"Sammie"
March 13, 1994 - January 17, 2006
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This is a horror-story about not just any Collie, but my dearest friend Sammie who died after taking 8 ½ tablett of det NSAID-drug Rimadyl.
Sammie was a healthy Collie that was killed by side-effects of Rimadyl.
Sammie is a Collie, age 12 year and 9 months at the time she got the drug. She is a little reumatic, but no worse then that she can play with the other two Collies in the family. She is with us on all our walks and are still in training, although she is retired from competitions.
After a heavy and a little rough playing with the other two, she has a swollen shoulder and in more pain then usual. And at our visit to the veterinarian Friday December 16. 2005 she was prescribed Rimadyl chewing tabletts 50 mg. She would be taken 1 tablett in the morning and ½ in the afternoon. Her weight is 21.3 kg
Eventually side effects I was told was : vomiting and diarea - and if this should occur - stop giving the drug. No other side-effects was mentioned.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday went by, I thought she was a little bit stiffer....
Monday December 19. She is worse then she was on friday.
Tuesday December 20. After contacting the vet again I was told to increase her dose with 1 tablett - I increased it with ½. This day she got 2 tabletts.
I am now starting to suspect her problems to be side-effects from Rimadyl. Unfortunately the trust in the veterinarians are very high.
Wednesday December 21, she had a total collapse.
New contact with the vet - she should be taken off of Rimadyl.
Thursday night December 22, 02.00 a.m. Sammie is in extreme pain, had to contact vet again. And as I couldn’t get hold of my own I had to call one in my area. After explaining the symptoms for him - his advice was to give her another Rimadyl !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Which she of course didn’t get.
Later, same day we was at our regular vets.
She got Cimetidin for her stomach bleeding and some antibiotics.
A special «harness» was sewn so we could help her up.
Sammie had NONE of the side-effect’s that are standing on the sheet, BUT her side-effects started with stiffness in her body and problem with her balance.
It’s a good idea to also write a journal with every symptom that you see.
Below you can read a bit of Sammies journal that I wrote :
Date |
Drug |
Symptoms |
Friday 16.12.05 |
1 tablett Rimadyl evening |
Because of stiffness and her being swollen in right shoulder |
Saturday 17.12.05 |
1 tablett Rimadyl morning ½ tablett evening |
No change |
Sunday 18.12.05 |
1 tablett Rimadyl morning ½ tablett evening |
No change
I am not sure if she’s already starting to be stiffer in her body |
Monday 19.12.05 |
1 tablett Rimadyl morning ½ tablett evening |
She is definitely worse, stiffer in her body, problems with her balance, problems with getting up and laying down. Can’t sit. Problems when peeing (balance) |
Tuesday 20.12.05 |
1 tablett Rimadyl morning 1 tablett evening |
Worse, calling vet again. Serious problems with her balance, wobbly walking. Very stiff in her body. Can’t sit. Are falling. Problems getting up and laying down. Are crying. |
Wednesday 21.12.05 |
1 tablett Rimadyl morning |
Talked to the vet again, she is off of Rimadyl. She now looks like a banana when you see her from the side. Terrible pain in her stomach - can’t touch it. Are falling when trying to get up. Are not interested in her surroundings. Doesn’t even lift her head when the other dogs passes her. Just laying. She are «gone», hazy eyes.
Nearly no control over her legs. Crying |
Thursday 22.12.05 |
2 tablett Cimetidin |
A bit over midnight black faeces (blood). Calling vet.
Strange smell of her urine. Crying. Does though not have the same banana back as she had yesterday.
We are back at the vet-clinic. Get acupunture for her back.
Trouble getting blood samples from her because she is so swollen
Urine test shows some protein and some blood. Blood test showed normal range in liver and kidneys
Gets Cimetidin for her stomach ck-bleeding, and oxytetral. Also on ZooLack. Crying in the evening |
Friday 23.12.05 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening 1 tablett Oxytetral morning and evening |
Quiet night. Cries some during the day, but not much. Wanted to look at the other dogs when she was out for peeing. Her eyes are clearer, and she has better balance. Seems she has better control over her feet. Are more interested in her surroundings. She is still stiff in her body, and have troubles getting up.
