Metacam injections?

 Hi there ~

 I have a thread going where I ask about Atopica, and it goes into some detail about my cat Taz and her recent bouts of cystitis and rodent ulcer. I've seen Metacam mentioned here and I reallized the emergency vet gave Taz a shot of it during her overnight stay for the bladder issue. I called the vets today and told them I was a bit freaked by the use of Metacam based on what I was reading - I was told by the Dr.'s assistant "yes, there is alarming info out there, I'm sorry it freaked you out, but she only had one shot and we feel she'll be fine".

 In truth I've only read one article so far, but it did freak me out. This is a 9 yr old, overweight cat that was brought in because she was straining to urinate. Turns out she had no ctrystals, an empty bladder (no blockage, I didn't realize then how rare a blockage is in female cats) and her bladder ultrasound was clear. They were unable to get a clean urine sample and the small amount they did get was leaked onto the table. The emergency vet told me there was a minute trace of bacteria, but she couldn't be sure it didn't come from the table. When I was at my regular vet, she read the report to me and it said no bacteria present. It also didn't give a ph for the urine, which seemed to surprise my vet.

 So my question is; if vets know there is a potential problem with Metacam and cats, why give it when there must be so much to chose from? My cat has never had any bloodwork done - for all I know she could be a diabetic - the emergency vet surley didn't know.

I did tell them today that I wanted it put into her chart that she never get Metacam again. Am I over doing it?

Thanks for letting me vent!

Now I'm off to read up on Metacam...which I probably should have done before I called the vet's office!

Metacam is very controversial. My vet and I have an ongoing battle every time she wants to prescribe it - I refuse it and she keeps telling me that she's never had a cat become ill from it. I still refuse it and I know she gets peeved at me.

There are documented cases where Metacam causes Acute Renal Failure (ARF). ARF is often fatal, as it hits fast and many cats simply cannot recover from it. I lost a cat to ARF once and it saw first time what a horrible disease it is. For a long time the information appeared to indicate that a single injectible shot was safer than the oral suspension, but when I just googled it, it appears that this is no longer the case. It may be that some cats are just more genetically predisposed to an adverse reaction to it that others.

What I've found over the years is that many vets prescribed Metacam with no problems, therefore they continue to prescribe it because its worked for them in the past. I've also found out that it is very hard for vets to keep up with current research, and if something ain't broke, they don't bother trying to fix it. Metacam has worked for them so there is no incentive for them to read current research on it.

It comes down to a personal call on your part. For me, if my vet pushed me hard enough and told me that my only choice was Metacam for pain/inflamation relief, I'd be finding a new vet.

Metacam is approved for a one time injection in cats, but there is a box label warning from the FDA on using it orally. Most vets don't seem to heed the warning much though, and they certainly should at the very least inform the client of any potential side effects before administering it. Problem is, there really aren't very many safe pain meds out there for cats. Metacam is relatively cheap and readily available, which is why I think it gets used so much. Safer drugs like Buprenex or Fentanyl pain patches are way more expensive and not so easy to get, as they are controlled substances (synthetic opiates).

Ritz got a shot of Metacam for a UTI on the theory (valid) that if it hurts to pee, she won't.

I hated the side effects of Metacam.  She got the shot of Metacm late Friday, and the side effects kicked in Saturday morning:  she threw up what little she ate Saturday, she was a like a zombie, no energy, slept all day, ate and drank nothing.  I called the e-vet and they said, just watch her, and call back if she refuses to eat (this is a cat who lives to eat).

Luckily, by Saturday evening, she was eating some.  Better Sunday but not completely herself until late Sunday.

There are better drugs out there; next time, I'll come prepared with a list of them.

For you kitty..... I have learned also - to do my research before the vet prescribes something. I am SO thankful for TCS this last year. I have learned so much from this site in regard's to cat health and drug's. Now, my vet call's me " the internet diagnostic vet" :lol3: but sometimes, I think he appreciates my knowledge and knows how important it is for the owner's to be their cat's number one advocate . Vent away - that is what we are here for !! I think you are right in be very wary of Metacam :nod:

I will not allow my cats to be given it - it is too controversial, and when there are alternatives, why risk it? But I have had many arguments with vets over it, especially since the manufacturers brought out a new packaging in Europe last year stating it was safe for cats ( all they did was lower the dosage slightly). A new vet at my practice tried to prescribe it for Bonaparte this week and was astonished when I told her of the FDA warning - she had no idea htere could be any problem beyond the 'possible' side effects of vomiting and diarheea. But she was open enough to say she would look it all up. and I came away with Tolfedine instead - also a drug with possible side effects but if used in low dosage for two/three days only, much safer than Metacam.

Hey,

thanks everyone for replying! I just realized tonight that there were replies - apparently my spam blocker is hit-or-miss with postings form this site. I wasn't receiving updates to my post.

 Taz seems to be doing great - it's nearly impossible for me to tell how well she's urinating due to having two cats & multiple little boxes, but she has a habit of urinating against the sides of the boxes (the other cat doesn't) and she never tries to cover up anything she does in a littler box - how odd is that? - so I can make a good guess as to what is hers. Urine production isn't 100% (based on clump size) but it's a solid 75%. She's super fiesty & playful, it's kinda scary! lol I haven't seen her so engaged in long time. I'm guessing she's lost a little weight based on how lean she looks to me, maybe that's why she has the extra energy. Wouldn't it be something if she's been having blood glucose issues, too, and I didn't know it?

 She still has two days on Clavamox to go. I have to decide what to do about her rodent ulcers now. I could bring her in for a quick Depo shot. I don't want to go through the hassle and stress (for me as well as her) of the Atopica right now. (I have talked on another thread how she was prescribed Atopica to try & help her chronic rodent ulcers). Going in for a shot will be stressful for her too, even though it only takes a second. They tell me the stress is what's bringing on these back-to-back cystitis bouts. So is it cruel to wait & watch on the ulcers to avoid more stressful vet visits, or cruel to keep bringing her in and having her get full blown cystitis attacks, days apart? I feel I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't - and Taz is the one that suffers. She doesn't seem to know she has rodent ulcers, and my vet says they aren't painful. But what happens if they get too large/deep, and what constitutes "too large and too deep"?

When I was in my regular vet's office a few days ago, she asked how the ulcers looked. They've looked worse, but I can see yellow/white/light colored tissue in the core of one of the ulcers, so it's deep. My vet said they can go one of two ways if untreated; they can possibly clear on their own, or get very deep. I'll watch her for a few more days. If they don't get worse, I think I'm going to see what happens if left untreated (hoping with all my might they won't worsen).

 I'm going to cut & paste most of this to post a new question about rodent ulcer - I'd like to hear if anyone's had luck with them clearing on their own.

 Thank you for all your help!