Anyone Using Metacam?

[Guest kydie]

went to the vet today with my old non-grey,, she is progressing with arthritis,, I have no problem with rimadyl,, but her liver values were slightly elevated,, so she suggested Metacam,, to give it a try,,, the cost of it was a shock,, $70.00 a bottle,,, but then again it will last 3 months,, anyone use it? any luck? thanks

Edited August 19, 2011 by kydie

[Guest DoofBert]

Generic available at target ---- Meloxicam...... $12 for 3 month supply.

 

While I know that vet's make $$ off the meds they sell... I explained ot my vet that $70 per month was a bit steep.. they called in a prescription for thr proper dose.

 

Good luck.

[Guest kydie]

I did check with WalMart,, it comes in 7.5 and 15 mg at $4.00 a month,, both doses are more than she will be getting,,,,but will sure talk to her about this next month when she goes back for recheck,,,,, thanks

Edited August 19, 2011 by kydie

[Guest DoofBert]

we used a pill splitter to get precise does.. wasn't a problem.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I used to use Metacam on one of my ducks. From the time she was a year old until she died at 10, she had a problem ankle. She didn't need the Metacam all the time, but when she had a flare-up it worked wonders for keeping her comfortable and mobile.

 

I absolutely hated the smell of it, and it's nearly impossible to get a syringe of liquid down a duck's throat without getting some on your hands!

 

 

[Remolacha]

I use Metacam for Fletcher's arthritis. Yes, getting a new bottle is painful, it is so expensive! The generic meloxicam is much cheaper, if that works for your dog. It does seem to be easier on the liver

[robinw]

I've been using Metacam for a long time with various dogs and it seems to do what it's supposed to do.

[Guest peacehound]

um...cheaper than Deramaxx, maybe I will try that one...I pay a bit over a hundred for 30 pills that I split in half for 50 bucks a month for Deramaxx..it did work well but doesn't any longer..now my girl is getting Adequan, 380 for the series of shots but then just 40 a month for maintenance.

[DesiRayMom]

Desi takes Meloxicam daily. We get #30 at a time from WalMart (15mg) for cheap & he takes 1/2 tab every evening.

Seems to help his gimpy wrists. On his bad days, we add Tramadol (doesn't help inflammation, but adds a

pretty good kick to the pain relief. It's pretty cheap, as well.

[BatterseaBrindl]

To me, $70 for Medicam is dirt cheap!

 

I paid $141 last December.

Why Oh why do we pay so much for canine/equine meds here in Canada?!?!?

[JJNg]

I have no problem with rimadyl,, but her liver values were slightly elevated,, so she suggested Metacam,

I would be extremely careful using any NSAID with elevated liver values. Metacam isn't necessarily any safer for the liver than Rimadyl. Hopefully if her values are only slightly elevated, it won't be an issue, but I'd probably be rechecking her bloodwork in 1-2 months if she needs to stay on NSAIDs. Is she on anything besides the Metacam for pain? Using a combination of joint supplements and other meds may allow you to go with a lower dose of the NSAID.

 

Also, for those of you who use the generic meloxicam tablets, make sure your vet is being conservative with dosing. Metacam allows for very specific dosing because it's a liquid. With tablets, if the dose is rounded up a little to fit the closest size tablet, it may make GI ulceration more likely. I've seen some reports where out of the dogs who develop problems from meloxicam, a much higher percentage are on the generic meloxicam vs. Metacam.

[Remolacha]

 

 

Also, for those of you who use the generic meloxicam tablets, make sure your vet is being conservative with dosing. Metacam allows for very specific dosing because it's a liquid. With tablets, if the dose is rounded up a little to fit the closest size tablet, it may make GI ulceration more likely. I've seen some reports where out of the dogs who develop problems from meloxicam, a much higher percentage are on the generic meloxicam vs. Metacam.

 

This is why I pay the extra money for Metacam.

[kudzu]

For us, the $4 generic at Walmart is a 90 supply. My dogs in the 60-65 lb range were prescribed 2.5 mg/day. That means just 1/3 pill of the 7.5 mg size. An 80 lbs dog would get 3.75 mg/day, just 1/2 pill. IIRC of the more popular NSAIDs for dogs, meloxicam had the lowest margin of safety where GI probs were concerned. It is the pain med of choice for us but only with a good deal of caution. My preference is to use the liquid for little dogs.

 

You might consider using Country Life Biochem Liver Support supplement to see if it helps get the liver enzymes down.

 

Desi takes Meloxicam daily. We get #30 at a time from WalMart (15mg) for cheap & he takes 1/2 tab every evening.

Wow! That's a very high dose, like double the standard I think.

[Hubcitypam]

Desi takes Meloxicam daily. We get #30 at a time from WalMart (15mg) for cheap & he takes 1/2 tab every evening.

Wow! That's a very high dose, like double the standard I think.

IIRC Kenny Roo Who the 50# grey/shepherd mix took 1/2 of a 7.5mg (via pill splitter) but 82# Rex took 7.5 every day. My vet and a vet friend helped me figure out the dose.

[GeorgeofNE]

 

I just purchased a bottle of Deramaxx, 100 mg. 90 of them (he takes 1/2 a day). It was $294 from a pet pharmacy (probably would have been at least double at the vet).

 

I WISH it was $70!

Edited August 21, 2011 by GeorgeofNE

[Hubcitypam]

 

I just purchased a bottle of Deramaxx, 100 mg. 90 of them (he takes 1/2 a day). It was $294 from a pet pharmacy (probably would have been at least double at the vet).

I WISH it was $70!

Yeppers. The lowest my vet could/would go was $3.50 a pill on Deramaxx...that is why we went to Meloxicam.

