Vivitonin For An Aging Staffie

[Mittymoo]

My vet has recently put my 14 year old Staffie girl on Vivitonin. She was lacking in enthusiasm to walk and participate in play with her 12 year old sister and a newly acquired 2 year old boy Staffie. She would come to the gate and look, but no amount of encouragement would get her to go more than a few feet out into the paddock. The other two would walk but Shadow would just go back to her spot in the doorway and watch and wait. At 22 kgs she was also overweight but wouldn't walk to help with the weight loss. She is also epileptic (on Epibrom and Phenomav), and has chronic pancreatitis (on a fat-free diet).

The difference in her is astonishing. She will now not only happily walk a couple of kilometres, but will play quite vigorously with the other two dogs. She can be easily knocked over and we do have to watch that "play" doesn't get too aggressive. She is interested in everything that goes on; wants to hunt mice whenever I go to the chook pens, and is generally a "normal" dog.

Has anyone else had their dog on Vivitonin for any period of time? Shadow has not yet finished the first box (100 tablets) and is taking one and a half tablets a day. Is there a problem if she is on this medication for any length of time (months, years)? Is there a problem if she is epileptic? My vet did some research on it, but hasn't had a dog on the medication for any length of time (possibly owing to the high cost! $76 for 100 tablets).

[k9kutz]

I recently posted a thread about my 14 year old peke who appeared to be suffering an acute case of dementia (as well as other things), and had started barking all night. Well, she was put on vivitonin by my vet, the results were pretty much instant, within a day or two of begining the drug therapy she statred sleeping soundly all night, she was put on 2 week trial and cause it worked so well she has now been put on it for life. She is also a cronic pancreatitis sufferer. My vet said that there are no known side effects of long term use of the drug. I guess they way i see it is at 14 years of age and with a few other health issues she has it will prolly be somthing else that takes her to the bridge, long before any drugs have a chance to develop side effects.

I have found the vivitonin has defianlty helped make my Rosie much easier to live with which is a huge plus as euthanasia had crossed my mind a couple of weeks ago. Rosie is on a cocktail of diffrent drugs daily and my vet also said that the vivtonin was fine to use in conjunction with the others meds.

One thing my vet did mention, was that the vivitoin will just cease to work one day, although we dont known exactly when, and its diffrent for each individual it could be in three weeks, six months or 2 years, but one thing she knows for sure is it will eventually no longer have effect.

[Sheridan]

My dog's vet prescribed vivitonin for Grumpy during his aggressive phase last year. It made no discernable difference and we just decided that Grumpy was just grumpy.

[Lizzy06]

My dog's vet prescribed vivitonin for Grumpy during his aggressive phase last year. It made no discernable difference and we just decided that Grumpy was just grumpy.

ha ha sorry this is funny!!!!

[Sheridan]

My dog's vet prescribed vivitonin for Grumpy during his aggressive phase last year. It made no discernable difference and we just decided that Grumpy was just grumpy.

ha ha sorry this is funny!!!!

Let's just say that it makes life with him careful but interesting! :p

[Mittymoo]

I asked my vet if there was any chance we could get it on PBS for my Other Half!! I won't tell you his reply!!!! :p