan 2015);
    -constant panting even at rest (I thought he was becoming activity intolerant-he was 13yo)
    -activity intolerance (just going for short walks)
    – polydipsia (extreme thirst)
    -polyphagia (extreme hunger)
    -lethargy
    -polyuria
    -3 episodes of severe dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia (he was diagnosed with vestibular disorder. Now I think not. I think it was the Rimadyl)
    -Hair loss and itching. (I was told it was related to the anesthesia he’d had for skin growth removal.) I think it was the Rimadyl all along.
    -Recently, since last Sat.-severe diarrhea, frank blood in stool.
    -Thankfully his liver and kidney function have always been good.

    I didn’t call my vet, I took him off the Rimadyl, treated the symptoms, and prayed to God to restore my dog’s health. His diarrhea stopped on -Wed.

    I will be calling a number I found to report Rimadyl adverse reactions to. -1-800-366-5288 From the Rimadyl manufacturer’s website.

    1. Wow, this sounds just like my dog! He’s been on Rimadyl now for about 1 1/2 years. I’m taking him off tomorrow! Thank you for leaving your comments!

    2. Wow, this sounds just like my dog! He’s been on Rimadyl now for about 1 1/2 years. I’m taking him off tomorrow! Thank you for leaving your comments!
      Have you noticed a difference now since he’s been off the drug?

  155. I took my 10 year old boxer to the vet because he started limping after a run. They gave him a liver test, which came back with slight elevations. The vet gave him Vetprofen (generic Rimadyl) and tramadol. I was told they could be taken together, and that the Vetprofen 100mg, could be taken every 12 hours (1/2 pill).

    I work a lot, so I was not able to spend time watching how he was doing on the medication. I had him sleeping downstairs for a week to rest his leg. One morning I saw him drooling profusely, which was not normal, but I did not make any connection. Two days later I noticed that he has having trouble standing on his back legs, or really getting up off the floor. He seemed oriented though, just week in his hind legs. That day he had a seizure in the car. After seizure he was panting, agitated and drooling profusely again. He had probably had seizures all week.

    I took him straight to the ER, and they kept him over night. I got a call the next morning that he had deteriorated that night and they were unable to tell me what was happening other than it appeared neurologic.

    When they brought him into the room he was in a harness cause he couldn’t walk. His eyes were drooped, he was hacking and his nose was shooting out green boogers. He looked half dead. He tried to lick me but couldn’t get his tongue out of his mouth. Honestly, he looked miserable, like he had had a stroke overnight.

    I made the decision to put him down. It was devastating. I hope I didn’t miss an opportunity for him to recover by waiting it out, but he just looked half-dead. Ultimately, I feel like I poisoned him to death, and have a tremendous amount of guilt.

  156. Boomer (Black Lab) slipped on the wood floor and hurt his leg.
    He had just had his yearly exam and heart, liver, everything was fine.
    Doc prescribed Rimadyl for him. I got him home and gave him his Rimadyl and about 10 minutes later he started panting very hard. His heart was racing so fast it was shaking his whole body.
    Scared to death, I called the vet and was told he was panting because he was n pain and that I should double the dosage, which I did.
    Within an hour he could no longer walk. At 85 pounds I had to drag him outside on a blanket for him to pee. He was the type of dog that would allow his bladder to burst before he went to the bathroom inside.
    I Called the vet again and insisted they see him.
    I was informed that his heart was damaged and failing and that he needed immediate heart surgery or put on a machine at an acute care vet hospital.
    At around $10,000 they could maybe prolong his life 48 – 72 hours but no longer than that.
    I decided to see how Boomer was in the morning and intended to take him to doggy hospital.
    That evening he walked back the hallway and laid his head on my knees and looked up at me. I could see the pain i his eyes.
    He laid down at my feet, howled 2x and died.
    His heart and my heart burst.
    A friend buried Boomer next to the flower bed in the front yard.
    Can I prove Rimadyl is hat killed Boomer? No. I can’t prove it but I KNOW it is what did it.
    My family prefers I never get another dog.
    No one wants to see me go through what I did when Boomer died.
    PLEASE do not allow a vet to give a lab Rimadyl.
    Since then I have read many many cases of this happening.
    This happened in 2005 and I still miss him every single day.