[Batmom]

I absolutely hated the smell of it

 

 

Oh, yeah. I'd pay triple if it didn't smell like that. A teensy droplet landed in my hair one day and I was going mad trying to find the source of that "moldy dead mouse" smell. Wonder if pharmacists can re-scent things the way they can flavor so many meds now ......

 

 

[kudzu]

OK, others are giving double the dose we have been using. Since I don't have any in stock right now I wanted to make sure I wasn't misremember that we really had the 7.5 mg pills. To make sure I'm not misremembering I just looked it up in Merck. Per their info:

"In dogs, a one-time loading dosage of 0.2 mg/kg, PO, is recommended, followed by 0.1 mg/kg, PO, sid." http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/191606.htm&word=meloxicam

 

So if the one time dose of 0.2 mg/kg wouldn't that mean a 7.5 mg pill is one dose for an 82.5 lb dog? And then at 0.1 mg/kg maintenance would that not be a dose of 3.75 mg for the same 82.5 lb dog? What am I doing with my math that results in such a profound difference from other people's calculated dose?

 

Info sheet available from Boehringer's Metacam site lists:

"Metacam Oral Suspension should be administered initially at 0.09 mg/lb (0.2 mg/kg) body weight only on the first day of treatment. For all treatments after day 1, Metacam Oral Suspension should be administered once daily at a dose of 0.045 mg/lb (0.1 mg/kg)."

http://bi-vetmedica.com/sites/default/files/oral%20suspension%20Metacam.pdf

 

If you multiply 82.5 lbs by the initial dose of 0.09mg you get a dose of 7.425 mg "only on the first day of treatment." Follow up dose is 82.5 lbs X 0.045 mg = 3.7125 mg.

 

Everyone can use what they & their vet feels is safe & effective. I think though I will stick with just the recommended dose of 0.1 mg/kg/day which is also the same dose my vet prescribed for my dogs. That being 1/3 of one 7.5mg pill for my dogs 60-65 lbs.

 

ETA: And I can't help but wonder if maybe this sort of thing accounts, at least in part, for why so many vets feel the human generic meloxicam is more dangerous for dogs than Metacam. Someone please tell me if I am calculating this wrong or misreading the doses listed on the vet med sites.

Edited August 21, 2011 by kudzu

[Guest kydie]

kudzu,, I too calculated out the dose the vet recommemded of the Metacam,, it works out to 2mg per day,,, dog is 70lbs,, now I thought she was low doseing her to see if it worked before an increase in the med, I also worked out the meloxicam from walmart, in pill form,, and a 1/4 of a tab is to little 1/2 to much,, but maybe she will need an increase in the metacam,, and I will be able to go to the meloxicam,, either way,, I'll pay for the metacam with no problem if it WORKS for her,, thanks to all for your input

[Guest roselle]

went to the vet today with my old non-grey,, she is progressing with arthritis,, I have no problem with rimadyl,, but her liver values were slightly elevated,, so she suggested Metacam,, to give it a try,,, the cost of it was a shock,, $70.00 a bottle,,, but then again it will last 3 months,, anyone use it? any luck? thanks

 

I used Metecam with my grey and lab/shep mix. It was a life saver. My lab lived to 18 and had significant arthritis. METACAM KEPT HIM comfortable. Here in California it costs 110.00 Good luck

[Remolacha]

I absolutely hated the smell of it

 

 

Oh, yeah. I'd pay triple if it didn't smell like that. A teensy droplet landed in my hair one day and I was going mad trying to find the source of that "moldy dead mouse" smell. Wonder if pharmacists can re-scent things the way they can flavor so many meds now ......

 

 

 

"moldy dead mouse smell" no wonder Fletcher loves it!

[Guest Scouts_mom]

If you are giving metacam to your dog regularly, get blood tests done routinely as it can cause damage to kidneys and the liver. A good friend's grey just had to be put to sleep because he was on metacam longterm and the vet never mentioned checking his blood values. It destroyed his kidneys. By the time the damage was discovered, it was too late to do anything. It makes me sick because they would never had hesitated to run the tests, if the vet had just suggested that it be done. Instead a sweet boy had his life cut short.

Edited August 21, 2011 by Scouts_mom

[tbhounds]

Kudzu's dosing info is correct. Metacam is given the higher dose on day one--0.2mg/kg and then it's given 0.1mg/kg thereafter. Seems to me some folks are giving way to high a daily dose. You really can only give meloxicam (mobic) safely to an 80lb hound (1/2 of a 7.5mg tablet). Please, if you are medicating your hound with meloxicam double check with your vet that you are giving the proper dosage.

You aren't saving money in the long run if you create an ulcer or worse.

Batmom-- I think the liquid metacam smells like ferret-- rather a distinct stink!!

Edited August 21, 2011 by tbhounds

[JJNg]

Kudzu's dosing info is correct. Metacam is given the higher dose on day one--0.2mg/kg and then it's given 0.1mg/kg thereafter. Seems to me some folks are giving way to high a daily dose.

I agree with both kudzu and tbhounds. Those are the label instructions for Metacam, and I can't find any sources that recommend giving any more than 0.1 mg/kg daily long term. In fact, after you have pain well controlled, many dogs can be gradually weaned down to a lower dose and don't even need to stay on 0.1 mg/kg for long term maintenance. The lower the dose, the less the chance of side effects. However, weaning down gradually to find the 'lowest effective dose' can really only be done with the liquid form.

 

Batmom-- I think the liquid metacam smells like ferret

I've always thought that Metacam smells like ferrets too! The manufacturer states that it's honey flavored, but it's always seemed to be ferret flavored to me (or at least ferret scented - I haven't been brave enough to taste it yet).