Hi All

I have recently been ordering pet meds on line with prescriptions from our vet.  However I tried to order a bottle of Metacam from several on line sites today only to be told that they are all out of stock. So I have gone back to my vet to order a large bottle.  My two oldies take a daily dose for their arthritis bless them.  I notice that Metacam is made in Germany as is the Vetmedin that  Grace my sheltie is on as she has heart failure.  Has anyone experienced this?  I have only recently been buying pet drugs on line,  really since Grace was diagnosed.  The system seems to work well and does save a bit of money.  Don't know if anyone else has experienced this?

I frequently use prescriptions as it often works out far cheaper even with the cost of prescription. In fact your post has jogged my memory to order another prescription  for onisor for my cats arthritis . I am hoping we wont have an issues buying it so far even the meds that have come from Italy recently have been fine

A bit slower maybe and it was suggested paperwork is taking longer atm going through customs

vetmedin seems to still be stock on a number of the sites

snowflake:> The system seems to work well and does save a bit of money

Taking costs into consideration, I have always used Vet prescriptions and then bought on line.  The same happened with the worming treatment Panacur 18 months ago.  You couldn't source it for love nor money.  Nothing to do with Brexit, Pandemic, Transportation.  Just the company who manufacture the product had a recall.  Still not publicised why?  Hopefully Metacam will be subject to similar and available within six weeks of the initial problem.

Saw this late late last night and as I was going to order off a repeat prescription I have I paniced.
Phoned the firm this morning and was told - as you said - no stock of 100mg Metacam BUT as I had 2  x 100 left on the script she checked with their pharmacist and said they would dispense 1 x 180mg that they have in stock instead
This was Pet Drugs online - don't know if other firms are the same but thought this may help anyone else who is panicing.

I've found some instock on some websites but seems to be small quantities

Supplies of Metacam have been very limited for the past couple of months, but slowly seem to be coming back. it's worth knowing that Loxicom is a near-identical formulation and seems to be in plentiful supply. (And has the benefit of being in a clear plastic bottle so you can see exactly how much you have left!)

> it's worth knowing that Loxicom is a near-identical formulation and seems to be in plentiful supply. (And has the benefit of being in a clear plastic bottle so you can see exactly how much you have left!)

When I had to buy Metacam for Frankie (with a prescription from his vet) I'd have welcomed knowing how much was left.  But I didn't.   I just went by when I started a bottle - for how long each bottle lasted.

I bought mine from Pet Drugs Online.    Last buy was back in February 2020.    I can't see they have this on their website now

Viovet does...https://www.viovet.co.uk/Metacam-Oral-Suspension/c5/?sct_t=1611235597&sct_q=metacam+for+dogs&sct_r=2

> (And has the benefit of being in a clear plastic bottle so you can see exactly how much you have left!)

It is so much better for this reason alone!  My vets use Loxicom as long as they can get it.  Recently they switched to Meloxidyl briefly (another cheaper version of the same thing) and like Metacam, that's an opaque bottle.  So of course, I ran out without realising I was going to.  Baffles me why the companies would use opaque bottles for this sort of medication!

> Baffles me why the companies would use opaque bottles for this sort of medication!

Me too.   As a result I always bought well ahead of running out, with the bottle sitting on the shelf for far longer than I'd anticipated.

Re Matacam,  I just go by the feel of the bottle.  I have now got a new 100ml bottle from the vet as I couldn't get it on line, but  although the old bottle feels empty I am, strangely,  still managing to squeeze some out!  I too use Pet Drugs On Line,  usually spot on and super fastx

For Metacam in the bottle: with the syringe securely in the top, I have always inverted the bottle and drawn the liquid into the syringe in order to see how much is left and  so can then calculate the number of doses left  then squirting it back down into the bottle without removing the syringe- if that makes sense....

Having run out of my last lot of Metacam I have found it is still not easy to buy it on line,  especially in the 100ml size.  One is told that it is out of stock.  I wonder why this is?  I get heart meds for one of my dogs on line with no problems.x

I think it's being superceded by newer meds with less risk of side effects. At least, I know when I used to go to the vet and needed it, it was what we were always prescribed. Only now they tend to prescribe Previcox(?) or even Rimadyl...

It's still out of stock all over the place.  I've seen people saying the same about the large bottles of loxicom now too.

Well Rimadyl back when I started had a bad rep, and Metacam was deemed safer, especially for long term use.

I for the first time have an oldie that has become stiff behind with a stilted gait, and seems to struggle if we go beyond 2 miles.

She started stopping on walks a year ago and a full once over with bloods found nothing wrong.

No pain reaction when joints manipulated.

She is only 13 in July.

Her older half sister's movement at over 14 is sound, and she is eager for walks and would happily go 4 miles plus (our previously normal sort of walk).

