The Budmeister is hurting

[Ocean's Edge]

Carprofen, and Cartrophen are actually two entirely different things.... the similarity in the names seems to have confused a few people out there in internetland - I learned last night doing a lot of research....

carprofen is the generic name for Rimadyl, a popular NSAID
cartrophen is a DMOAD or Disease Modifying Osteo-Arthritis Drug - injected into the joint once per week over 4 weeks seems to be the recommended doseage, it's designed as I understand it to help promote joint health, and slow degeneration.

http://www.cartrophen.com/

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

Dumb interwebs!

 

[Ocean's Edge]

heh... dumb drug manufacturers giving them such similar names!

 

[Angela]

I give Evan Cartrophen Inj. monthly as he has arthritis after FCP surgery but not in the joint. I give it between his shoulder blades.
I thought, till I googled, that Adequan in the U.S and Cartrophen up here was the same thing, but apparently it is not.

 

[Ocean's Edge]

from what I've been reading cartrophen is available in Australia and Canada, but not yet in the US .. though apparently it's in the works. Although I'm not sure how old that information was.

I'm encouraged by the results I've seen thus far, but it's still early...

 

[nsmarlis]

Vicky - I had very good results with Cartrophen for my old Glory a few years ago. Took 3 wks. (3 shots) before I saw any difference. We did the same regimen: weekly for 4 wks. & then monthly. As I recall, we started her in the fall & she made it to almost her 14th. birthday which would have been in June. A friend here now has both her dogs on monthly shots. They are 9 &10. Good luck.

 

[Ocean's Edge]

Thanks Marlis,
I am very encouraged. He got his first shot on Thursday, and Thursday night/Friday he seemed less stiff, but tired and cranky and out of sorts. This morning though he is much more his usual bouncy 'good morning PEOPLE!' dog... he still has a bit of a stiff limping gait, but yes - much better.

I'm hoping he just aggrevated the joint, and that it's slow to heal because he has such lousy hips, and that the shots will 'last him a while' ..... he's still so blessed young and energetic

 

[nsmarlis]

I'm impressed that you saw results so quickly. Worth keeping up. My Glory was 13 when we started her.

 

[Ocean's Edge]

Buddy got his second shot on Thursday - no adverse affects this time (no tired, no cranky, no being snappish with Kilo). Not seeing as much improvement with the 2nd shot as the first, but, it was getting better.

BBQ on the back deck last night (remember, remember the 5th of November), the excitement was a bit much for him and he got carrying on for a bit.... he paid for it at bedtime and even with the Duramaxx had some trouble settling down for the night. Poor dear. We work at keeping him quiet - but he really misses his games, and the energy is getting a bit pent up.

 

[Ocean's Edge]

After a rough night on Saturday, he did just fine last night! Yay! Slept the whole night, slept the whole night on the rug, slept the whole night on the rug without a painkiller before bedtime.

Daddy's invented a new indoor ball game that doesn't involve his running and bouncing and ... exuberance. He'd still rather run and bounce, but he's enjoying the mental challenge of playing ball on the floor

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

Great news Vicky! What game did you guys come up with for him? Mila's on rest too...maybe I could try my hand at it whatever it is!

 

[Ocean's Edge]

Some of the things we've been doing to relieve his boredom and deal with his excess energy - well some are kinda obvious... taking him out in the car more often on errands, even just to the mailbox and back, tying him out on the front lawn so he can hang out in the garden with me while I've been weeding this week (something he normally isn't allowed), changing up the routines a little to break up the boredom.

For game time, some of the things James has been doing is getting down on the floor with him and playing little rolly/bouncy games with his small footed bouncy ball (his indoor ball) - that doesn't involve him charging down the hallways after it. Or getting out ice cream buckets and playing the shell game with a cookie, also playing 'what hand is the cookie in?". We also play a 'lie down' version of tug of war with one of his stuffed toys while lying in bed.

It's not really been about therapy or training (although I'm one of those silly people who thinks that ANY time spent interacting with your dog is training time - it's not 'formal' training), mostly it's just been reinventing our daily 'play time' - so long as he has our attention and something to do with us he's happy.

I just try to remember all the little games my kids used to like when they were toddlers and we'd get down on the floor and play. I wonder it I can teach Buddy Patty-Cake?