Metacam? Right for George?

[Hippykitty]

UPDATE:

George only had one dose of the metacam. He seemed better without it.

He's now back to health, acting normally, eating like a piglet, and seems like a happy cat.

Thanks for all the advice.

[Angiew]

we've always been give the liquid synulox for kittens. It must taste very unpleasant 'cos they hate it.

[Rosella moggy]

That's interesting.  Didn't know you could get Synulox in liquid form.  Wonder why Convenia seems to be more commonly used? 

Perhaps, as George was off his food, your vet thought it would be more sensible to go the injection route?

[Hippykitty]

Unfortunately, the vet's aren't open today and their emergency service is VetsNow!!!

Will have to wait till tomorrow to ring vet.

Synulox drops was what they had a few years ago when they had flu. I wish George had been given that instead of Convenia.

[Liz]

We use the antibiotic Liquid Synulox for the outside ferals and the ones I can't get near have to say I put it in cat milk as the ferals love the stuff

We have been using Covenia since its inception with no isssues on cats of all ages and sizes

Ours if they get Covenia usually end up with a Metacam jab as sometimes they are in pain but don't show it and it is an anti inflamatory and again we have had no issues with it and have had a few on it long term Max due to his thyroid removal, Wispa with his blockage and they usually have a shot after speyed and neutered to again with no ill effects

If in doubt I would phone the vet and see what they say

[Rosella moggy]

We all do what we think best and I would take vet advice in this instance.

Regarding Convenia, I'd rather have the inconvenience of putting drops in food a couple of times a day.

I am not aware of any anti biotics that can be applied to food in drops so assume George would have to go back for another AB jab if he will not accept pills.

George doesn't seem like he's in pain. He's eating again and active. ...................... Of course, it's possible that he appears well because of the Metacam.

I would use that as my working assumption and phone vet tomorrow for further reassurance 

[Hippykitty]

Thanks everyone.

Regarding Convenia, I'd rather have the inconvenience of putting drops in food a couple of times a day. I did this when they were little and had flu. It's no problem to do. George ate his Metacam-dosed food very readily on saturday evening, though I had to sit with them while they were eating to ensure that only George ate from that dish. Simples. Pilling him, however, would be a nightmare of claws.

But the Convenia is in his system and can't be got out, this time. From what I've read, the main problem with it is that it stays in their body for a month, which means that if they have an adverse reaction it's a long time before the cat is back to normal. Whereas the shorter-acting antibio's are out of the system more quickly, enabling a faster return to health.

George doesn't seem like he's in pain. He's eating again and active. After I gave him his Metacam on saturday, he became apathetic and subdued, just as he was when ill.

I've changed my mind about my course of action. If the Metacam WERE antibio's, I'd give them as normal, but as they're only painkillers and he doesn't seem in a lot of pain, I'm not going to give him any tonight. Of course, it's possible that he appears well because of the Metacam.
I'm thinking of it as an equation: painkiller vs possible renal failure. I think I'll let him put up with a headache rather than develop renal problems.

The antibio's seem to be working, though I'd have preferred him to be given a shorter acting one and drops for his food.

Gillian, hope Harry gets better soon, at least your vet went to the trouble of testing his kidney function first, especially after the problems with you other cat.

Angie, one of the reasons metacam was developed was for post-operative pain. George hasn't had an op since the snip. He did seem "spaced out" after I gave him his first dose.

Rosella, I don't know how reliable it is, but there's lots of anecdotal evidence against the use of Convenia; people saying how their cat became blind, unwell, and even died. Of course, the cat would have been ill anyway. But I read so much of the same thing, it can't be coincidence. Thanks for your kind thoughts. He looks like he'll recover soon. I'm trying to keep a close eye on him, but he's insisting on going out. The vet suggested keeping him in but not isolating him, which meant keeping the whole tribe in. I gave them litter trays, but Pebbles expressed his thoughts by pooping in my bedroom.    I think going out is probably good for his morale and health.

Thanks lots for the input 

[Gillian Harvey]

Convenia shouldnt be given to cats with existing renal problems, and I had a cat already  in renal failure who was given it - it was only after I realised she shouldnt have been - she went downhill very soon after - but she was already very poorly. Think the same applies to Metacam, as long as there are no existing renal problems, its fine, but if its given long term, think regular blood tests are needed to ensure kidneys are ok.

Harry, who has a nasal tumour has been having convenia jabs, to clear any bacteria lurking due to him sneezing blood. He had blood tests previously to make sure his kidney function was ok.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Also thank goodness for convenia and as far as I know this is very safe.

Metacam can cause problems with long term high dosage but is a general painkiller and very effective.

Like a previous poster says, sometimes a decision has to be made on quality of life versus quantity and I have done that with my cat Ducha. He is now back on a low dosage of metacam all the time and this is the second time in three years, However he is 18 1/2 with 3 legs and without it he would not be able to get around.

