Rimadyl upsets older GSD. What else can be used?

Author: VioVet
Published: Sunday 20th January 2013
Updated: Thursday 6th February 2020

Given the age and breed of your dog, I suspect she is going to have some soreness from her hips whatever you do. However, it is possible to help her. First I would try and get her to lose a little weight if she is at all over-weight. This makes a huge difference to dogs with mobility problems. Reduce her food level slightly, or try a diet type of food. Secondly I would encourage her to get up gently and move about a bit, lots of times in the day. Not very much is needed at a time, but regular movement keeps the hips from getting stiff.

I would recommend you give her two medications as well. One would be a nutriceutical such as Seraquin or Cosequin. They do not cause any trouble for the kidneys and are usually easy to digest. The other thing would be a different non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. If Rimadyl upsets her, then you might well find that Previcox or Onsior is safe to use. They are designed to be kinder on the gut lining and kidneys than Rimadyl. They need a prescription though from your vet. You can however just buy the Seraquin or Cosequin from our website.