Experiences with either Rimadyl or Adequan -- Good or Bad

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BirddogGSP

Active member
Been a rough week with my 14.5 year old shorthair. She's been falling down and having issues getting up and lame in her left rear leg. However, once she's "warmed" up she can walk and sometimes even trot around the yard. Brought her into vet and he's running blood test to see if their anything wrong there.

He said she's in remarkable shape for a dog this old. His diagnosis was severe arthritis. He wants to put her on Adequan and supplement with a diet rich in Omega 3 and the JD food. He's also suggested that Rimadyl as a potential supplement. The vet went as said Adequan is one of his favorites.

Anybody have any experience with Adequan? How long before the "loading" shots take effect? I'm not looking for a miracle but rather to let her have a quality of life she deserves.. I was joking with my wife that if it's that good maybe I can take her out to a preserve for a hunt. :rolleyes:
 
I've never used adequan in dogs, but had pretty good luck with it in the horses. The biggest improvement seemed to come at the end of the loading dose - and we played with it after that. Sometimes loading 2x a year instead of doing regular injections. Each animal responded differently but I was happy with the results. It is so stinking expensive though! I also used Legend, I don't even know if they make that for dogs though!

One thing that kind of blew my mind both with the horses and an arthritic dog was the success I had with Cosequin. There must be some type of joint repair done with that supplement instead of just reducing inflammation because with both horse & dog the loading dose + some was enough to wean them back off of the supplement in less than a year and they stayed sound. In fact one of those horses who had injury related arthritis at 10 y/o and was pumped full of cosequin now has zero issues at 20 y/o and hasn't been on any type of supplement in 9 years. Workload has reduced a lot, but no lameness. The dog was night & day within a week - so much so I was tempted to take it myself! I have not had the same results with off brand joint supplements.

I veered a little off topic here but there's my personal experience. I don't know much about the science behind it, this is just what has worked for me! Good luck with your pup, hopefully you find a combination that works!
 
sounds like you are getting good advice, I use adequan in my practice with good results in dogs, horses and show calves. I also agree with the cosequan/dasequan approach as an adjunct to the adequan therapy, they are compatible together. The Rimadyl as you probably know is an anti-inflammatory that may be used on a regular basis if the dog tolerates the drug...no vomiting, diarrhea, kidney or liver issues, or on an as needed basis much like you would take an anti-inflammatory after a long hike/hunt and is also comparable with the adequan.
 
I had real good results with Rimadyl on an older GSP I had. The results were quite remarkable. Duramaxx is another NSAID for dogs. Some do better on one while another might do better on another. Much of it's effectiveness will depend on the severity of the Arthritis. A low dose steroid being kind of a last resort. Do what you can to make the rest of their days as comfotable as you can. Keep their hunts real short or retire them altogether. At 14 and a half I would probably retire her.

Good luck.
 
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The vet also recommended omega 3 and special diet of J/D by Hills. I don't mind spending the extra $ on stuff providing it actually works. She's worth every dime. Don't think I'll ever have a dog with the drive and natural ability she had. Do the Omega 3s work in your opinion?
 
It may a little, but IMO the Rimadyl combined with maybe a good joint supplement like Glucosamine and MSM are going to be much more effective. At her age your just trying to make her more comfortable. Only you can determine whether to retire her or not. Those days come for all hunting dogs and while the heart is still there the body just can't do it anymore.

Sooner or later we must come to the realization whether or not to retire them and it's a decision you'll need to make.
 
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Today we had the second loading of Adequan.. This stuff is amazing. She's seem more lively and jumping around.
 
birdshooter said:
How expensive is it?
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Its 8 loading doses @ $ 22 per shot. Thereafter its 1 shot a month. After the swcond loading dose shes hoping and trotting around. The vet said that Adequan had potentially less side effect than Rimadyll. I'll continue to give reports as we progress with the treatments.
 
My clinic was involved in the initial dog trails for Adequan in the late 80's. It had been used for a number of years in horses but the maker (Luitpold) was seeking approval for dogs. We had 2 groups of dogs in a random blind study, all having been previously screened for and showing signs of degenerative joint disease. Half the dogs got the Adequan injection and half a placebo injection, while we had no idea what dog got what shot it was apparent after 3 doses which dogs got the Adequan....much improved. I remain really surprised this drug hasn't made it into the human side as it is wonderful. While I am ok with the chondroitin/glucosamine nutraceutical products, Adequan is on a MUCH different level. Rimadyl is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) , same class as aspirins, ibuprofens, previcox. deramax, celebrex etc. We all realize the individual variation we get when we take that class of drugs....everybody reacts differently.
All NSAIDS can have side effects...liver, kidney problems, gastrointestinal problems like ulcers, vomiting or diarrhea. Adequan is a PSGAG....(polysulfatedglycoaminoglycan).. completely different class of drug that works on the cartilage of the joints without the side effects. Most dogs if they are taking Adequan are also taking a NSAID and possibly a nutraceutical like Coseqaun. For all this talk about drugs the biggest problem with arthritis I see in practice is fat dogs....dont have a shot for that.
 
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zia said:
My clinic was involved in the initial dog trails for Adequan in the late 80's. It had been used for a number of years in horses but the maker (Luitpold) was seeking approval for dogs. We had 2 groups of dogs in a random blind study, all having been previously screened for and showing signs of degenerative joint disease. Half the dogs got the Adequan injection and half a placebo injection, while we had no idea what dog got what shot it was apparent after 3 doses which dogs got the Adequan....much improved. I remain really surprised this drug hasn't made it into the human side as it is wonderful. While I am ok with the chondroitin/glucosamine nutraceutical products, Adequan is on a MUCH different level. Rimadyl is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) , same class as aspirins, ibuprofens, previcox. deramax, celebrex etc. We all realize the individual variation we get when we take that class of drugs....everybody reacts differently.
All NSAIDS can have side effects...liver, kidney problems, gastrointestinal problems like ulcers, vomiting or diarrhea. Adequan is a PSGAG....(polysulfatedglycoaminoglycan).. completely different class of drug that works on the cartilage of the joints without the side effects. Most dogs if they are taking Adequan are also taking a NSAID and possibly a nutraceutical like Coseqaun. For all this talk about drugs the biggest problem with arthritis I see in practice is fat dogs....dont have a shot for that.
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interesting, as far as working in joint and cartilage I see nor read nothing about it no matter how many legs ya use. while I am on a different level than you seems like something went wrong cause there are a lot of legs out there that need something. your comment about fat dogs has a carry over to and including most hunters, people, don't do anything about it, take a pill.

thanks/cheers
 
I have used rimadyl with success on my older Brit.
 
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