Hi @Orange, I also have a dog with epilepsy. She is nearly 10 now (gulp!) and has not had a seizure for months. She is very like @M.F.'s Snowie in that we cannot use any flea or tick medication on her, because that triggers her seizures. Like your dog she mostly gets them at the change in seasons, especially in the spring. Good luck. What an interesting bunch you have!
Librela - a new option for pain relief for dogs with osteo arthritis
- Thread starter Natalie
- Start date
- Location
- Piemonte, Italy.
Hello Mellow Yellow !
Can I ask when the epilepsy came on with your dog ?
Rufus's major cluster seizure was in the Spring and thats when he was moved onto the new seizure management drug - the cluster lasted three or four days and the vet was very worried. One hit of the new stuff and it all stopped thank goodness.
I am definitely stopping Bravecta for him (we start again in Spring next year) and I hope it will make a difference !
Hi @Orange welcome to the forum! lovely to hear about you and your tribe, sounds like a full time job with eight dogs! Monty was the reason I started this thread way back in the spring, I think he's nine injections in now. I'm so glad you've seen such good results in Bess. We've been using daily paracetamol recently to top up alongside his Galliprant as he's going through a bad patch right now , but fingers crossed it's just a temporary flare up.
- Location
- Piemonte, Italy.
Hi @Natalie,
That is a very handsome pair of choc labs !
I am sorry Monty is in the midst of a flare up and I hope the flare is over soon.
8 is a lot but tbh, once we got onto dog #4, they formed a pack and became quite self maintaining. My OH is skilled with stressed / anxious / abused animals and this, combined with a pack environment got us to 8 dogs ! A pack environment can do wonders for those animals that need an element of rehabilitation - we are very much about trying to give them an environment where their personality can come out and their confidence can grow.
Poppy's seizures started when she was around four years old. Several things have helped her - being neutered (I think the hormonal ups and downs made things worse for her when she got her seasons), not using flea and tick treatments, and generally being aware of what is upsetting for her. Luckily for us she now does not get them very often.
I hope Rufus has a good long respite now from the seizures.
I was stunned on the park today. Who stole my dog and gave back a crazy beast. Librela appears to be working for Rory.
- Location
- Piemonte, Italy.
Hello again @MellowYellow
Thank you for sharing your experience and info.
It was extra helpful that you talked about triggers because I think he has triggers too - for example, he had a seizure a couple of weeks ago. I had let him out for a wee at dawn (!) and there were wild animals near our fence and he went loopy - it was all really cold and he had gone from a standing warm start. Bought him back in and he had a seizure within the hour. One of his big seizures earlier in the year was when he went for a super fun walk down to the stream with my OH for a swim in some nice cold water on a hot day. He had a seizure a couple of hours after coming back.
Some things for us to think about in addition to the tick treatment !
That really does sound like sudden changes in temperature could be a trigger for him.
Poor chap! Poppy's very first seizure came when she had cut her paw badly and it was bandaged, which was clearly very stressful for her. Sometimes also the release from a stressful situation can set her off - for instance if I or OH are away, although that is stressful for her it seems that she holds it together until we are all together again, and then she may succumb to a seizure.
- Location
- Piemonte, Italy.
@SwampDonkey How is Rory doing today ?
I took Bess out for a tiny walk this morning (1km !) and she loved it - running up and down (all uneven like a clown car, just no noticeable pain). It was the OAP walk and her, Bindi and Athena particularly enjoyed breaking the ice on puddles. It was lovely.
Great he's running about being a terror. He's so playful with Iver and seems so happy.
- Location
- Piemonte, Italy.
Thats brilliant ! Is this his first round ? We are one week into Bess's second round - I still can't get over the difference, Bess also seems so much happier (and naughtier obvs...)
I am every hopeful this is available for people when my arthritis gets a hold - I think its in trials.
It was his first one, we didn't know what to expect. He's got spondylitis in his lower back. I'd noticed a change in his tail carriage and some stiffness and he was less active. On x-ray it showed the spondylitis so the vet suggested librela. We'll just see how he goes he's 8 years old so hopefully it will help keep him healthier and painfree for a while yet
- Location
- Piemonte, Italy.
