Stoic dogs; beautiful mascots

Dear Dr. Forsythe: I’m not sure whether or not I should keep giving my 10-year-old lab Rimadyl any more. The drug is very costly and I’m on a fixed income. I have been buying it on-line for the last 6 months but I’m not sure it is really helping that much. Now, I’m not even sure how much pain our dog is in. “Sophie” only limps a little so I started giving her the pill once a day. I’m thinking of stopping it altogether or switching to aspirin instead. Would this be a mistake?
Sonoma Senior

Dear Senior: I believe that Sophie’s quality of life could go downhill if you didn’t give her the medication. She needs a good quality NSAID for pain and arthritis and if she does not receive it, most likely her limping and pain will worsen. If the medication has helped even a small amount, cutting the dose in half or eliminating it will most likely cause her to feel more pain inside, and dogs are often stoic and do not let you know they are suffering. Many labs her age have pain in their hips and spine but “bite the bullet” and show little or no signs of the secret agony they endure. Although you are making a sacrifice financially, you are a loving and caring owner to provide this medication for her. If there is any way you could factor it in to your budget and get her the proper full dose, I think she would feel better and have a higher quality of life than you would even see with the naked eye. The medication prescribed by your veterinarian is more effective and safer than aspirin, which can cause damage to the lining of the stomach and may even lead to an ulcer over time. Thank you for being such a concerned owner and writing in. I’ll bet Sophie is as devoted to you as anyone in the world.
Dr. F

Dear Dr. Forsythe: How old is your dog that works at the hospital? I was delivering some things to Altimira Veterinary Hospital today and the white bulldog looks really old. Plus he is missing teeth and looks like a crack head.
Delivery Man

Dear Delivery Man: Well, I never. You are speaking about a local celebrity of sorts and the nurse at the hospital, Dooney Dunsmuir. He is 7 years old and hails from Johannesburg originally. We got him several years ago from a client whose male German shepherd attacked him savagely on three separate occasions and almost killed him each time. After each attack he suffered severe blood loss and developed huge hematomas on his neck near his jugular vein and almost died. After the third time I had to operate on him, his owner finally said, “Doc, if you can fix him this time, you can keep him.” The rest is history. That is how we were blessed with this beautiful, sweet, thoughtful, Nurse Dooney at Altimira. Sure, he is a little on the gnarly side – ok, let’s admit it, he is as gross as a crypt keeper, but we do love him very much. And remember, he was voted Sonoma’s best business mascot of the year. He is also a diligent friend, loyal employee, and all around real chum to a huge number of pets and people. So sticks and stones can break his bones, but no words can EVER hurt him. Dooney rocks!
Dr. F