To me with that very high temperature the meds sound right.

[Angiew]

The medication seems right.

I think the blurb on metacam is not for cats with renal problems and I'm sure I read somewhere not to use it for longer than a week on cats but that might not be accurate. I tend to try and get them off it ASAP, as for instance when Mog has his leg taken off and while we were treating it , he must have been on it for quite a few weeks. I kept reducing the dose until I felt it was as low as it could go. In fact I think I had to up it a couple of times. Mog also seemed a bit spaced out while on it, though the vets denied this was a side effect.

[Rosella moggy]

I thank heaven for Convenia (a 2 week acting general anti biotic) and Metacam (anti inflammatory pain relief).  Favoured treatment for our Billy whenever he is out of sorts.  I'm not aware of any reliable horror stories about Convenia and it's only continued long term use of Metacam (happily now available for cats instead of previously having to take great care with dosage of Metacam for dogs) that might be a problem but even then sometimes it might be worth the risk where it's a balance between quality and length of life .

Think I'm right in saying low 40s centigrade is alarmingly high and could mean George has a painful and nasty infection.  The treatment prescribed sounds correct esp for a hard to pill cat.

Very much hope poor George perks up soon ........ poor lamb 

[Dawn F]

I understood that metacam was a general pain killer, amber had it when she bit her tongue for instance, Star has had the long lasting ab jab when she had some teeth removed, she can't be pilled easily and it was the only option even though it isn't really the right spectrum for teeth

[Hippykitty]

Thank you for the advice Snarf.

Regarding the Metacam: at least it was prescribed for Neko for the right reason (skeletal problems). George doesn't have problems relating to his bones, but it is possible that the vet prescribed it as a general painkiller, if, for example, the temperature is causing George to have a headache.

I might try to give him his metacam today, then ring the vets tomorrow, but I'm not happy about it.

[snarf]

Re the antibiotic injection, my vets and the vets ive been to with fosters have prescribed this as standard, not as a specialist option for hard to pill cats. i think there is also a 3 day version? i think you will need to specify that you dont want convenia but i think the pill form antibiotics also have side effects as do steroids etc

Metacam is the drops on the food, ive had a few times for pain relief and i believe, as with human alternatives, the main problem is with continued or regular use? remember that paracetamol can kill humans but most of us take this without a second thought. my vet, who i trust and is honest with me, suggested treating neko with metacam for pain relief as a precaution with his curved spine which i dont not believe he would have done if he believed it would be a significant risk to his health. ive taken the decision not to as i dont belive neko is in any pain  currently and if this changes i dont want to mask it. 

for my tuppence worth, if george seems to be in pain, id continue today and ring the vets tomorrow to discuss your concerns, if you think hes not in pain, leave the metacam out today and again speak to the vets tomorrow 

[Hippykitty]

Hi everyone,
Sorry I've been away from purrs for so long, but have been looking after my family of six cats 

I need some advice re medication.
George, one of Lucy's now-grown kittens has seemed unwell recently: sleeping lots, not eating, and seeming depressed. So I took him to the vet. Apparently he had a fever somewhere in the low 40's centigrade. The vet asked me if he's easy to give meds to. He isn't, still being a bit on the wild side, but he will eat food I've put drops into. He did this when he was a kitten and had flu. The vet asked me if I wanted him to give George a "long acting antibiotic injection", I agreed, thinking he meant it would last for 24hrs. The vet gave me some drops to begin putting in his food the following day. He also gave George an injection "to bring his temperature down" as I'd questioned how I'd get him to eat the food with the drops on when he wasn't eating anything. The vet said the injection would bring his appetite back; naturally, I assumed he was giving him steroids.

However, when I took a good look at the bill and googled the meds he'd been given, I was horrified. The "long acting antibiotic" lasts for 2 weeks; it's called Convenia and has been linked to lots of problems, even death. Why didn't the vet tell me and give me the option of putting antibio's in George's food? I also discovered that the other injection was Metacam, a NSAID normally used for muscular-skeletal problems, which George doesn't have. This med is, as most of you probably know, linked to renal problems.

Samantha, a much-loved cat, died from renal failure. I want to avoid increasing the chances of this happening to my current cats, so I'm thinking of not giving George any more metacam drops in his food. I had been under the mistaken impression that the drops were antibio's, but discovered my misunderstanding when I took a good look at the leaflet, then googled it. The manufacturer even has a bold black box warning about the dangers of giving this to cats. As George doesn't have the condition which metacam is meant for, I think I'm going to stop giving it to him.

If the vets were open Sunday, I'd phone them; as they're not, this is a decision I'll have to make. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, should I ask for a "No Convenia" note to be put on the vet's computer and remind them each time I visit?

George is due for another visit to the vet next week.

Your knowledgeable advice is greatly appreciated.