This afternoon she sat for the first time in a week.
Normal faeces. Are using her right foot a little. Eating well. |
Saturday 24.12.05 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening 1 tablett Oxytetral morning and evening
2 tablettes Prednisolon 20 mg |
Quiet night. Sammie is sleeping good.. Still troubles with her right leg (shoulder). Still stiff, and problems getting up.
Peeing more then usual.
I can touch her stomach today J Cimetidin is working.
Contact with vet. we continues with cortisone. Probably bleeding in her back, she has spasms in her backleg.
From the time she got Prednisone and till early afternoon she sleeps wonderful. No crying. Normal faeces. Can walk longer then a couple of meters. Drinking a lot. |
Sunday 25.12.05 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening 1 tablett Oxytetral morning and evening
2 tablettes Prednisolon 20 mg |
Quiet night. Has not been crying at all since yesterday. Normal faeces. Are much more interested. She is barking (something she hasn’t done since she got sick). Walking. The spasms in her backleg are gone.
Vomiting - no blood. |
Monday 26.12.05 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening 1 tablett Oxytetral morning and evening
1 ¾ tablett Prednisolon |
Normal night. Normal faeces. She is in general much better. Still stiff, but it’s easier for her to get up.
Drinking a lot. |
Tuesday
27.12.05 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening 1 tablett Oxytetral morning and evening
1 ½ tablett Prednisolon |
Quiet night
Calling vet again and continue with Cimetidin and Corisone.
It’s easier for her to get up now. She is better then yesterday |
Wednesday
28.12.05 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening 1 tablett Oxytetral morning and evening |
Wonderful night
Sammie is a little tired, but she continues to get better. |
Thursday 29.12.05 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening 1 tablett Oxytetral morning and evening
½ tablett Prednisolon |
No problems, better then yesterday |
Friday 30.12.05 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening 1 tablett Oxytetral morning and evening |
Lovely night. Was out for several minutes today - and she loved it. |
Saturday 31.12.05 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening 1 tablett Oxytetral morning and evening
½ Prednisolon |
A bit stiffer today, but not much, maybe because she was allowed to be out for some minutes yesterday... |
Sunday
01.01.06 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening 1 tablett Oxytetral morning and evening
½ Prednisolon |
Last day with antibiotics |
Monday 02.01.06 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening
½ Prednisolon |
She walks about 100 meters J |
Tuesday 03.01.05 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening
¼ Prednisolon |
Was a trip at the seashore, not much walking but she loved it |
Wednesday 04.01.05 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening
¼ Prednisolon |
She fetched one of her teddy-bears today and wanted to play J
Lovely day by the seashore |
Thursday 05.01.06 |
1 tablett Cimetidin morning and evening
¼ Prednisolon |
Are in Oslo to check her - no blood in urine.
Last day on Cimetidin. |
Monday 09.01.06 Sammie’s progress continues. She is now on 20 mg Prednisone. I am terrified of new bleedings but until now it seems that it is going the right way.
We had some «ups and downs» and we increased her dose of prednisone but these small steps of progress was there all the time. Sammie is a real fighter and we all thought she would pull it through.
Monday 16.01.06 After a lovely walk she was suddenly getting worse in the evening/night, and on Tuesday January 17, I had to let her go. I got to keep her 12 years 10 months and 4 days.
It’s heartbreaking to know that without this drug she would still be alive, and the knowledge of having killed her with drug this is unbearable.
If you suspect your Collie to get side-effects from this drug do NOT trust the vet to rapport it - but do it yourself.
Here in Norway the address is :
Orion Pharma, Veterinæravdelingen,
Box 4366 Nydalen, 0402 Oslo, Phone : 40 00 42 10
Read more about Rimadyl at this link : http://www.srdogs.com/Pages/rimadylfr.html Elisabeth
http://home.online.no/~roeysla/
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