For your information - the author has given permission to Cross Post.

Jean
(Always for George - Always for the Rimadyl Dogs)
http://hometown.aol.com/luswinton/myhomepage/memorial.html

In the past few weeks, I have run into situation after situation in
which dogs who have been victims of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
(NSAID) toxicity have not been properly treated by their vets with
the result that the dogs have died after the owners have spent
thousands on useless diagnostics and treatment.

While I am most familiar with Deramaxx, the following suggestions
apply in most cases to all of the veterinary NSAIDs: Deramaxx,
Rimadyl, Metacam, Zubrin, EtoGesic.

As a preface, there are many situations in which an NSAID is an
appropriate medicine and only a small number of dogs will have an
adverse reaction.

The problem is that when a dog shows signs of an adverse reaction,
vets are often hesitant to take the steps necessary to establish what
is going on and begin aggressive treatment when necessary.

If a dog shows signs of an adverse reaction, here are the steps that
need to be taken:

1. Stop the drug.

2. Take the dog to the vet and insist on a full examination and blood
work to determine the extent of the problem.

3. While it is vital that a differential diagnosis determine the
exact cause of the problem the dog is experiencing, if there are
signs of kidney, liver, heart or GI problems, keep your vet focused
on the liklihood that the problem is related to the NSAID. Too often
vets chase zebras trying to find some other explanation for the
problem, generally at great expense to the owner and a waste of
valuable time that postpones necessary treatment.

4. Contact both the drug manufacturer and the FDA (888-FDA-VETS)and
put both in direct contact with your vet. If it is after hours,
contact the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline (888-426-4435)whose vets are
trained in NSAID toxicity and in most cases, under contract with the
manufacturer to handle cases after hours so there is no charge for
their advice.

5. Finally, if your dog dies, elect to have a necropsy done,
preferably by the nearest veterinary teaching hospital or independent
veterinary pathology lab. Most diagnostic costs, including necrospy
will be paid for by the drug manufacturer. While often a difficult
step, a necropsy is often vital to establishing what was wrong and
the information is invaluable to your vet, the manufacturer and the
Food and Drug Administration.

Ed

Edward Murray
Understanding Deramaxx
http://home.insightbb.com/~e.murray/index.html