Toffee's arthritis meds

[LondonLady]

I feel really silly posting this but I'm a worrier and would appreciate some opinions from people who know more than me.

Toffee (neutered boar age 6) has arthritis and has been taking metacam twice a day for the last four months. He likes it and seems to be doing ok, though I'm a bit concerned about his weight which has been dropping very slowly for some time and I’m not sure if this is natural age related weight loss or if he is still in pain from the arthritis which is affecting his appetite. When he was last seen by the vet she noted that his weight was down but didn’t seem to think it was an issue.

Anyway, when the vet saw him a few weeks ago she said we could try switching him to gabapentin once I’d finished the current bottle of metacam. She wasn’t definite that this was the best route and sort of left it to me to decide so I agreed – it seemed like a good idea to try it and see what difference it made if any. So today I collected the gabapentin from the vets. When I got home and looked properly I saw that the dose is tiny - 0.06ml twice a day. (This compares with his current Metacam dose of 0.4ml twice a day)

So three things:
I absolutely trust this vet but mistakes do happen, so I was just wondering if anyone can confirm that this dose sounds correct.
Secondly, 0.06ml is a tiny amount to measure accurately and I’m worried about accidently giving him too much.
Thirdly, I’ve been reading all sorts of stuff online (probably a bad idea) which seems to suggest that Metacam is best for arthritis, and gabapentin has lots of unwelcome side effects. I somehow don’t feel comfortable about this now and feel I want to go back to the vet and say can we keep him on Metacam.

Obviously my absolute priority is Toffee’s comfort, but as I say, apart from the weight loss he seems perfectly happy. I'm tying myself up in knots wondering if I'm doing the right thing.

Opinions? And thank you so much for reading

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

I'm sorry that I don't have any knowledge about the use of Gabapentin but if you're unsure about the dosage it would be best to call your vet and get it confirmed.
I hope that it will work well to control Toffee's arthritis.

 

[Roselina]

I don’t have experience of gabapentin
If Toffee was ok on metacam Id go back to that - I’ve heard of many piggies that take metacam daily all their lives
You could try boosting his appetite - try some readigrass and maybe a little critical care
He’s in good hands and you’re clearly a devoted slave

 

[RescueBoyMum]

Hi there. I have 2 older boys on Gabapentin for arthritis. Both on Metacam and Gabapentin. One is on 0.1ml twice a day and the one with worse arthritis is on 0.22ml twice a day (this has been increased - think he started on 0.12ml x2.) It’s definitely a much lower dose than the Metacam. I’d be going back to your vet to ask if he should be on both the meds. Hope that helps.

 

[Yi Rui]

Hi there. I have 2 older boys on Gabapentin for arthritis. Both on Metacam and Gabapentin. One is on 0.1ml twice a day and the one with worse arthritis is on 0.22ml twice a day (this has been increased - think he started on 0.12ml x2.) It’s definitely a much lower dose than the Metacam. I’d be going back to your vet to ask if he should be on both the meds. Hope that helps.

May I please ask about your guinea pig with worse arthritis - like what does his walking and behaviour look like throughout the day (if you don't mind me asking)? My 8 year old pig Ferrero Rocher has been on 0.9 ml Gabapentin and 0.3 ml of Dog Meloxicam twice a day, but after a few months, sadly, he is being more lethargic and laying down more during the day (he used to drag his back legs behind him before being on meds). I'm just wondering if I should see a vet to increase the medication dosage (although they mentioned it was the maximum).

 

[Roselina]

May I please ask about your guinea pig with worse arthritis - like what does his walking and behaviour look like throughout the day (if you don't mind me asking)? My 8 year old pig Ferrero Rocher has been on 0.9 ml Gabapentin and 0.3 ml of Dog Meloxicam twice a day, but after a few months, sadly, he is being more lethargic and laying down more during the day (he used to drag his back legs behind him before being on meds). I'm just wondering if I should see a vet to increase the medication dosage (although they mentioned it was the maximum).

My 6 year old piggy is on Johnson4joints - you can get it in Australia thru eBay or Amazon - I noticed a big improvement in his mobility after a month of using it
Maybe ask your Vet - it’s 0.4ml for a piggy of 1kg

Johnsons 4 Joints Dog Mobility Liquid, 100ml | eBay Australia

 

[Yi Rui]

My 6 year old piggy is on Johnson4joints - you can get it in Australia thru eBay or Amazon - I noticed a big improvement in his mobility after a month of using it
Maybe ask your Vet - it’s 0.4ml for a piggy of 1kg

Johnsons 4 Joints Dog Mobility Liquid, 100ml | eBay Australia

Wow, thank you! May I ask, would you use it alongside the Oxbow Joint Support and Vitamin C tablets too?

 

[Roselina]

Wow, thank you! May I ask, would you use it alongside the Oxbow Joint Support and Vitamin C tablets too?

Mmm I’m not sure about that - someone on here will have better knowledge than me - you could check with your vet
It does have vitC in it