  157. Like so many others, my almost 13 year old lab mix, who weighs about 110 pounds, had an elbow issue after running around. My vet prescribed Rimadyl. I gave it only as needed, which amounted to once a week, or every few days, no problems. Recently, after he started limping again, I gave him rimadyl for about 3 days in a row, 100 mg, once a day, which was less that the 200 mg prescribed dosage. Yesterday, his limp didn’t seem to be improving, so I gave him 2 for the first time. Several hours later, he was lethargic, weak in his BACK legs, and panting like crazy. Appetite, great, as usual. However, he did not seem to be peeing as much as normal, but his poop looked good. As the day went on, he continued to seem unwell. Finally, I got to thinking it might be the rimadyl. I didn’t give him any this morning, and he is much improved today. I am so hoping I didn’t cause any permanent damage. My at home vet, and friend, doesn’t believe it could be the rimadyl, but I respectfully disagreed. He’s coming over Friday and we’re doing a blood panel. NO MORE RIMADYL, either way!

  158. My Boston Terrier will be 9 years old in November 2017. was prescribed Rimadyl 75 mg 1/2 tablet every 12 hours for neck & shoulder trauma injury due to a car accident we had. He has been on Rimadyl since 2013 on & off ( during cold winter weather & when he chases after rabbits ).
    Recently he started to pass drops of blood after urinating. Lab results revealed liver & kidney are in normal range . He has had a few other symptoms associated with side effects from Rimadyl, such as unwillingness to drink water, and eat, slight aggressive, and has slightly stumbled trying to get on to the bed.
    Ultrasound revealed enlarged Prostate. In the last year he has had the drops of blood after urinating happen 4 times . He was given a generic form of Baytrail for possible urinary tract infection. Each time He had the drops of blood after urinating I stopped the Rimadyl and the bleeding stopped , when I began Rimadyl the drops of blood returned . Is this a coincidence , or is this a side effect to Rimadyl . My Veterinarian that I have used for over 30 years, states this is due to an enlarged prostate, and a neuter surgery is necessary. I know when Rimadyl is not given My Boston Terrier is in chronic pain to the point he can not walk , and breathing is very hard for him, due to the excessive panting dogs do when in extreme pain.
    Can Rimadyl cause side effects that occur after taken this drug for several years ,or is it something that ONLY happens , within the first few days of initial use.

  159. Our 11 yr old Lab was DX with hip dysplasia 1 yr ago. Given Tramadol, Rimadyl and Gabapentin. Been good for the last year till yesterday and started with blood in stool. We took him to 2 specialists (neuro and ortho) last year, the ortho put him on Rimadyl and our vet took over and continued with RX but NO ONE out all 3 of these “professionals” said anything about monitoring blood or Rimadyl side affects. Ever. If anything, Vet was put out when we asked for RX to be distributed by Allivet since cost was 50% less than vet, who was charging $157/mo. So it’s now no wonder these miserable veterinarians DON’T tell you about the drug side affects – they have a HUGE financial interest in prescribing it. No different than MDs out there who have stock in the pharmaceutical companies so they prescribe meds that are harmful to humans.

  160. We had our Lab that is 10 on it or pain and with in a week he had a reaction and spend several days in the Hospital. his liver enzymes went off the chart. Can close to losing him. Becareful giving this drug to your dog

  161. My dog starts to rimadyl for limping 3 days ago . He is 70 lb and 2 and a half years old. I gave him 50 mg for first day. He was just sleepy . Second day i gave to him 50 mg again . One hour later he starts to look like he is sad or something like that. Sleepy but not a real sleep , moving like a drunk , licking his paws and sheets almost till morning. I did not sleep and monitored him and start to search and find this site… read all comments and did not give the pill today . He is normal now . I could not think what would be happen end of the week . He is still limping with lots of energy and smiles which we are prefer this. Thanx for every ones warnings .

  162. We have a 181lb Saint Bernard – he has an autoimmune disease of his muscles (in remission thankfully), and also bilateral hip dysplasia. He was put on Rimadyl about 3 weeks ago, and he has been SO INCREDIBLY itchy, and has developed little red bumps/sores sporadically over his body (legs, neck, back). He has NEVER had a flea on him, ever. I kept thinking some kind of food allergy or environmental allergy, but the only thing that has changed is starting the Rimadyl. We’ve been to our vet twice for the itching since the start of the Rimadyl and not once have they suggested or even mentioned this being due to the Rimadyl. Then my husband put two and two together today….which led me here. He will not get one more pill! Thank you everyone for adding your stories, as it helps all of us be informed.

