So if I had given this to my cat it would have killed him?

I took my cat Icarus to the vet today because he has been limping. The doctor prescribed pain meds, Metacam. The nurse get's his chart and meds and come over to check me out (15 minutes later) and gives me a small bottle of medicine and a 3ML dropper (like what babies use for tylenol). She tells me to give him 3ML a day for three days. I say I thought it was 7 days, and she says, "oh yes." So I say, "I don't think this (amount of meds she gave me) will be enough medicine, it looks like enough for one dose." So she tells me she will go get more, while she is gone I ask to look at my cats chart and I am reading the notes the doctor made. It say's 3ML dropper, 3 drops a day.

She comes back and I ask tell her I think I am supposed to give him three drops a day she takes the chart from me and say, "Oh yeah, I read it wrong, let me print you a new label for the meds." I ask her to double check the instuctions with the doctor. Instead she insist that she knows what to do now and doens't need to double check. I tell/ask her, "if I had given my cat 3ML like you told me to I would have overdosed my cat, right?" And she casually say, "yes"!!!

I ask her again to get the doctor, and then we start to argue about it. Finally I say, please bring the doctor out so I can talk to him. The doctor comes out and I tell him what happened and he say's "oh, that's my fault, I should write better." I said, "I read the directions and if I hadn't of said anything I would have gone home tonight and killed my cat." He agrees and says he will talk to the nurse about it... ??!!!

I didn't press the issue, but I was angry, I was about to cry (from anger) and then jump over the counter. And then she had the nerve to give me attitude and argue with me. I am suppose to bring my cat back next Saturday for a check up, but I don't think I will.

I mean what if my cat was admitted and overnight the nurse read the chart wrong like she did this time and killed my cat.

The dr said my cat may need to be on a lower dose of Metacam (then 3 drops) for life and I need to be aware that the meds will cause kidney problems which will shorten his life span...what would happen if I gave him 3ML...!!!!!

I have been reading about Metacam and haven't given it to him yet and I don't think I will...

Your thoughts?

I would not use Metacam at all.
It really is not a safe medicine for cats.
You should see all the cats that have Crf and kidney failure from it.
My vet does not use oral metacam at all.
Coco did get a Metacam shot once before we she had crf.
The shot can be given 1 time.
Can you ask teh vet for another med.
My cats get bupeprex.
I am not sure if I spelled it right.

I just called the vet and asked for another med. The nurse I talked to (who was there when I was dealing with the other nurse) said the girl that helped me is new. I told her the whole story and she said I should call and make a complaint.

As I was writing this the doctor called about what happened. We first talked about the Metacam and he seemed like he was really trying to push it on me, almost guilting me about how much pain my cat could be in. And he talked about how most jeriatric cats have kidney failure, but I reminded him that my cat is only 7!

Then we talked about the nurse and he said he was really sorry and pulled all the nursed into a meeting and discussed what happened. He said he wasn't sure what he could do to make it up to me but that he would and try and I said all I want is for him to make sure this doesn't happen again to someone elses pet. I actually told him I was so mad I was about to start crying and that I wanted to reach over and hit the nurse in the face...I have never hit anyone in my life and I probrably won't, but I was very upset.

Can any one recommend another pain med for Icarus? He is 7 years old and 12 lbs.
Thanks!

Icarus was stolen Nov 2007, he was found Feb 18th 2008 20 miles from where we live with a fratured leg that had already started to heal. The doctors thought they might have to amputate it, but we were fortunate. Since the surgery he has walked funny on his right hind leg. Earlier this week I noticied him limping on the front, and he has been licking the leg.

Well, on a side note he has been plucking out his hair for a few months which they thought was allergy related (I don't think it is).

So the doctor thinks he might have arthritis in his back leg, which is causing added stress to his front leg and possible arthritis there from overcompensating by using his other limbs. The poor guy has been threw so much.

I told the doctor I can't decide someone thing term about icarus with out talking with my husband and thinking it over...

Would glucoseamine be an option? I have an arthritic dog who is only about 8 years old, and the vet said that glucosamine would help relieve the arthritis. Don't know if this is commonly used on felines, if so, it may be an alternative. Also, maybe try getting a second opinion, to see what a different vet would recommend. You don't want him on a medicine that is so strong that it will make him have other problematic side effects...A different dog I have was on prednisone for a skin condition for years, and then the vet switched him to temaril p for a much lower dose of the steroid. So I am sure there are a few options you can choose from. Good luck!

Coco gets Buprenex for her arthritis and bladder pain.
My vet would never use oral Metacam.
I would like to know why the vet is pushing Metacam.
7 is not that old.

