Metacam for arthritis - a couple of questions

[LondonLady]

I took the piggies to the vet for a check up yesterday. My main concern was that Toffee is much less active than he used to be and seems to sleep a lot. I assumed this was just because of his age (5.5yrs) but after examining him the vet said he has a bit of arthritis and suggested trying him on metacam for a couple of weeks to see if this helps.

My first question is about the dose. It's dog metacam and I'm supposed to give him 0.4ml twice a day. Could someone confirm that this is a normal dose as from what I've read it seems a bit high? I should say, I do trust the vet, she's the practice's exotic expert and is experienced with guinea pigs but I'm a bit of a worrier...

Secondly, any advice about getting him to take it? Although I've had Toffee for 4.5 years I'm a complete beginner with medication. My only previous experience was when he had an eye injury about 3 years ago and it was an absolute nightmare trying to get the meds into him. I assumed that because metacam tastes nice (apparently!) this would be easier but his first dose this morning was a bit of a struggle. He absolutely hates being held and would NOT keep still. I'm hoping that once he realises it tastes nice it might get easier.

I'm feeling terribly guilty now because I was hesitating about taking them to the vet and now I'm worrying that he might have been in pain for some time without me noticing. I love them both so much but I really don't think I'm a very good owner

 

[sport_billy]

I have known dog metacam go up to 0.4ml for piggies, check with vet but i suspect they are dosing high based on piggies weight and fast metabolism. @Piggies&buns @Wiebke

 

[piggieminder]

I have 2 boys on long term Metacam for arthritis. Both started at .4ml of dog version, they both weighed approx. 1.2kg at the time (Oct. 2022). We've had no side effects and as their arthritis has worsened with age the dosses have gone up, now .45 and .5 respectively. I had to pick them out of the cage in a hidey the first few times they saw the syringe coming but both soon loved the taste and started coming to the bars to take their 'treat'! The vet also recommended giving them daily glucosamine for their joints. I buy Johnson's4Joints (dog liquid one) on line, they also love the taste of this.

 

[fluffysal]

Hopefully he will soon realise it tastes good. Most piggies come running for the syringe, without needing to be held, pretty quickly.
You are not a bad owner for not realising, they are very good at hiding symptoms.

 

[Rachel116]

Hi firstly you shouldn’t dwell on what you might have missed, you can’t change the past and the important thing is you are doing something now. My sweet elderly boy was on Metacam for arthritis however my vet used the cat Metacam so the dose might be different from yours. He was just over 1kg. He had a loading dose of 0.7mls and then after couple weeks he went to a maintenance dose of 0.4 the vet gave me permission to adjust the dose as I saw fit so I gave him 0.6 when it was cooler and damp and I could see he was more stiff. It made such a difference to him. He was on it for a year until his death from dental issues.

 

[Posyrose]

My boy is 1300g and on 0.4ml dog metacam long term for chronic pain.

 

[Wiebke]

I took the piggies to the vet for a check up yesterday. My main concern was that Toffee is much less active than he used to be and seems to sleep a lot. I assumed this was just because of his age (5.5yrs) but after examining him the vet said he has a bit of arthritis and suggested trying him on metacam for a couple of weeks to see if this helps.

My first question is about the dose. It's dog metacam and I'm supposed to give him 0.4ml twice a day. Could someone confirm that this is a normal dose as from what I've read it seems a bit high? I should say, I do trust the vet, she's the practice's exotic expert and is experienced with guinea pigs but I'm a bit of a worrier...

Secondly, any advice about getting him to take it? Although I've had Toffee for 4.5 years I'm a complete beginner with medication. My only previous experience was when he had an eye injury about 3 years ago and it was an absolute nightmare trying to get the meds into him. I assumed that because metacam tastes nice (apparently!) this would be easier but his first dose this morning was a bit of a struggle. He absolutely hates being held and would NOT keep still. I'm hoping that once he realises it tastes nice it might get easier.