  163. My 1 year old pit mix just had her spay Surgery this past week, they gave me tramadol and Carprofen, i didn’t start her Carprofen until the second day after her surgery and by night her neck was swollen, rash like, and extremely dry. It also seems like there was some sort of fluid building up. I didn’t want to continue the Carprofen; the vet that did her surgery is not open until Monday, I didn’t know what else it could have been since she has been with me since her surgery practical all day everyday. The swelling lessened through out the day today. But i haven’t seen any information about swelling in the neck caused from this drug. I was very worried this morning, waking up to my pup who usually has very little extra skin and folds now with a whole new neck lump! Not sure how to take care of it until i can get her into the Vet Monday. Any ideas?

  164. Rimadyl/ Carprofen was given to my Golden retriever for her spay surgery and for pain after the surgery– she was sick the day following with vomiting and diarrhea– called the vet –said to not give the carprofen–may be allergic– took her back to vet 2 days post op for meds to calm her GI tract –she seemed to be on the mend until she dropped dead on day 5 post op–autopsy showed blood pooled in her spleen and did not get out to other organs– her heart stopped and she died! He said she developed IMHA with DIC—I know that drug started it all into play—SO MAD–How do you trust these vets?? Her gums were pale and there was no saving her–we were just out to potty and she was wagging her tail walking with me–she stumbled and was down and dead–I will never forget the ordeal. I wish I had not taken her in to be spayed– Vets need to keep educated on these damn drugs and problems they can cause.

    1. Hi Mary,

      We are truly sorry to hear about your loss, please accept our condolences on the passing of your dog.

      There are several (research) studies published on the topic of IMHA and DIC and all speak against administering drugs that may cause bleeding such as aspirin or NSAIDs.

      Losing your dog is a deeply sad event, no matter what caused it.

      You and your family are in our thoughts.

      Warmest regards

  165. Our Chihuahua just died from Rimadyl! She was 16 and the vet gave it to us to give to her for her arthritis. Before that they did blood work on her and all of her bloodwork was excellent, no heart damage, no kidney or liver damage, they could not believe the numbers and how healthy she was for an old dog. We gave it to her for 1 1/2 weeks and last Wed night in the middle of the night she had a really bad seizure, bit her tongue and blood aspirated into her lungs. She came through the seizure but was laboring in her breathing because of the fluid in her lungs. Took her down to the vet they checked her heart which was good, did x-rays and all looked good, so the only thing they could determine is that during the seizure she got a lesion in her brain (stroke) which damanged the part of knowing where she was, totally lost. She had never had seizures before and was never on any medication in her entire life! That night was the first night also that they had us give her Trazadone for her anxiety.

    We are so lost without our baby girl, we loved her so much. If I would have known that this was one of the side effects of Rimadyl we would have never given this to her. Of course the vets to not give you any information on it. When a human gets a prescription at the pharmacy we are given all kinds of info on it, including side effects and our decision if we want to take it. But in this case I guess we were suppose to trust the Vet. A piece of us died with our baby and I blame myself for giving her this drug without researching it. But we were told oh it is safe and will help her.

    I would advise anyone with an older dog not to give them this drug for sure, even a younger dog.

    1. Hi Linda,

      I am sorry to hear of your dog’s passing. I understand that this will leave you with varying emotions. You will have good days and bad days in the coming months or perhaps even years but please try not to blame yourself for this.

      The thing is when we take our dogs to a vet we simply have to place our trust into their knowledge and experience because that’s the only thing we can do as a responsible dog owner.

      What happened to you and your little dog is a terrible thing and we fully understand that nothing but time itself will be able to change your feeling of pain and loss.

      Our deepest sympathies go out to you and your family at this time of loss.

