Metacam

[Rickiesmom]

I don't understand the process, but according to Boeringer's website (at the time, and presumably still) in susceptible dogs Metacam can increase the depressive effect of anaesthesia on the organs, and precipitate kidney failure.

 

In a nutshell, the progression was like this for Jaynie:

 

- Monday: spay

- Tuesday: feeling low - I was aware but didn't worry much because I figured it was understandable

- Wednesday: more lethargic, started having occasional muscle spasms - two vets saw her, misattributed the symptoms

- Thursday: didn't want to come out of the open crate where she was resting, muscle spasms much worse, by this time I was applying compresses and doing massage; saw the vet again

 

During this time she was drinking but not eating. The only good thing about that was, although I had been sent home with Metacam to give her, because she wasn't eating I gave her Tramadol instead. I will never know for sure, but think this may have saved her life.

 

On Thursday our regular vet still didn't know what was wrong, but realized she was in a very bad way. He admitted her and put her on fluids. Friday the bloodwork came back - her kidney and liver values were off the chart. At the vet's suggestion and my complete agreement I moved her to the specialty clinic which also functions as an emergency clinic so has attendings 24/7. She received good supportive care until Monday morning when we saw the internal med specialist and although it was still touch-and-go for awhile, he pulled her through it.

[KF_in_Georgia]

During the three months Sam was taking the half-tablets of meloxicam, he got 20mg of Pepcid before meals, ate a full breakfast (cup and a half of kibble), and got the half meloxicam after breakfast (actually, less-than-half because I used kitchen shears to clip off a corner). He started the Meloxicam in November (he'd just had full bloodwork at the vet's), and by February he had an ulcer, with blood in his poop. It took carafate, prilosec, and bland food to clear that up, and his appetite still has not returned to what it was. (He'll eat--just not as enthusiastically.)

 

Worse, though, is that I can no longer use any NSAID to help control his arthritis. He's on gabapentin, tramadol, and methocarbamol. When those stop being enough, I don't think I have any more options because the whole realm of possible NSAID solutions is now off-limits.