Rimadyl vs tramadol - what's the difference?

I have a pit bull with hip dysplasia who has been on rimadyl.  During the winter time he seems to be in more pain than usual.  Should I also be giving him tramadol?  What exactly is the difference between the two medications?

[deadgamegrrl]

Hi,

I have an almost 14yo pit bull that is on both Metacam and Tramadol.  rimadyl is an NSAID, similar to metacam and some others.  Tramadol is opiate based but considered safe for dogs.  My pit was on rimadyl for a year or so, then we switched to metacam which the vet said was a little stronger, then after about 2 years we added the tramadol.  Just last week we upped the tramadol as dogs can develop a tolerance just like humans.  

I have to say, the tramadol has made a huge difference in her continued mobility.  She has severe osteoarthritis as well as deformed leg joints from rheumatoid arthritis, so she really only puts weight on one leg when she walks, but she can still get up & down the stairs most days.

I do worry about her developing a dependence on the tram like humans can, but it is giving her a much better quality of life, and its not like she is going to be able to get it off the shelf & start abusing it lol!  If we have to take her off I'm going to talk to the vet about tapering, but I really think she will be on it the rest of her (hopefully long) life.

I would talk to your vet if you think that your dog's pain is not being managed as well as it could be.  And with pits its so hard because they really don't show any pain until they are ready to drop!

Good luck

~~ dgg