Our boy, Elliott, who will be 12 in January, has been on Metacam for about two months for arthritis pain. We haven't noticed any negative side effects, only positive improvement in his mobility. Our vet said the best thing for him is to keep him moving, and we have definitely noticed that he is getting around better, and taking longer daily walks and wanting to play more, like his old self. We give it with his breakfast meal and he doesn't seem to object to the taste (it supposedly has a honey flavor). He weighs 87 pounds, and we had him on an 80 lb dose for the first several weeks, but have calibrated down to a 70 lb dose, which is just as effective for himThe stuff is pretty expensive here in the US - hopefully it is less expensive in Canada for you.