      Our warmest regards

  166. Our dog Socks was a Lab/Pit Bull mix eleven years old with never a sick day in his life.. He was having just a small bit of arthritis (the Vet told us) and without knowing one was not supposed to give it to him I gave him one Tylenol. He was 77 pounds and in excellent health. Socks seemed a bit “spaced out” and I was afraid it was the single Tylenol. I immediately took him to the Vet again and was told, yes, arthritis and I was given 60 -75mg Rimadyl chewable and 60 Gabapentin capsules. I was told to give him one each of the pills twice a day. As soon as I began the pills Socks began to be very quiet and laid down a lot. We went on a walk and he seemed OK but when we came back he would lay down immediately. I didn’t like the situation so I only gave him one Gabapentin before I stopped those completely but continued the Rimadyl. The Vet gave me no cautions about either medications usage. The Tech said Socks would “act like a Puppy again soon”

    Socks continued to decline with panting when there was no reason to pant, refusing food but still drinking some water . For specially liked treats he would eat a small piece of chicken and then refuse any more. On short walks he would urinate often. He started to have very small black, tar like stools consisting of black outer layer and more normal color inside. He was his normal mentally bright self except for the tiredness and a desire to be by himself in the back yard all night which he never has done before as we have a dog door installed.

    After 8 days of the two per day Rimadyl I stopped it as he was getting worse with now no eating and not as much drinking. I assumed he would get better, but he continued to fail.

    His now much shorter walks showed that while his front legs were strong, his entire rear end and legs sort of wriggled back and forth from side to side and his back legs were close together. and lacked energy. We went back to the Vet when he couldn’t get up because his back legs became suddenly paralyzed. (One week after stopping Rimadyl) We were referred to an emergency Vet hospital where it was determined that he was bleeding into his spine causing paralysis. His blood platelet count was VERY low and the Vet asked if we had any Mouse Poison around. We have a small amount in a false ceiling for mice but it is not accessible to a dog so that was not it.

    Vet opinions ranged all the way from Rimadyl to silly things like unknown cancer which no one had found in a sweet active, normal dog but there was no “proof” of anything. After about $600 in vet expenses, it was suggested that they could do a CT scan to find the bleeding site ($1400) and that might give them more information. They were good in reminding me of the many dogs Rimadyl has helped, but never gave me a warning about the damage it could do. I found this out on the Internet and sites like this. Thank you.

    We had to euthanize socks yesterday a week after I stopped the Rimadyl and about two weeks after he started on it. . (Yesterday was also my wife’s Birthday) and we are so sad with a dear 11 year friend rather than a pet missing, who was always there with a wagging tail and uncaring love. I hope that anyone reading this is so VERY careful with this VERY dangerous drug. I would never advise anyone to use it on any animal of concern.

    My religion teaches me that all life will be fully resurrected so I look forward to seeing Socks again in a place where I can throw and he can chase real balls and run and play in real fields again always. But for now I miss him greatly.

  167. i TOOK MY DOG TO THE VET SHE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HER BACK LEGS. THE VET GAVE HER THIS TERRIBLE INJECTION NOT 10 MINUTES LATER MY BEAUTIFUL BABY WAS GONE!!!!!

  168. My Morkie was put on rimadyl for Luxating Patella 3 weeks ago against my better judgement… with in 24 hrs he was chewing his back like he had fleas(which he does not) Foolishly I waited to look up side effects of this drug and after 10 days I did. As soon as I saw that it was a side effect I immediately took him off it. He now has a bald spot the size of a 50 cent piece. He has been off it for several days and he is still itchy. He has never had any itchy or skin issues. Hopefully he will begin to heal now. I am so sick about it.

  169. Thank God that I read all these terribly sad stories, that made me cry! My dear, little, 10 yr. old dog (adopted in Dec., after my darling 16 yr. old, big dog passed away, sadly), was prescribed Rimadyl because she fell over a couple of times. The vet told me that her back knee came out of socket, so I asked if I could give her Glucosamine, given that my big dog was taking 1,000 mg. daily (which stopped shaking in her back legs). I was told that I could do so and in a couple of days she was back to normal, with my not letting her jump up/down steps, etc. Therefore, I wondered about starting the Rimadyl — didn’t want to make too many changes all at once — so I halved the 25 mg. pill and gave it (after food) midday, given she was getting the Glucosamine in the morn. and eve., after her meals . However, on our walk (tonight) she seemed slower than usual and panted quite a bit! Consequently, I thought I’d do some research on what Rimadyl actually does (vet told me it’s for inflammation), and I’m very grateful that I found this info.! I shan’t be giving my dog anymore Rimadyl! She was doing well without it, and so, God willing, she’ll be her usual happy self again, in the morn. I’m so sorry that people lost their beautiful dogs, because they were given Rilmadyl, it seems. It’s absolutely heartbreaking! Thank-you very much for sharing your tragic stories, which could have saved my little dog from the same suffering.

