I wanted to share with you all the amazing properties of Metacam on Liver problems. I feel the more doggy people that know about it the better.

My 14 year old Australian Shepherd has just been diagnosed as having advanced Liver Cancer (they don't use the word cancer but I can't remember the right word). We have had one hell of a last 10 days or so, well last month really, and we know that we will lose him but it could have been so much worse.

About 6 months ago he was put on Metacam to  reduce the affect of arthritics in his wrists. Prior to starting the Metacam my vet ran blood tests which showed no problems, dogs should not be given non-steroidal anti-inflamatories with Liver problems. He has led a good, active life until 9th October, when he was sick during the night. He was fine in himself and I only found that he'd been sick after he'd been fed his breakfast. He wasn't sick again so we decided to ignore it, these things happen. That weekend (11th October) we went on holiday from Essex to Harrogate (my sister's 50th) and my husband & my first holiday childless (youngest gone to Uni) for 22 years. He was sick again during Sunday evening (on my sister's white carpet). The next morning he was obviously not right. Very quiet and listless. I found a vet, a good vet, and took him. Blood tests showed both Liver & Pancreas were affected. I was to feed low fat diet and stop the Metacam. We were at the vet three times that week and it was a ghastly holiday, why didn't we come home! Once home I went to see my vet who had received notes and results from the Harrogate vet. In his opinion while the results were high, and certainly high compared to those taken earlier this year, they were only just outside the Harrogate vet's normal range and just within his normal range, except one which needed watching as that was strange compared to the other results. We agreed we would keep him on the low fat diet, off the Metacam and bring him back in two weeks to repeat the blood tests. A week later I was concerned because he seemed to be drinking and weeing alot. I phoned the vet and discussed it but they felt it was probably the change of diet. I had started the dry version over the weekend having used tins previously. The following day he refused to eat. This is completely out of character I made an appointment. Trouble was I couldn't see my usual vet. I decided it didn't matter and not worth kicking up a fuss as I just wanted the blood test he was supposed to have next week brought forward. I arrived to be told he was jaundiced and needed to be admitted. To be honest I was shell shocked. I like to think I know my dogs and I had no idea that this was going to happen. Blood results showed general problems with the liver but also that his liver function scored 243, normal is 0-15, to have such a score 90% of his liver had to be affected. Later when I was able to see my usual (terrific) vet he told me that he has never seen a dog with such a high score that wasn't at death's door. My dog clearly was not - he was still an active, bright dog. Ultra sound scan showed an area of the liver that was about to break (if it had he would have bled to death) and the rest of the liver was clearly affected. They wanted to do a biopsy, remove the horrendous part and take a sample of the less bad part and hope that the less bad part was reacting to the horrendous part and hence would repair itself, the liver has tremendous regenerating properties. Unfortunately that is not to be. The whole of the liver is ridled with the same cancer. There is not going to be a miracle.

He came home Friday, after two nights in. They couldn't give me any pain relief as the only pain relief available that didn't affect the liver couldn't be given orally. They injected him prior to him coming home and by the morning it was terrible. What had they done to my lovely boy - he didn't deserve this. I made an appointment and saw my usual terrific vet. This is where the Metacam comes in - I'm sorry it's taken so long to get here.

My vet told us that a short while ago he referred a dog with liver problems to a specialist. The specialist prescribed Metacam. This wasn't going to be a cure but it gave the dog back it's quality of life. He believes the reason why my boy was, up until he'd been sick, an active, happy boy was because of the Metacam he'd been having for his arthritous. The blood test results changed dramatically in those two and half weeks he was off the Metacam. He gave him an injection and within a short while the improvement was dramatic. He's now having it orally and he's bright, eating eagerly and very much with us. Don't get me wrong he's still recovering from major surgery but he is so much better.

I do realise we are going to lose him, and much sooner that we had expected. However, Metacam has probably  given him many more happy months than he would have done and hopefully with it he'll have a few more weeks. If we can get him through this week without haemorrhaging then we will make sure he has the best life we can and when Metacam no longer works he will join his sister (who died the day he was admitted with jaundice) and parents.

Please think of us and wish him good thoughts. If our story can help somebody then so much the better.

I'm sorry to hear about your dear old boy's problems.  I hope the Metacam works for him and that you get to enjoy him for a while longer.  I know how it can be with liver disease, trouble is the liver can go on working until only about 10% of it is left unaffected.  We lost an old girl of ours with liver cancer when she seemed very suddenly to become ill.  Really it must have been coming on for a few months. It was a good few years ago now and at that time there didn't seem to be anything that could be done for her. 

It's good of you to post on here about using Metacam, perhaps it will give someone else a chance to just spend a few more weeks together.

I wish you and your old boy all the best, you are both in my thoughts.

Thinking of you......
This happened with my Mums 12 year old Australian Shepherd last year....
She went downhill in a matter of weeks with a liver tumour and was prescribed Metacam by the specialist and she did pick up really quickly.
It gave her another few weeks before the tumour really took hold and Mum had to make 'the decision'....
Sending you good wishes and lots of (((hugs))) and am here if you need anything,

Gabrielle and the Aussies xxx

Thank you Gabrielle & Misty for your good wishes. It's very much a case of so far so good. We're taking one day at a time.

So sorry to hear your bad news. Enjoy every minute of him being well.