Anyone using metacam long term?

[catmadjax]

My 17 yr old cat Kitty, has to go on metacam long term for spinal arthritis, shes in alot of pain and we have been giving her glucosamine for 8 months but it no longer helps her. She developed cystitis about 3 weeks ago, had antibiotics including some metacam but the problem came back when we stopped using metacam. She had xrays today which showed arthritis in her spine and pelvis, and a pollop in her bladder. Tests are being done on the urine, but the vet says that the cystitis is a cause of stress associated with the pain in her back and pelvis which when she stoops to wee, will hurt. It makes sense to me as she struggles to lie down sometimes so there must be pain there. wont know anymore about the urine sample until next week as extensive tests have to be done.

My question is, has anyone had their old cat on metacam for a period of time? I hear all sorts of nightmares about the stuff but its been licenced for use in cats recently, so i am presuming its safer than it used to be, and im hoping it a diluted version.

The vet wants her to have the full dose each day for a week to get on top of the inflamation in the bladder and spine, then he wants to taper it down. Blood tests for her kidney values were done today which were ok. Can anyone advise me, or is there a safer alternative to metacam that is on perscription?

[Kay]

I haven't had experience of cat's on metacam long term but my mum's chihuahua boy has been on it for about 18 months now for Athritis and seems fine on it. He was put on a high dose and that has been lowered over a period of time to a good pain management dose which is much lower.

[Kim]

Sorry, I haven't had experience in its long-term use on cats, but my lurcher Ben was on it long-term for arthritis, with excellent results. I think that at 17, I would opt for the quality rather than quantity debate. As long as metacam is helping your cat remain pain free then, for me anyway, that would be the most important factor. Sorry, I don't mean to sound harsh at all, but that's what I based my thinking on.

[catmadjax]

No kim thats fine, I would opt for a shorter pain free life too, but if there are any alternatives out there i would rather use them, there is so much negativity about metacam, there is even a website dedicated in memorial to cats who had died because of it. Scary aint it!

[yola]

My Fifi has been on it for several months now. She's 11 and had been disinclined to move around very much and seemed stiff and uncomfortable. I started her on quite a high dose which, on the vets advice I reduced gradually. She's now on 2.5ml (I think it's ml) every other day. She has regular check-ups with the vet and had a full set of blood tests prior to being prescribed it.

She is much more active now - she's always been a lazy girl, but now she'll chase things a bit and run about in the garden which is quite a change from last summer!

[Samz5]

One of my old cats was prescribed Metacam for arthritis a few years ago, after researching it (and obviously finding the same worrying websites you have) I took her off of it, fortunately her arthritis improved after starting her on glucosamine.

However if it hadn't have improved I would have kept her on it and hoped for the best, a shorter but pain free life is the better of the two evils, also it doesn't seem like ALL cats who are on it long term have problems, some keep going for years!

[angieh]

Merlin has been on Metacam for ages. In fact, he had the dog version before it was licensed for use in cats. He was originally prescribed it for his recurring bouts of urinary inflammation, but was only originally on 2 drops per day, which then reduced to 1 drop. When the cat version came in, he started off on 3 "units", and we did have some unfortunate side effects at one point, where he was constipated and vomiting. Since his dose has been reduced to 2 units he has been very well. I always measure this from the bottom of the plunger, rather than the top - so probably under-dose. Apart from the problem already referred to, he has always been "better" with the Metacam than without and his bouts of urinary inflammation have not been frequent. He is an old cat (he will have his 22nd birthday next week) and manages to move about really well considering that he also had a little stroke towards the end of last year.

Hope this is helpful. Obviously he is regularly monitored by the vet and I keep a watchful eye on him!

[catmadjax]

My goodness this sounds promising! 22 years old! and on metacam WOW thats wonderful. I have a feeling that in the US they were using it as a concentrated dose, I know the manuf were sued by many in the US, so i think they have had to alter it or dilute it or something. Kitty has regular blood tests anyway because she is an old lady, so fingers crossed shes ok with it.