  170. My dog took Rimadyl for 2 1/2 weeks before noticing the negative effects. First issue was paw itching. She never chews on her paws and was doing it incessantly one evening. I thought maybe she stepped in something on our long walk. The next day she started shaking her head (like an ear infection) and seemed a bit off on our walk. Not her normally smiling self. I awoke to vomit all through my home. This dog never throws up in her 7.5 years in our home. I decided to stop the medication that morning. By evening I came home and my dogs ear flaps were swollen to about 1/2 inch thick to include her muzzle and the house again was filled with vomit. I also found two blankets with blood circles on them which I assume came from her anal area. I took her to the vet and luckily after 9 days she appears to be herself. While she is limping I’m glad she is alive. My vet did not suggest I report this as an adverse event to Zoetis which leads me to believe most people are not reporting these issues so the incident rate for side effects is not properly being factored in. So a 1% incident rate is probably more a 10% likliehoold of a negative outcome.

    1. Hi Alyson,

      Glad to hear your dog is alright again, you absolutely saved her life.

      Your absolutely right in assuming only a fraction of the problems is being reported. The Rimadyl problem is going on for years now and the problem cases keep piling up.

      I think it’s unbelievable that products like that are still prescribed by veterinarians.

      Earlier today I read a post on a vet’s website stating, quote: “Treatment for arthritis is relatively easy, and can make a dramatic difference to your pet, allowing them to be more active”.

      They also mentioned “There are many over-the-counter supplements or prescription medications to assist your pet’s joint health and enable it to move more freely with reduced or minimal pain.”

      After reading that post I left a comment asking warning about the risks connected to many of these types of medication and my comment was removed from their site within five minutes after posting it. The same happened to the second comment I posted, asking for the reason of such a tight level of censorship.

      Anyway, thank you for sharing your story with us.

      Warm regards

  171. I came across this post after picking our ten month old golden up from the vet. He had been prescribed rimadyl after a surgery on Friday (June 1 st) Saturday, he seemed fine, but Sunday I was welcomed to a mess of diarrhea and bile on our laundry room floor. I cleaned him up, stopped the rimadyl and began on the white rice and chicken regime. He had less diarrhea on Monday, and was up and around. When I returned home from a running errands on Tuesday, he stood outside and lost a large amount of blood from his rectum. I cleaned him up and called the vet. He now has him on metronidazole twice a day for the diarrhea. I am wondering if the rimadyl could still be causing this gastrointestinal bleeding as it is very concerning. Thanks

    1. Same here. We have a year old lab….Just had her spayed Thursday, June 7, 2018. Started Rimadyl on Friday the 8th. Diarrhea started Saturday, the 9th. Discontinued on Sunday the 10th……Monday was a fair day for her, no vomiting, however minor diarrhea. Today, the 12th, four bouts of diarrhea. Took he to Vet today, she stated, she might had reaction to Rimadyl. Three or four pills did this to my pup…..

      Started her yesterday on Scrambled eggs…..very hungry. White Rice tonight. Immediately had two bouts of DIARRHEA. STILL VERY ACTIVE AND PLAYFUL…….

      JACK, SPRING, TEXAS

  172. We just recently lost our beloved baby girl dachshund of 9 1/2 years to this drug Rimadyl. We had no idea of the side effects of this drug our vet prescribed to us. We took her in with a limp and were given these pills for her. She started them on a Wednesday night we stopped them Saturday and it was a cascading series of devastating events afterwards. She stopped eating, drinking, and walking. She ran a high temperature. We took her to another vet and they started treating her but it was too late, her liver shut down.
    [wbcr_snippet id="664"]
    In the end her ears were scabbed, and her little belly was turning yellow. My kids and I love her so much but had to say good bye. This has been an absolutely horrible few weeks. We did everything we could to try to save her. I feel horrible knowing that I gave her the medication that ultimately cost her her life and I’m so angry that I didn’t research this medication. My kids and I are devastated over the loss of our tiny companion. I assure you she was only given 3 days of Rimadyl, this is how fast this medication can take your dogs life. Just don’t give it.

