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Has Metacam Made Your Piggy Ill?

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Mackers

Mackers

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Has anyone's piggy had an adverse reaction to Metacam and if so, what were the symptoms? I know it's well documented to cause stomach ulcers in some animals.
 
Nope, I've used it on all my pigs and have a piggy now on it permanently, Never noticed any negative effects at all. I know it can cause kidney issues with long term use though. x
 
I'm clutching at straws really as Toots is very quiet, reluctant to move much and not tucking into food as normal following surgery to remove a large tumour from her leg/groin area on Wednesday. Our vet is Simon Maddock so he knows his stuff when it comes to piggies and he did an amazing job with the tricky operation.

She was pretty good on Thursday following the op - a bit tired still but moving about and eating. Then by Friday late afternoon I was getting a little concerned by her reluctance to move about - just choosing to hide under the hay rack all day. She'll eat if you put the food infront of her but she's not tucking in with gusto as normal. By Saturday morning there was no change so we went back to see Simon as an emergency. Despite a thorough examination, he could find no reason for her reluctance to move, other than some small amount of discomfort in her lower spine (age-related arthritis maybe?). The leg that was operated on caused no pain response when manipulated and is healing really well. He thought it was possible she could be suffering back pain due to being kept in odd positions during surgery (one back leg would probably have been strung up in the air for a good hour or more).

Since the operation, she's been on 0.25ml of Metacam 2x daily as well as 1ml of Zithromax 1x daily. I feel she's moved around slightly more today than yesterday but she's very 'careful' in her movements. So I'm really clutching at straws trying to think if there could be anything other than back pain which could be making her feel poorly. She's back to see Simon on Tuesday.
 
No, and some of my piggies have it for chronic issues (mostly interstitial cystitis or arthritis). It may shorten their lifespan a bit as it can impact on the kidneys if taken for the long term.

My Hywel was on metacam for six months in the wake of developing a rareish post-neutering op complication four years ago (a band of swelling that caused very painful gut adhesion and nearly killed him), but he is now 5 years old and still going well. He was neutered by another vet via a then local rescue, but it was Kim Maddock who diagnosed and treated the complication after the other vets were totally clueless and wouldn't even prescribe an antibiotic! :(

I don't think that your problem is due to the metacam, but I am very sorry for the problem. I hope that it is going to wear off again. Have you tried whether the warmth from a snugglesafe is welcome?
 
Thanks. She has an electric heat pad on 24/7 during the winter as my conservatory is always cold. It's big enough for all 3 piggies to lay on at once. She has been marginally brighter today so hopefully Simon was right and it's just muscle pain and stiffness but these small fluffs are SUCH a worry.
 
Mackers said:
Thanks. She has an electric heat pad on 24/7 during the winter as my conservatory is always cold. It's big enough for all 3 piggies to lay on at once. She has been marginally brighter today so hopefully Simon was right and it's just muscle pain and stiffness but these small fluffs are SUCH a worry.
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Aren't they just? i've just been to see Simon with two of my older piggies last week, so I feel for you. :mal:
I hope that she is better again with every passing day.
 
I use Metacam a lot with the various piggies who come to TEAS and have never had an adverse reaction. I have found a few piggies, who have seemed really well straight after a major op, have seemed to deteriorate slightly for the next few days, and then pick up very quickly. Hopefully this will be the case with your piggy. As she isn't eating as well as normal, are you topping up with syringe food? I do find that a bit of little and often syringe feeding can really perk them up, and give them the energy to start moving around more.
 
Actually, I've just put down a bowlful of fresh picked grass at the furthest end of the enclosure to see if she'd come over to it. She did, a bit after the other two, and she actually moved almost normally. So maybe it IS just back pain which is gradually wearing off? I really hope so. I'm so glad Simon is my bunny and piggy vet. There was a lovely couple there on Saturday morning who drive their piggy to him all the way from Essex every 2 weeks for a dental. It's heartwarming when you get to meet people who are show such dedication to their pet's wellbeing.
 
Thanks Debbie. I'm not syringing yet but feeding little and often. She'll always take it but doesn't sit and eat until the bowl's empty (as she normally would). As the above post, she's currently tucking into a bowl of fresh grass!
 
As long as you're getting her to eat plenty you can probably avoid syringe feeding. Their energy levels can drop very quickly if they aren't eating as much as normal. It sounds like she's starting to show signs of improvement so as long as that continues I think you can be fairly optimistic. I currently have a piggy who is needing full time syringe feeding and it has taken a week before he's started to act more like a normal guinea pig, and move around the cage. I literally get a few more mls into him every time I pass his cage or every time I sit down. The little and often approach, whether by syringe or by offering their favourite foods really does pay dividends.
 
Mackers said:
Actually, I've just put down a bowlful of fresh picked grass at the furthest end of the enclosure to see if she'd come over to it. She did, a bit after the other two, and she actually moved almost normally. So maybe it IS just back pain which is gradually wearing off? I really hope so. I'm so glad Simon is my bunny and piggy vet. There was a lovely couple there on Saturday morning who drive their piggy to him all the way from Essex every 2 weeks for a dental. It's heartwarming when you get to meet people who are show such dedication to their pet's wellbeing.
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I bet that will be Toffee and his owners. Toffee came to TEAS last year with very bad teeth. He was here for about a month before returning home, and they have travelled up to Simon every fortnight ever since. Lovely people x
 
I'm pleased to report that Toots is around 75% 'normal' this morning. I put a huge pile of fresh hay in their enclosure and she dived right in! Then I put a big bowl of fresh parsley and dill down and she stuck her head in and hasn't yet come up for air!

So Debbie - looks like you were right about some piggies taking a turn for the worse for a few days. Not something I've experienced before as she was in top form, even after she was spayed at a year old, so I've learnt a valuable lesson. Maybe the older they are, the harder it hits them? Thank you everyone for your helpful comments. Piggy people are the best!
 
No, but it did seem to make Sundae a bit out of it when she was taking it. It may have been the aftereffects of the anesthesia as well as the painkiller. She just seemed, for lack of a better descriptor, pretty stoned for the first 24 hours or so postop when she had a large abscess lanced and drained.
 
Mackers said:
I'm pleased to report that Toots is around 75% 'normal' this morning. I put a huge pile of fresh hay in their enclosure and she dived right in! Then I put a big bowl of fresh parsley and dill down and she stuck her head in and hasn't yet come up for air!

So Debbie - looks like you were right about some piggies taking a turn for the worse for a few days. Not something I've experienced before as she was in top form, even after she was spayed at a year old, so I've learnt a valuable lesson. Maybe the older they are, the harder it hits them? Thank you everyone for your helpful comments. Piggy people are the best!
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Lovely news! So glad she's getting back to normal. Most piggies seem to bounce back immediately but I have found some of the older ones, or those who have been very poorly prior to their surgery have taken a few days to recover. They generally seem quite well immediately after their op, but then deteriorate a little for a couple of days or so, and then it's up and up! xx
 
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