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Bite Size Meds

Breaking your pets' medication down into palatable and digestible chunks. 

Metacam

What is Metacam?

Metacam is a type of drug that is a bit like ibuprofen for dogs.  It is in a group of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (or NSAIDs for short!).  Please note that dogs and cats cannot have ibuprofen or other human NSAIDs as they are toxic and can kill them.  

 

What do NSAIDs do?

NSAIDs work on the body to help reduce inflammation.   They block something called COX-2, which is a type of protein in your body that triggers lots of changes when there is damage to your body.  This leads to inflammation and can also lead to the body receiving pain signals; i.e. it hurts!  When COX-2 goes into overdrive, it can also cause a fever.

 

What causes the inflammation?

Inflammation can be caused by something deliberately damaging the body, e.g. when your pet has surgery, or can be as a result of an injury or a disease.

It’s a bit like when we hurt our knees or ankles, and they become swollen and puffy; this is inflammation in action.  Similarly, a cut or wound is often red and swollen around the edges – again, inflammation is the culprit.  When pathogens (things that cause disease e.g. viruses/bacteria) infect your pet, they upset specific tissues, e.g. a virus causing a cough upsets the tissue at the back of the throat, which is why it looks red and sore, and an abscess caused by a bacterial infection will often cause pain and inflammation around the abscess; a bit like a painful boil or white-head does on us!

 

Why has my animal been prescribed Metacam?

Because Metacam reduces inflammation, and the pain that often goes along with it, it is used in many conditions.  If your vet prescribes Metacam to your pet, it is because we are using it to reduce pain, inflammation or fever in your pet’s body.

 

How quickly does it help my pet?

Metacam becomes fully effective after about 4.5hrs, but many people will see some improvement sooner than that, and remember, every animal is an individual (a bit like us!), so some will appear to get better sooner on Metacam, whilst others may take a little longer.

 

Are there any side-effects I need to worry about?

Metacam can sometimes upset the tummies of our pets.  This is reportedly very rare (affecting less than 1 in 10,000 pets) but if it does occur, please ring your vet and discuss it with them before continuing to give the medicine.

 

Are there any pets that cannot have Metacam?

Metacam should ONLY be given to your pet if it has been prescribed by your veterinary surgeon.  

There are some groups of animals for whom Metacam should either not be given, or it should only be given after discussing it thoroughly with your vet.  These include;

  • Pets with liver or kidney disease

  • Pets that are under 6 weeks of age

  • Pregnant pets or those lactating to feed their offspring (i.e. breastfeeding)

  • Animals on steroids

  • Pets with gut disease

  • Pets who have previously been sensitive to NSAIDs and reacted badly to the drug

  • Pets that are dehydrated or have low blood pressure

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Generics available
  • Rheumocam

  • Loxicom

  • Inflacam

  • Meloxidyl

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Licensed Species
  • Dogs

  • Cats

  • Horses

  • Cows

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