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High Dose Metacam

Pound Shilling & Pig

Pound Shilling & Pig

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi, does any one have experience of being prescribed very high doses of metacam? I am very familiar with the use of this drug in piggies and from my experience vets usually prescribe between 0.1 to 0.2ml twice daily(of the dog metacam). Maybe occasionally a higher dose as a one off at the start of a course of treatment.

In the linked thread the pig is being prescribed a whole ml twice daily, long term. I have never heard of such a high dose and am a little concerned. You can see from my conversation with the OP that it is definetly dog metacam, 1ml and confirmed by the vet.

Perhaps it is OK as others who have replied to thread have not mentioned the metacam. I am more than happy to be told it is fine.

www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/please-help-chronic-lung-problems-illness-and-long-term-medicine-use.1
 
Your link doesn't work unfortunately. But I would definitely question 1ml twice a day. 1ml once a day seems high to me.

My vet once told me that we could go upto 0.3ml twice a day.

I'd question the higher dosage with a second vet.
 
Jaycey said:
Your link doesn't work unfortunately. But I would definitely question 1ml twice a day. 1ml once a day seems high to me.

My vet once told me that we could go upto 0.3ml twice a day.

I'd question the higher dosage with a second vet.
Click to expand...
Oh! thankyou, its the first I've tried to link to a thread. Hopefully one of the mods will sort it out

I've suggested to the OP they seek a second opinion
 
Yes my bladder pig was on about 0.7 ml twice a day, maybe 0.8 ml max at one point; Exotic vets tend to give higher doses of Metacam. It also depends on the weight of the pig, mine was a large Rex weighing 1.4 kg at her heaviest :) Reading that thread though, I would say the owner should get a conscious x ray done & diuretics may help, if there is any fluid build up in the lungs. I lost a pig in February to a tumour in her chest, her heart was compromised & her breathing was affected & it caused heart failure & the symptoms sound very similar :(
 
I would think Age needs to be considered, an older the pigs kidneys may not deal with the drug as effectively
 
My vet prescribes 0.4ml dog metacam per kg up to twice a day. Depends on the weight of the piggy. I understand that higher doses may be used short term.
 
My vet follows similar to @pig in the city ie higher doses in a crisis or the few days post op and then aiming to reduce to more typical levels ASAP . I think there has been a recentish study in rats which suggests that pain meds are generally under prescribed in small furries and I think that thought is filtering through. I have not ever been given 1ml of dog metacam as a dose though.
 
Thanks guys! Its good to learn about the higher doses being used :) I was a little concerned as the OP's pig in the linked post seems to be on a high dose long term. I will stop worrying.
 
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