    1. We’re very sorry to hear about your loss and yes, it is an extremely dangerous drug.

      I know it is almost impossible under the given circumstances, but please try not to blame yourself for what happened, you did your best to help her and by sharing this with the readers of this website, which is not an easy thing to do, believe me I know, you are informing other dogowners about the dangers of NSAIDs like rimadyl.

      Our condolences go out to you and your family.

      Thank you again for sharing.

  173. Our 3 year old Scotty was put on Rimadyl for atorn tor web. Took drug for two days. Thursday AM to Friday PM By Friday evening she was weaving falling down shaking her head side to side. Took her the Vet Sat. AM. Diagnoses was some sort of Nerological issue. Vet prescribed a steroid. But first had to wait for Rimadyl to wash out. By Sat. PM she needed to be carried everywhere. Went to Vet on Monday, new diagnoses, “CA” decease. Devastated Actually saw some improvement before Vet visit. By Tuesday Am she was almost herself again. Drug had washed out of her system. Vet did not mention side effects. This drug may be good for some dogs, but beware if you see any radical change stop the drug right away.

  174. Our 6 month old lab was given rimadyl after her spay surgery. She started to become very lethargic, lost her appetite, had noticeable limb and muscle weakness, and eventually had three seizures in one day. The vet immediately took her off rimadyl and switched her to prednisone and we begin to see immediate improvements. Apparently Labradors should never be prescribed rimadyl. Something I will certainly remember for the future, as we very nearly lost our sweet girl.

    1. Hi there,

      First of all, let me say we’re very happy you were able to get your Lab out of immediate danger.

      One of the side effects of Rimadyl is chemically induced liver damage (Hepatotoxicity) and unfortunately, history has proven Labrador Retrievers are more sensitive to attract this type of liver damage than other dog breeds.

      The thing is, up until now, the exact mechanism of Hepatotoxicity is not completely understood, there is some speculation though, that specific proteins in liver cells (hepatocellular proteins) will react to Rimadyl (and other NSAIDs) causing damage to the liver (Hepatotoxicity).

      Hope everything will turn out well for your little Labbie, by the way, Labs are one of my favourite dog breeds. Check-out Facebook for this group Labradors SemperFi

      Warm regards

  175. My Bouvier 7 year old has been on Rimadyl for 2 years ,and the only reason she is off was because she developed a skin condition with scabbing, itching ,ulcers. The vet decided she needed to be on Prednisone and amoxicillin for her skin. I had to research on my own whether pred would react with the Rimadyl , as I am pretty cautious about mixing drugs. When I called my vet’s office to inquire about the drug combo they said wait 48 hrs with no Rimadyl then start pred. After everything I have read here she will never take that drug again. It was given for arthritis pain and seemed to help at first but she has had off and on skin itching that vet has said we’re allergy related. Allergy to Rimadyl is what I think. I am so grateful it was not fatal.

    1. Hi Madylon,

      One can never be too cautious, so well done!

      As a rule NSAIDs like Rimadyl should never be given with steroids, for example, prednisone, dexamethasone, triamcinolone.

      The changes in her skin condition you described (scabs, redness, itching) all belong to the list of most common Rimadyl-related side effects.

      By the way, Bouvier des Flandres, a real family dog, smart, loyal and protective, yet very friendly by nature.

      Thank you for sharing your story with us and warm regards

  176. My Boston had a tumor removed three weeks ago and was given this for pain. She had no side effects that I noticed. I gave it to her for maybe 5 days post-surgery. I can say she was not as spunky and her appetite was not great. She cut her paw and had to have stitches Tuesday. Today, Thursday, after 3 doses she is throwing up with blood in her stool. I stopped the drug, and no food. She is drinking water. I am scared I will lose her after reading all of this. I am monitoring her closely. I was never, ever told these side effects. I am angry, scared, and upset. She is 10 and I am so scared I will lose her. Should I take her for bloodwork tomorrow? This medication is evil, and I will never give it to her again!

    1. You stopped the treatment, that is great.
      The main thing is to take her to a veterinarian and keep monitoring her closely.
      I hope everything will turn out OK for you and your little Boston buddy.

      Keep us posted.

  177. So glad I read these incredibly sad stories. My dog was given Rimadyl last night and I am NOT giving him any more. This is a bad drug.

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