Pain Relief

[Colortec]

My vet has prescribed Metacam.

Is there an alternative which I could buy and use which is cheaper?

Would Calpol do the trick?

For a border Collie with arthritis.

[Clanad]

For a number of years before her death, our German Shorthair was given two baby aspirin a day, one morning and one evening. She tolerated them well and appeared to get a lot of relief. Our Vet suggested the regimen but also said to watch for signs of stomach upset or distress, which she never exhibited...

[divegirl]

Hi, don't quote me on this.....but I give my Great Dane aspirin and cod liver oil for his 'creaky bones'.... Like I said don't just follow my advice....but try doing a Google search on 'aspirin and dogs' and make your own mind up.
Hope this helps.
Lisa x

[divegirl]

....nothing like a cross post....lol

As Clanad says, watch for signs of stomach trouble.

[kita1]

You might want to look at a similar question I asked about Metacam:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Animals-and-Nat ure/Question237612.html

I was concerned about the side effects of Metacam (which is a NSAID drug similar to Rimadyl).

I am sticking with Green Lipped Mussel tablets (from the health food shops) and cod liver oil. I am also trying Rhus Tox homeopathic tablets, again from health food shops.

[lankeela]

Depending on the age of the dog, most vets recommend that you don't use Metacam long term. Ask your vet about the dose, and whether you can reduce it after a while.
Anything with Glucosamine in will help, and if it is mild, then Denes Greenleaf tablets are good.

Also invest in a Bioflow magnetic collar, but try looking on ebay as they are cheaper than getting one from a registered agent.

[Bellringer]

I found fish oil capsules were quite good for my old dog. Trouble was she didn't like them & would leave them when they were in her food or spit them out if given the conventional way. She was 14 when she died.

[kaylamay]

Never use over-the-counter human medications for animals without an okay from your vet. Even the most benign human meds can kill and animal. Try enteric(coated to prevent stomach upset) 81mg or baby asprin daily. If you have a large breed ask vet how much you should give. Try Glucosamine(sp?) and Condriotin(sp?) you can, in America anyway, get this in liquid form. Both of these are used for joint issues. Ask your vet if there is a brand he might recommend. I had a 150 pound Rott and he had hip diplasia and was too old for surgery and the vet recommended the enteric asprin and the Glucosamine & Condrotin. My vet wanted to prescribe something i could not possibly afford unless i sold a kidney
which i would have done if i could have taken the time off work. I know that if i started him on that prescribed med he would have had to be on it for life and i could only afford to give up one kidney(lol)
Mikala (aka, Cat Woman)

[pmjblue]

I would never recommend Metacam, I have heard of some disastrous side effects like internal bleeding. I used cosequin for years, you can get it from a vet, or on line, but I found it considerably cheaper from ebay, but not the uk site the american one. www.ebay.com

http://item.express.ebay.com/New-Cosequin-DS-f or-Dogs-120-count-Chewable-Tablets_W0QQitemZ77 72374611QQihZ018QQtrZexpQQcmdZExpressItem