Their mother, Grandmother and back to my first all took normal excersise to the end, albeit at a steadier pace.

I don't know if I should simply stick to the 2 mile limit, or whether to medicate, as she's not in obvious pain, trundles round the garden more than the older one, who has 2 speeds 'Stop' (Sleep), and 'Go'

I have a similar problem with a dog that I rescued 18 months ago from Many Tears,  I don't know how old she is, not young but maybe 11 or so,  a sheltie.  I was told initially she had a heart murmur which didn't bother her for a year or so but then she showed signs of heart failure, coughing etc, so since then has been on heart meds,  quite successfully.  When I first had her she was slightly lame, the vet said that it was arthritis in her left shoulder.  Since then the arthritis has worsened considerably and spread to a rear hind leg.  This makes it difficult for her to get herself up off the floor (I try to encourage her to sleep in her bed but no,  she likes the floor!!)  She is now very lame and walks with a very pronounced limp.  The only thing the vet will seem to prescribe is Metacam,  Despite all of this she (Grace) enjoys her food and loves to walk with my other two dogs.   She get so excited when we get the leads out although she only has one quite short (and slow) walk a day.  Such a shame and I have always wished there was some miracle drug that would help her.  The vet is very enthusiastic when treating the heart condition but appears less interested in the arthritis.  I do begin to wonder when enough is enough though as I will always do the best for her.  I suppose I have always  felt in the past that when they go off their food (if greedy eaters) that is a sign.  I just wish I had come across Grace a long time ago before she had all these  problems!  Anyway that is why I am constantly trying to buy Metacam!!

Sent you a PM yesterday, wonder if you had noticed it?

Snowflake - have you considered acupuncture.   My previous vet combined normal vet treatment with homeopathy and during a bad patch with Frankie, I had her do a couple of sessions of acupuncture with him.   During which he dozed!!   I'm not sure it did that much good, but it did no harm to him, if not so much my Bank balance.

He was on Metacam for years (with NO side effects, and he was regularly checked).  Towards the end with Frankie, who as reported finally went off his back legs with no way back, he'd started going off on his walks with enthusiasm, but after only a short distance, would sling on the anchors, turning for home.    It was frustrating because within reason, arthritic sufferers are best being kept on moderate exercise.

Do you have insurance on your MT rescue - I'm wondering whether it's worth going for a Noel Fitz. referral although working on the arthritic elbow etc. may not be an option if the arthritis is really bad.

As an aside, how did you find your experience with rescuing from MT?   I had been a Home Checker for them for a while but eventually decided, for a number of reasons, enough was enough.

I met one of my neighbours last week who has a sheltie who is now 15. He’s showing lameness on his front legs, but seems happy in himself and gets around ok. He’s also on metacam and his owner is now concerned about further supplies as she is beginning to run out. She has a friend who can give her a small bottle if needs be, but then she will presumably need to change to another medication.

Fitz Patrick have a specialised arthritis clinic and also do stem cell therapy which certainly helped my cat with arthritis t ..it was covered under insurance

Hi MamaBas

Unfortunately when I rescued Grace the fact that she had a heart murmur had already been noted on her passport (she came from Ireland) so although I have insured her I was unable to claim as it was a noted condition.  When I first took her to my vets for a once-over  it was noted that she was slightly lame through arthritis in her front leg,  so I couldn't claim for that either.  If money was no object I probably would have gone to see Noel Fitzpatrick but I am retired and already paying for Grace's heart meds though I usually buy them on line.  I will speak to my
vet about acupuncture though.

I was accepted as a Home Checker by MT after I rehomed Grace but for some reason have never been called upon - I suppose Covid has put paid to any rehoming being done at present and I do live a long way from MT  who are in Wales.  I am in E Sussex.

I do agree with you about moderate exercise  being the best thing for arthritis and so far Grace seems to enjoy it although she won't go out without my other 2 dogs.  She only manages a slow sort of  hobble but as long as she seems happy to do that then I will carry on  - but I don't know how long that will be.XX

> The only thing the vet will seem to prescribe is Metacam,

See a different vet, or insist on something different/additional.  I've come across the odd vet like this and it drives me nuts.  Painkillers are often more effective when used in combination with other painkillers, and there is no excuse with the number of different medication options available to just stick with that one front line drug.  I've got three dogs here with arthritis and other chronic pain conditions, and only one is on one thing, because that's working for her for the time being.  The others are on three and five things each (a mix of supps and presciption painkillers) because just having them on one medication wouldn't work for them at all, and they would suffer.  Metacam alone certainly wouldn't do the job and it didn't help the boy at all when I tried it for him.

I believe supplies of Metacam are hard to obtain at the moment because one of thier big supply factories in Mexico blew up. No doubt other manufacturers will eventually up production to compensate but that's why supplies are so low.