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Metacam

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Freda Boys

Junior Guinea Pig
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Should metacam for dogs be given to guinea pigs? It's 1.5 ml/ kg of bodyweight!
Metacam for cats is 0.5 ml/ kg bodyweight and licenced for guinea pigs!
I asked this question when the vet rang me regarding metacam dose and said I'd need to give less volume if dog one used.....I'm worried it's too strong.
 
Metacam for dogs is fine. Its what everyone prefers over cat Metacam. That dose is pretty high though. The most I've given to a 1kg guinea pig is 0.3 ml.

Where did you get the dog metacam?
 
Dog metacam is fine for guineas when vet has worked out a dose for them. I prefer it as you use less and it easier to get a smaller dose in
 
Metacam for dogs is fine to be given to piggies, it is three times stronger than cat metacam though so the dosage gets adjusted. It’s off licence but fine to give. A lot of vets won’t give dog metacam now that cat is licensed for piggies, in order for them to keep to licence , it’s fine to give though
 
This is the other brand some vets use, it's loxicom. Same thing, also for dogs. I don't think that 1.5 means per body weight does it?. There should be a dose label on the cardboard box it came in, that the vet printed out View attachment 130637
 
Yes it's fine, if it puts your mind at ease, one of my 2 piggies with osteodystophy has been on a high dose for over a year now with no ill effect. Guinea pigs metabolise drugs much quicker than cats and dogs and so can tolerate higher amounts relative to their size.
 
The most dog metacam I have been prescribed is 0.75ml once a day for a 1.19kg piggie. That was the 1.5ml/per kg strength but it was adjusted down for a guinea pig. Did the vet work out the dose for you? Don’t go by what the label on the pack says, it needs to be worked out specifically for a guinea pig by the vet. Isn’t there a sticker with the dose printed on it?
 
I feel it's important to point out that metacam for cats is only licenced for the relief of mild to moderate post operative pain associated with soft tissue surgery. It's not licenced for all guinea pig pain and I think some vets (my regular one included) get confused by this. Dog metcam is stronger and therefore much preferred by piggy owners
 
My Christian is on 0.7ml of Metacam twice a day for arthritis in his back. If I reduce the dose his weight goes down too much indicating that he is in pain so has stopped eating as much. On a good day he weighs 995g on a bad day he can weigh as low as 940g. He gets weighed every day so I can keep an eye on it.
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
This is the other brand some vets use, it's loxicom. Same thing, also for dogs. I don't think that 1.5 means per body weight does it?. There should be a dose label on the cardboard box it came in, that the vet printed out View attachment 130637
Click to expand...
No it doesn't- the 1.5mg/ml is the concentration of the drug (so cat loxicom/metacam will have a different mg/ml to the dog one, as will the equivalent for horses/pigs to allow for different sized animals and different metabolisms)

It is used to work out the ml per kg dose an animal needs...as you say there should be a label from the vet giving the exact dosage they've prescribed :-)
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Metacam for dogs is fine. Its what everyone prefers over cat Metacam. That dose is pretty high though. The most I've given to a 1kg guinea pig is 0.3 ml.

Where did you get the dog metacam?
Click to expand...
I got it from the vet and I'm to give 0.15mls of the dog metacam. Eric weighs 1.35kgms and had a cyst removed.
 
That does seem a bit low. My 900g piggy is on 0.3ml twice a day for her removed cyst capsule.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
That's a very low dose. We would give around 0.5ml to a piggy weighing that much. How many times a day are you giving it?
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Just once. It's first day post op today and he is very aggressive towards his cage mate. I can't leave them together unsupervised. Chattering, chasing and scuffles taking place. Never did this before today.
Might be in pain do you think?
Also
 
Freda Boys said:
Should metacam for dogs be given to guinea pigs? It's 1.5 ml/ kg of bodyweight!
Metacam for cats is 0.5 ml/ kg bodyweight and licenced for guinea pigs!
I asked this question when the vet rang me regarding metacam dose and said I'd need to give less volume if dog one used.....I'm worried it's too strong.
Click to expand...

You can safely give up to 0.4 ml of dog metacam to a 1 kilo piggy every 12 hours in an emergency. That is a lot more than most general vets would expect but guinea pig kidneys can cope a lot better with metacam than cat or dog ones - and they also have a much faster metabolism, which means that you'd best give it every 12 hours.
And yes, I have had these dosages precribed to piggies of mine by a vet specialising in guinea pigs!

Some piggies can be very grumpy and irritable post op. It could be a reaction to the operation cocktail and to feeling rather sore. if they are the leader but not feeling up the job right now, then they can be overly assertive. If necessary, insert a divider overnight.
 
Thank you for this information. I have them divided for safety and you're right about the reason for his behaviour ....I'm convinced.
 
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