My dog has an ACL tear & heart murmur. What are NSAID alternatives?

Question

Chip had a partial ACL tear 2 years ago. Surgery was not recommended as surgeon was concerned about difficulty with recovery (very active, difficulty being kenneled). I have giving him metacam as needed for flare-ups in pain. It seems the flare-ups are more frequent now. He has a grade 2-3 heart murmur and I am not sure if long-term NSAIDs is a good option or if it will affect his heart. What are some alternatives to NSAIDs for long-term pain? Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Male | neutered | 11 years and 2 months old | 12.5 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

As Chip gets older, you will likely see that the knee does give him more problems. In general, NSAIDs are safe and are the best medication for long term control. For my patients, I check their bloodwork every 6 months to make sure none of the internal organs are showing any signs of damage. Things that you can give Chip that will hopefully slow down the process and decrease his need for NSAIDs are: Dasuquin is a good product for the joints. It will help to keep the inflammation in the joints lower and this will decrease pain. Start giving an additional omega 3 fatty acid (Nutramax makes a nice product) can help with natural inflammation control. Make sure to get one meant for pets. Another joint product I like is called Duralactin and I often use in conjunction with Dasuquin. If you are interested in a diet change, Royal Canin makes a diet called Mobility Support which has green lipped muscle as an ingredient and pets tend to do very well in it. Lastly, you make consider seeking a veterinarian or facility who can offer physical therapy. Especially with the hind legs, muscle mass and tone is very important in stabilizing the joints. Daily, low impact activity is very important in maintaining this. A physical therapist will examine the lameness and all the muscle groups and will show you exact exercises you can do at home to maintain optimal muscle health. Long term, this is very important. Sometimes the therapist will recommend other things like working on an under water treadmill, swimming or even acupuncture to help. It’s definitely beneficial to get therapies started early while the signs are still mild. Lastly, you may talk to your vet about starting a daily pain medication called Gabapentin. It is less likely to cause organ damage and seems to work very well. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog has an ACL tear & heart murmur. What are NSAID alternatives?

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