We noticed a huge difference from the first one - made me realise how she had gradually got worse over the last year or so. Sounds like you caught it nice and early and I bet he is feeling a whole lot better
We're really happy because he clearly is.We noticed a huge difference from the first one - made me realise how she had gradually got worse over the last year or so. Sounds like you caught it nice and early and I bet he is feeling a whole lot better
hi, newbie here. Realise this is an old thread, Just wondered if you went ahead and tried librella and how penny got on. My Choccy lab Michael is 12 (13 in two months) and your situation sounds similar - he's been on gabapentin and carprieve for a while but vet just recommended librella. Not loads of info, about so any experiences would help!!Hey all. I was just doing some research on Librela for my choccy lab when i came across this forum. Ive just been reading through and it all looks super promising! (Other then the lack of it at the moment)
My labrador, Penny is now 12. She has suffered with Osteo Arthritis for many many years. She was put on Gabapentin a few years back for the pain management and at first it worked miracles she went from walking on 3 legs most of the time to rarely limping! But unfortunately Gabapentin has quite a few side affects. And upping her dose after recently noticing a decline actually made her more wobbly (due to the gabapentin). I used to work at a hydrotherapy center so of course she has been going there when i can take her for only small swims. (We arent taking the treadmill route as that is too weight bearing for her) plus she thoroughly enjoys swimming so its also something for her to get excited about as she is struggling with only 5 minute walks at the moment. We dropped her Gabapentin dose back down to her usual dose and she went back to normal (ish - still slow) for a few weeks along with hydrotherapy and a physio giving us exercises to help build her muscles back up. But now she has gone backwards again, shes limping all the time, shes wobbly and very very slow on a walk which is heartbreaking to watch coz this girl LOVES her walks and having to leave her behind while i take my younger dog is so sad. She is still her usual perky self but i worry eventually not being able to go on walks with us will affect her mental health. I want her to enjoy her last few years, not be in pain! My mum has just bought a pushchair for her... which will be interesting keeping her in it!
I am going to ring the vet tomorrow with my fingers tightly crossed they have some available in hopes this will help her walk again even just for 10 minutes! I've found this forum really helpful and has given me a lot of hope.
I do want to ask from you guys whos dogs have actually been having the injection whether there are any side effects! The last thing i want to do is cause her more harm. I saw someone put about her poor doggy that died shortly after taking it. So i wondered if we know of any definite side effects from the librela??? Or if there is anything else i should know (tips,advice?) before i start her on this if they have some!!
Hi and welcome I have 2 labs Rory and Iver. Rory has been using librela for a while now. He's doing really well and taken it for about 8 months.
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
@gemma K, welcome to the forum. I would definitely try Librela for Michael, it hasn't made that much difference to mine, but it does for the first two weeks after the injection, you need to have it once a month. My Lab cannot take NSAIDs as they make his stomach bleed. I have made the bold (mad) first step for him to have stem cell replacement therapy!
- Location
- Cornwall , UK
I have copied this for @Daisy as she messaged it to me x
I posted couple of weeks ago because Molly had just has her first Librela injection. A week later Molly couldn't not stand on her back legs. The Vet saw her urgently and explained that the cushion between her vertebrae had either slipped out or had calcified and a classic sign when it is one of the lumber discs is the collapse of her back legs. it is intermittent and she is on meds which work on the nerves and reduces pain. We have to keep her as quiet and as still as possible, no walks, no hydro and no stairs. She is quite sleepy (this is the meds). But does go out into the garden for a sniff, a wee and a poo and sunbathes. The Vet thinks she will recover with rest. She is due another Librela injection in 2 weeks which the vet says will help her with her spine and she is still having Metacalm. Has anyone else been through this?
I posted couple of weeks ago because Molly had just has her first Librela injection. A week later Molly couldn't not stand on her back legs. The Vet saw her urgently and explained that the cushion between her vertebrae had either slipped out or had calcified and a classic sign when it is one of the lumber discs is the collapse of her back legs. it is intermittent and she is on meds which work on the nerves and reduces pain. We have to keep her as quiet and as still as possible, no walks, no hydro and no stairs. She is quite sleepy (this is the meds). But does go out into the garden for a sniff, a wee and a poo and sunbathes. The Vet thinks she will recover with rest. She is due another Librela injection in 2 weeks which the vet says will help her with her spine and she is still having Metacalm. Has anyone else been through this?
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
@kateincornwall, no this hasn't happened to us but the vet nurse did his last Liberala and I thought went in rather deep, Rourke flinched, he has never flinched before and the next day his spine was roached and his fur over his spine stood on end. I had a session of hydro with Rourke and that improved the situation. Not really a sensible reply to Daisy, but the same thing might have happened or just been a coincidence.