My four year old lab has started  to have Metacam everyday for arthritis.  I am worried about what long term health problems this may cause and ask if anyone has had a young dog on Metacam long term and any problems this may have caused?
Thanks

My Swedish Lapphund was on Metacam for a long time for arthritis and eventually was PTS at 13.5 years due to an ulcerated stomach from the painkillers. We had him on the lowest dose possible for as long as possible but eventually we had to change to PLT. Have you tried joint supplements to try to keep the Metacam to a minimum?

Hi There :)

It's often just a case of weighing up the pros and cons really.

One of my dogs had to go onto phenobarbitone due to epilepsy. Potentially this has horrid long term side effects mainly effecting the liver. However, did I want a dog to have a good quality of life albeit it with the risk of it being shorter or did I want a dog who was seizing? I chose the former...he's now 11 and, although I hope with me for many years yet, I would have given anything for these odds all those years ago.

I am guessing you have tried all the alternatives/supplements? I had amazing results with a bioflow collar with one of my oldies who has arthritis

xx

Thanks for that, She already wears a bio-flow collar and has Cortaflex HA (greyhound formula which I was told by Cortaflex that this the best one for this situation) and has some cod liver oil with us in the mornings! She is very slim for a labrador and always has been as she first suffered from OCD in the elbow and was operated on at 8 months. All this seems fine now until arthritis flared up in her rear knee. She is fine if we keep walks to an absolute minimum and keep her on the lead, but what life is that. Thats not what I wanted a dog for, I love walking, long walks and to have a dog with me is just heaven. However, we love her to bits and if thats what it takes then thats what we will do. I guess to use the Metacam  long term now and face what ever comes in the future when it arises.

My Rosie was originally on Metacam but my vet said if she was going to stay on it long term she would need regular blood tests for Liver function, as it happened she didn't actually need it thankfully.

My Scarlet has been on Norocarp, which is now called Carproleve(?) for about 3 years. My vet says that it does not have any side effects! This is for arthritis brought on from a suspected cruciate ligament injury when she was three. Every two years she has had a course of Cartrophen injections which are designed to coat the arthritic joint and help it, it seems to have helped Scarlet.

Sue

I haven't used Metacam on a younger dog, only on an oldie. I found to keep his tummy ok, we had to keep the dosage to an absolute minimum. As another poster says, it is always a case of weighing up the pros and cons.

Have you considered a course of Cartrophen injections? (Not to be confused with Carprofen) These are given with a loading dose of 1 a week for 4 weeeks, for the initial course, then follow-up jabs at intervals, which suit the needs of the individual case. I have seen dogs with good results with this treatment.

I have a bitch of 4 years 7 months with HD, diagnosed at 5 months and I have regular injections for her, of Adequan ( this has been continuous since diagnosis) unfortunately, the canine version is unlicensed in the uk, so my vet uses the equine version. She has never been lame in all the time she has been on it and leads a normal, very active life.  She also has Synoquin daily.

Cartrophen and Adequan, although different, have a similar effect, in as much that they both assist the cartilage, rather than only give pain relief.  For a young dog, either of these may be something for you to discuss with your vet. As to side effects, I do know both may cause blood thinning- I have not personally experienced any problems.

I know how worrying and difficult it is, when managing a young dog with joint problems, and wish you all the best in finding the most suitable way forward, for you both.

Oops! I took so long thinking about it, I see Cartrophen has already been mentioned!

Green Lipped Mussel and Devils Claw can have a huge impact on arthritus and other bone problems.  My Dobe is on them and actually they are much more effective at keeping her comfortable than metacam was.  It's certainly worth a try :-)

One of my labs has OCD, he's been on green lipped mussel extract since it was diagnosed and only had metacam at the beginning when the limp was bad.  4.5 years later, you wouldn't know he had a thing wrong with him... in fact, people have asked if he is younger than my 9 month old!  I'm not trying to say it's a miracle cure, I guess my dog's is very mild, but it can have such a profound effect on him, it must actually do something!

i cant remember what its called but its something similar to semicam... i over heard my vet talking about it today...  they are like treats with same properties as metacam but are not NSAIDs. he said they do not suit every dog, but the ones that do, thrive on it.... and according to him has no side effects. ive tried googling semicam and nothing is coming up, but maybe your vet might know what i mean.
it comes in a green and white box about 4inch x 4inch x 2inch.

hope this helps a little

xx

My young man was on Metacam for HD at diagnosis 5 MO, however it made him very ill (vomiting/listless) after only a couple of months usage, so changed to Rymadyl, which although carries the risk of the same side effects he has not had a reaction to.

He has just had his first hip replacement and is not on any pain relief at the mo as this inhibits the healing process. Although he is still on Glucosamine/Green lip muscle. There is lots of info on the side effects of the long term use of Metacam, if you Google.