Metacam dose?

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 7:07 pm


One of ours had serious dental work done yesterday afternoon.

He was given an injection of Buprenex post-op, and they gave me a bottle of 1.5 mg/mL Metacam with instructions to give him 0.2 cc (0.3 mg) once daily. He weighs about a kilo. I was also given trimethoprim sulfa, twice daily, for one week.

We have been handfeeding him but have not yet force-fed him. He is eating pellet mash, Critical Care, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, romaine and greenleaf lettuces if chopped up in bite-size pieces. He was drinking a Pedialyte-water mixture last night but has slacked off on that today.

He's eating but not enough, and not drinking sufficiently. He received his Metacam last night at about 10:30 p.m., and my husband says he's starting to act like he's hurting a little. I plan to syringe him fluids tonight. I'm reluctant to shove any more syringes into his already sore mouth than I absolutely have to, but will force-feed if necessary.

Vet's office closed at 7 p.m. Can we up the Metacam dose, or break it into two doses, for a day or two or is 0.2 cc once a day the safe upper limit?

Thank you.

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christina

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 7:25 pm


I'm not great with conversions, but do you mean 0.20 ccs for sure, and not .02 ccs? Just asking because I have been prescribed .02 cc many times which I think is pretty low dose.

I have given as high as .14 cc following dental work for a pig that weighed roughly 2.5 pounds.

I have never heard of Metacam dosing more than once a day, though I don't know why! I assumed it was rather long-acting and once a day was standard. I have given a one-time "loading dose" that is generally twice the "maintenance dosing."

Good luck to you. My piggies have taken many days before eating on their own.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 7:51 pm


Thanks very much, Christina. I'm sure it's 0.2 cc after checking several times last night. That works out to 0.3 mg/kg at a concentration of 1.5 mg/mL. The GL medical guide specifies 0.2 mg/kg, so he's already above that. The "loading dose" may be what he needs.

Thanks for the good wishes and your experience. This is the first time we've had to have extensive dental work done on one of our guinea pigs. We're not sure what to expect and want to make sure we keep him as comfortable as possible, hydrated, and his digestion moving.

ChadWPB

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 7:55 pm


My Marilyn was put on Metacam yesterday. Based on a weight at the vet's of 968g, she was prescribed 0.2ml of 1.5mg/mL Metacam BID.

968g is fairly close to 1kg, so it looks like your vet is on the right track.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:00 pm


BID is twice daily. That's double what our LT is getting. I think it would really help him to get dosed twice a day, even if it's less than the full 0.2 cc.

Thanks, Chad. You have lifted my spirits here. How is Marilyn doing? My best to her.

ChadWPB

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:04 pm


She's eating hay again, and she didn't drop a single pellet this morning. Maybe the Baytril caused her to lose her appetite?

Our vets here typically dose the pain meds twice a day.

All the best to your little piggie as well.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:10 pm


We've not had inappetance on Baytril, but it's my understanding it's quite common. I guess we've been lucky. Best to Marilyn. Thanks to her, LT may feel a little better tonight.

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christina

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:11 pm


It sounds like you are on the right track. It is so hard watching these little creatures go through hard times. Even though I have been through the dental aftermath quite a few times, I always end up worrying and obsessing that the pig isn't eating as much as they should. Somehow I get amnesia about the whole event and forget that's how it went the time before, too! I'm a worrier.

P.S. I like your avatar Talishan. My little girl Pixie is one of the featured piggies. She's the American white with the two-tone brown patch over her eye. Pigglies fostered her before I adopted her. She has grown quite a bit since that photo though! Pixie was my new addition to fill my avatar piggie's abscence.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:16 pm


One of the reasons I'm enjoying the avatars I won in the auction is everyone else gets to see their piggie! The one that looks like she's getting dunked in the washbasin is ChadWPB's, too.

Thanks so much for your experiences, both of you. It is so nice not to feel, and worry, alone.

Remembering Roosevelt --

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salana
GL is Just Peachy

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 10:28 pm


I think I've read that the upper limit for metacam is .5mg/kg.

chii
I Love Lucy

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 10:44 pm


Dr. E has always done either .08 or .1 mg *twice* daily. I think it helps to spread it out. Not sure what the max dose is though.

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ThatKat

Post   » Wed Jul 28, 2004 11:28 pm


I am pretty sure the max dose is .5 mg/kg BID. That's in cases of severe pain. And I mean SEVERE PAIN. And I would consult a very knowledgeable vet before even thinking of doing .5mg/kg even once a day. To just relieve a little discomfort, you can give as little as .2 mg/kg once a day. I don't think it would hurt to increase it to BID, but you may want to try doing .2 mg/kg BID first.

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