# Daily NSAIDs - alternative to Metacam?



## Little P (Jun 10, 2014)

The old boy is on daily Metacam as he's a little stiff in one of his knees and shoulders these days. The last few days he's been a bit reluctant to eat his breakfast. Today, he sniffed it and walked off - which is unheard of! A lightbulb moment made me re-do his breakfast and with his usual tablets in but without the Metacam, and he ate it straight away with gusto. 

So it's looking like he's decided he no longer likes Metacam....

He's not a fussy dog, I think this morning is the second time he's refused his food in his 12 1/2 years. I'm of the belief that a dog should enjoy their food, so I'm not going to force him to keep having the Metacam. 

I opted for Metacam as my drug of choice because he's had it in the past so I knew he got on ok with it, and because of it's liquid form, it's easy to reduce the dose to the lowest effective dose. 

So I think it's time to find an alternative - I'm thinking I'd like to go for onsior next, but any thoughts/opinions/knowledge gratefully received


----------



## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

Onsior would be my suggestion too. I used it for Gem before she passed away. It really helped. She was very good at taking tablets using the shove it down the throat method.


----------



## EAD (May 10, 2013)

We have two here on Metacam and one on Onsior as Metacam made her sick. 

Both drugs work for the individual dogs. 

People who run the local boarding kennels and hydro pool tried one of their dogs on Onsior but had to change back to Metacam as it wasn't agreeing with him.


----------



## Little P (Jun 10, 2014)

He's had onsior before so I know he's ok with it. It's also supposed to be kinder on the GI tract too. He's fine at taking tablets so no issues there. Only mild annoyance is that we don't keep it in stock at work so he's just going to have to deal with metacam for another 48 hours!


----------



## soulful dog (Nov 6, 2011)

Be good to hear how he gets on with Onsior, hope he's ok with it. Ringo has used Metacam a couple of times in the past and been fine with it, but the last time it didn't agree with him and made him sick. Hopefully he'll not be needing any pain medication for a while yet but I'm already thinking of alternatives for future use.


----------



## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

Little P said:


> He's had onsior before so I know he's ok with it. It's also supposed to be kinder on the GI tract too. He's fine at taking tablets so no issues there. Only mild annoyance is that we don't keep it in stock at work so he's just going to have to deal with metacam for another 48 hours!


Already read this and ticked like that you are opting for onsior.

Now as a passing interest, do you know if a lot of vets practices do not have onsior on site at all times. I have never considered it before but since my Stan my Yorkie ended up extremely poorly from one dose of metacam and a note not to prescribe is on his notes. I was told we will try onsior if he needs it. Now it has got my concerned that say in a said emergency I take him to my vets and he needs nsaids, will they be able to give him some. I will definitely ask my vets tomorrow but I am now pondering the situation!


----------



## EAD (May 10, 2013)

My normal vets do not stock Onsior and order it in especially for Kyla. 

Vets we also use in Belfast for hydro and acupuncture stock it all the time.


----------



## SingingWhippet (Feb 25, 2015)

As soon as I read the title I opened the thread to suggest Onsior!

Arnie was on it for quite a while after Metacam started making him sick. As far as I know my vets stock it as standard, we never had to wait for them to order it in or anything.


----------



## Little P (Jun 10, 2014)

lullabydream said:


> Already read this and ticked like that you are opting for onsior.
> 
> Now as a passing interest, do you know if a lot of vets practices do not have onsior on site at all times. I have never considered it before but since my Stan my Yorkie ended up extremely poorly from one dose of metacam and a note not to prescribe is on his notes. I was told we will try onsior if he needs it. Now it has got my concerned that say in a said emergency I take him to my vets and he needs nsaids, will they be able to give him some. I will definitely ask my vets tomorrow but I am now pondering the situation!


Most vet surgeries will have a couple of "preferred" products in stock at all times. NSAIDs are very commonly used day to day so most surgeries (depending on size, case load, uses etc.) will have a few alternatives in both injectable and oral form in stock.

For example, all the surgeries I've worked at (both in paid employment and when I was a student) have sent ops patients (eg bitch spays) home with NSAID tablets, rather than a bottle of Metacam because you can send them away with 5 days, regardless of their size - no point in sending a tiny dog away with a bottle of Metacam that they're only going to use a tiny fraction of.


----------



## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

Rimadyl tablets? Or turmeric paste: my lot scoff it as long as it's accompanied by yoghurt.


----------



## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

Little P said:


> He's had onsior before so I know he's ok with it. It's also supposed to be kinder on the GI tract too. He's fine at taking tablets so no issues there. Only mild annoyance is that we don't keep it in stock at work so he's just going to have to deal with metacam for another 48 hours!


Remember to wash out.


----------

