Metacam Doseage?

[Kibble]

So, the vet gave me metacam for Kiki. She gets 0.5ml of 1.5mg/ml oral suspension for dogs every day.

I've been giving it to her since Monday, and after every dose, she seems pretty messed up for the next few hours - lying motionless, not getting up to go to the lavatory, and when she does get up, she is too feeble to gnaw through pea skin and rolls helplessly over on her side when she tries to move. After those three or so hours, she really perks back up and is dragging herself around as fast as her useless limbs will allow, like a floppy little seal, and happily feeding herself and giving grooming a good go.

Is the dose too high? Should I be splitting it up and giving 0.25 ml twice a day? I give it to her with all the oats and vegetables she'll eat, but once the rolling onto her side starts, it's pretty hard to interest her in food. Every time it happens, I think, 'Oh no, PT', and I have literally only just had the thought that this might be associated with the metacam.

Before the metacam last night, she went into the bedroom and was clambering enthusiastically about on the golf bag and christmas tree box. After, she was virtually comatose, and pooped on the sofa, which she would normally go to great lengths not to do. But three hours later, she was virtually running about. I'm pretty sure metacam doesn't make you trip balls, so what is going on?

 

[lilspaz68]

So, the vet gave me metacam for Kiki. She gets 0.5ml of 1.5mg/ml oral suspension for dogs every day.

I've been giving it to her since Monday, and after every dose, she seems pretty messed up for the next few hours - lying motionless, not getting up to go to the lavatory, and when she does get up, she is too feeble to gnaw through pea skin and rolls helplessly over on her side when she tries to move. After those three or so hours, she really perks back up and is dragging herself around as fast as her useless limbs will allow, like a floppy little seal, and happily feeding herself and giving grooming a good go.

Is the dose too high? Should I be splitting it up and giving 0.25 ml twice a day? I give it to her with all the oats and vegetables she'll eat, but once the rolling onto her side starts, it's pretty hard to interest her in food. Every time it happens, I think, 'Oh no, PT', and I have literally only just had the thought that this might be associated with the metacam.

Before the metacam last night, she went into the bedroom and was clambering enthusiastically about on the golf bag and christmas tree box. After, she was virtually comatose, and pooped on the sofa, which she would normally go to great lengths not to do. But three hours later, she was virtually running about. I'm pretty sure metacam doesn't make you trip balls, so what is going on?

Metacam can really sedate a rat. Why is she getting metacam daily, did she have surgery? Is she a HUGE rats, like 750 grams? Working backwards with metacam at 1 mg/kg and her concentration at 1.5 mg/ml I am getting this huge weight.

ETA: I assume she's a little old lady with some aches and pains? If you give me her real weight I can work out a better dosage for you, as that is waaaay too much. She needs to eat to keep up her strength and if she's dozing a lot of the time she loses that time to eat.

 

[lilspaz68]

OK worked it out, if its just for a bit of soreness from her lumps and old age, I would dose her at .8 mg/kg...here's a variety of weights to give you an idea of how much her dose should be (all once a day)

300 grams - .16 cc
350 grams - .19 cc
400 grams - .21 cc
450 grams - .24 cc
500 grams - .27 cc
550 grams - .29 cc
600 grams - .32 cc
650 grams - .35 cc (this would be the very most any female would weigh)

 

[Kibble]

Oh dear, thank you very much! She only weights 450g! I'll tell my vet what happened, I think she was working under the assumption that old animals would rather be sedated than in pain.

 

[lilspaz68]

Oh dear, thank you very much! She only weights 450g! I'll tell my vet what happened, I think she was working under the assumption that old animals would rather be sedated than in pain.

is she exhibiting signs of pain?

 

[Kibble]

A little bit. Before she started getting the metacam, she was peeing on her bedding, whereas with it (while she's not zonked out) she's going downstairs to the lavatory corner. Mostly, she just looks old and arthritic - neither her hands or her legs work, but she's bright enough to pin food down in the bowl to eat it, and strong enough to pull herself around very effectively. She's 2 1/3 years old, so we're just taking it a day at a time.

 

[lilspaz68]

A little bit. Before she started getting the metacam, she was peeing on her bedding, whereas with it (while she's not zonked out) she's going downstairs to the lavatory corner. Mostly, she just looks old and arthritic - neither her hands or her legs work, but she's bright enough to pin food down in the bowl to eat it, and strong enough to pull herself around very effectively. She's 2 1/3 years old, so we're just taking it a day at a time.

she just needs a low dose to control her aches...not a whompin' dose like that. Try the lower dose and see if she's still active but more comfortable. if she is we may try to lower her dose a little more.

 

[Kibble]

I've halved the dose, and Kiki seems a lot better! It actually seemed to stimulate her appetite, and there was no more awful lolling. She's moving very comfortably now, not elegantly or efficiently, but comfortably and reasonably energetically. Phew! While she was lying there breathing shallowly after the metacam, I really did think she was in her last hours. I let the vets know their dosing was a bit heavy while I rang up to tell them about Archie's disgusting recovery, but I think when saw her they had just thought she was a lot worse off than she actually is. "No functioning limbs" does look and sound quite bad, really.