I'm feeling terribly guilty now because I was hesitating about taking them to the vet and now I'm worrying that he might have been in pain for some time without me noticing. I love them both so much but I really don't think I'm a very good owner

Hi

The dosage depends on the weight of your guinea pig; it is not too high for a guinea pig that is over 1 kg. Oldies of mine have been on comparable (weight adjusted) dog metacam dosages for medium to more advanced arthritis; it has not just been well tolerated but also boosted their zest for life.

Unlike the majority of cases we see on here, your vet prefers to step in with a higher one after a hands-on examination to check for the extent of the arthritis rather than with a very low dose.

I would also strongly recommend to supplement the metacam with Johnson's 4joints strong dog liquid (UK only), which will help with the mobility as it builds up. Glucosamine is classed as non-prescription medication, so vets do not prescribe it but it can make a marked difference for regaining a good degree of ease of movement as the joint care builds up.
The liquid is easiest to give. You adjust the daily dosage up or down from 0.4 ml for 1000g depending on your piggy's overweight. Oxbow joint care is not as strong and effective. It is widely available online or in pet shops (just don't say it's for a guinea pig).

Please don't fixate on your dithering. The important issue is to get his meds going.

Life is a chain of mistakes from which you can learn and improve if you dare to take them on the chin. Regrets are some of the most powerful incentives as long as you see them as a chance to grow as a human being and not as an instrument to beat yourself up forever without moving on.
My own 'wisdom' is the result of learning plenty of things the hard way but ultimately, I have and still am helping many more piggies than just my own that have come later via this forum, so while I am sad about the piggies I didn't help as well as I may have done, the resultant benefit to others has ultimately grown beyond my own wildest imagination.

 

[Eriathwen]

My lot are on 0.6ml twice a day, they tolerate metacam extremely well so that dose sounds right to me too.

My Oliver was an absolute nightmare for meds when I first got him, he had a kidney infection and joint pain from being emaciated.. it was like trying to medicate a bar of soap! Luckily now he knows metacam tastes nice in his old age, he runs to the bars for it and even does a little twirl before taking it
It might help to bring a small piece of a regular treat or a herb to offer before or after, just so they associate it with something nice a little bit quicker. I'm quite lucky with mine as they all seem to copy eachother, they've decided syringes bring treats so when it's their turn to be on meds for something, they're pretty happy about it

 

[YvonneBlue]

I have had 3 piggies with arthritis on doses of Metacam between 0.6 and 0.8ml twice a day. All tolerated this dose without any issues. When the arthritis became very severe in one piggy, the vet added a dose of Gabapentin alongside the Metacam.

Hope the Metacam makes your piggy feel more comfortable and they continue to thrive.x

 

[LondonLady]

Thank you for all the comments. Toffee's weight averages about 1kg sometimes a bit over, sometimes a bit under.

Thank you for the advice about Johnsons4joints @Wiebke and @piggieminder I'll look into that now.

@Eriathwen I love this comment - it describes Toffee perfectly!

My Oliver was an absolute nightmare for meds when I first got him.. it was like trying to medicate a bar of soap!

Hopefully Toffee will soon realise that the meds taste nice and it won't be so difficult.

The vet asked me to email her after about 10 days to let her know how he's getting on so I'll do that and hopefully he'll be feeling better by then.

 

[fluffysal]

Dear Toffee,
You are very lucky to get the yummy syringes. We are envious that you will get "the good stuff" every day. We only get that treat occasionally. It will make you feel much better and there's an added bonus as you can play tug of war with the syringe too!
Rumbles,
Dignified Sir George and Mischievous Master Boris.

 

[LondonLady]

Dear Dignified Sir George and Mischievous Master Boris,
Thank you for your encouragement. I'm still not completely sure about this syringe thing. But maybe you're right. If it makes me feel more comfortable perhaps it's worth a try. We'll see how things go...



Toffee xx