Metacam Dosage Question- First Time User

[guineapigsandcoffee]

Hello, everyone!

Today I found out that my sweet boy has a bladder stone. He has had recurring UTIs off and on for a few months, but my vet and I thought we had found the source of the issue: his bedding. After switching his bedding, his UTIs got a lot better until recently. He just finished a round of Trimethoprim Sulfa but was still peeing blood after finishing. My normal vet was out of town today, so I went to a new vet (who is an exotic vet). We did an X-Ray today and found the stone.

Since he is approximately four years old (we rescued him so are uncertain about his true age), they wanted to do blood work to rule out any underlying conditions before operating.

Until we have a clear go ahead, he was given Metacam/meloxicam to alleviate the pain. His dosage is 0.5 cc once daily. I am unsure about the strength of the metacam, but the bottle does say "1.5 mg/ml by the ml (5 ea)" (I am unsure if this is supposed to say "each" because the sticker cuts off.)

I wanted to see if this dosage seemed high. He weighs 0.8 KG.

I am being extremely cautious, as yesterday was a scary day. He had stopped wanting to eat. After feeding about 25 mls of Critical Care over a span of several hours, he has perked back up and is interested in hay again! Therefore, I am cautious about anything potentially upsetting his tummy.

If there is any more helpful info I can provide, please let me know! Thanks everyone!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear about the stone.

Piggies metabolise pain meds differently from other animals and can take considerably high doses.
1.5mg/ml version is dog strength which is great. A lot of vets will only give cat strength now it has been licensed which is fine but they need a heck of a lot more than most vets will give.
I would say is that actually as they metabolise them in around 12 hours so for an acute pain issue they really need their pain meds twice a day not once.
If you are ever worried about a dosage please speak to the vet - there is a scale they can give and lot of decisions go into a dosage including clinical need.

Please make sure you are weighing him every morning as that is the only way to know he is eating enough hay independently and whether you need to be syringe feeding him routinely.
Even if he is eating some hay himself, it doesn’t mean it is enough.

I hope he is ok

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, everyone!

Today I found out that my sweet boy has a bladder stone. He has had recurring UTIs off and on for a few months, but my vet and I thought we had found the source of the issue: his bedding. After switching his bedding, his UTIs got a lot better until recently. He just finished a round of Trimethoprim Sulfa but was still peeing blood after finishing. My normal vet was out of town today, so I went to a new vet (who is an exotic vet). We did an X-Ray today and found the stone.

Since he is approximately four years old (we rescued him so are uncertain about his true age), they wanted to do blood work to rule out any underlying conditions before operating.

Until we have a clear go ahead, he was given Metacam/meloxicam to alleviate the pain. His dosage is 0.5 cc once daily. I am unsure about the strength of the metacam, but the bottle does say "1.5 mg/ml by the ml (5 ea)" (I am unsure if this is supposed to say "each" because the sticker cuts off.)

I wanted to see if this dosage seemed high. He weighs 0.8 KG.

I am being extremely cautious, as yesterday was a scary day. He had stopped wanting to eat. After feeding about 25 mls of Critical Care over a span of several hours, he has perked back up and is interested in hay again! Therefore, I am cautious about anything potentially upsetting his tummy.

If there is any more helpful info I can provide, please let me know! Thanks everyone!

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry for the bad news.

Good that you have been given the three times stronger version of dog metacam. Your vet is obviously clued up on guinea pigs.

In acute very strong short term pain, splitting the dosage and giving it every 12 can help to minimise the periods when the painkiller is wearing off. For longer term maintenance, the metacam will build up in the body and a once daily dosage is better.
The level of the dosage is good. There is still wiggle room up if needed.

Please continue with feeding support and compute how much you need to get into him by weighing him first thing in the morning before feeding for best day-to-day comparison and for planning the support level for the coming day. Your aim is slow down any weight loss and stabilise the weight as much as possible for the time being.

This guide will help you to understand how to monitor an ill piggy and what each method brings to the table for optimal support, including looking after a guinea pig which has not lost their full appetite but is not eating enough and whose actual food intake you cannot judge by eye only. With the pain relief, topping up should be easier now.
You up the daily amount you need to feed if the weight continues to go down. The kitchen scales tell you whether you are feeding enough or not to keep the weight stable since you cannot ask a piggy directly. Feeling for the BMI around the ribs tells you how major any weight loss is in proportion for your piggy's personal weight and size and the poo output tells you in retrospect whether you have done enough yesterday and the day before.

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

Jun 20, 2024

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI
3 The...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Health & Illness Support Corner

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