I think you need to get another vet ASAP... I would not trust this vet for anything else... Good luck with your kitty!

Playing Devils advocate here - Metacam is licenced for use in cats in the UK, and I have used it on quite a few cats, and most have been routinely blood tested afterwards (my senior cats are checked yearly), and none have ever had kidney issues because of it. For arthritis, my vet does prefer to use supplements first, but if they either dont work, or I can't get the cat to take any, she is happy for me to use it.

I've been given it for my cats here in Canada over the years and I have never had any problems with it either...My neighbours cat was limping as well a few months back...she as well used metacam and all was well with her cat...and he was fine in 3 days

I've run into problems like that with my vet as well....they ended up given me the wrong doseage of clavamox..they gave me triple the doseage..I didn't notice til I opened the package and saw the pill was much larger....IF i had not already been giving my cat the reg doseage ...I wouldn't have thought nothing of it and gave it to my cat...I was kinda freaked out...but when I returned to get the right dose they acted like it was nothing...she was "new" as well....I've ran into alot of things with her....mismanaging my bill is another...over charging me under charging me

This is interesting, if accurate, about metacam and its risks:

http://www.persiancats.org/nss-folde...isksInCats.pdf

and this:

http://www.felinecrf.org/causes_of_crf.htm#toxins

My senior kitty, Callie (currently playing with a piece of string on my computer desk next to me) was originally given an injection of Metacam when she was diagnosed with arthritis several years ago. That only happened ONCE after I read all the side effects. She now has renal problems and is probably in the beginning stages of CRF.

I would either change vets, if possible, or at least talk to your vet about other pain medications that have less serious side effects and also joint supplements such as Cosequin to help with the arthritis. I've been giving Callie Cosequin since she was diagnosed with arthritis. For the first 10 days, I gave her 2 doses of 1 capsule 2x day. (You open the capsule up and sprinkle the powder on food or mix in wet food.) I noticed an improvement within that time period. Now, she gets a capsule once a day in the winter and about every other day during the warmer months. She runs, jumps, and plays like a much younger cat!

Stephanie

When my 13 year old kitty was dx with severe arthritis the vet gave me tramadol ( Ultram) of all things. I was surprised, as I take it for chronic pain. However a few days later her blood work came back with a dx of CRF.
I know tramadol is processed through the kidneys so I never gave her any.

Honestly I don't know if this medication is safe for cats. I have since switched vets so I am very leary about the prescribing of this medication for cats. It is ok for dogs, but we all know cats and dogs are very different in the meds they can take. Especially pain meds.

Next up, the buprenex works great, but it is a controlled substance and many vets don't want to prescribe it long term. It works great and is safe for even CRF kitties. My new vet is currently looking into gabapentin (actually another med I take) for long term pain. This drug also works great (from my own personal perspective of long term pain) but isn't really a "pain killer" per say. It seems to work on the pain receptors in the brain, so more of a neurotransmitter type drug. We haven't started it yet and are still doing the research but this one I would have no problem giving if the vet prescribed it. This one is specifically for long term chronic pain of any type.

Anyway I agree with the others. A new vet is probably in order. If you have lost your trust in this vet and his assistants then no matter how good he may be you are going to have doubts. If you haven't lost your trust in him, especially in his judgment, then ask him about different meds.

If it was me though, I would look for a new vet..one that really knows cats. So many treat cats, but really don't know cat pharmacolocy, which is most often very different than dogs.

I am so glad you got Icarus back! I wish those people would have stolen a homeless kitty. Way too many without homes to be taking someone's cherished companion.

My former foster cat Johnny Cash had arthritis due to a broken ankle in the past. He took glucosamine/chondroitin supplements daily and was given buprenex for the pain.

Coco did not have crf before she got the Metacam shot.
She had blood tests before she had the shot and they were ok.
I was told the shot is safe for a oe time use so I do not know if its from the shot or her age.
She is almost 17.
The oral I know causes kidney failure.
I know alot of people with sick and dying cats because of the oral metacam.
I belong to crf groups.
One of the cats is a kitten.

Originally Posted by kittymonsters

When my 13 year old kitty was dx with severe arthritis the vet gave me tramadol ( Ultram) of all things. I was surprised, as I take it for chronic pain. However a few days later her blood work came back with a dx of CRF.
I know tramadol is processed through the kidneys so I never gave her any.

Click to expand...

I also suggest a sit down with this or a new vet ...


FYI just because the kidneys process DOES NOT mean the drug damages said organ


for arthritis these are my personal and my vets first lines

www.standardprocess.com .. ligaplex 2

www.trixsyn.com

read and take with to vet to see what they think....

so far I have used them on me and several animals with good to great results ...