# Metacam dosage question



## sarybeagle (Nov 4, 2009)

I'm confusing myself over bellas metacam doseage.

Vets label says exactly this- metacam oral suspension dog 10ml x 1.0 from 14/6/10. Dose for 12kg once daily with food.

I read this to be 10ml once. However Reading the leaflet it says use syringe pulling plunger until black line corresponds with dogs weight (12kg) which is about 2/3ml not 10!! 

Help!! I'm going to not give her any tonight and speak with vet again in morning I think or am I just confusing myself? Dh thinks I should go with what the leaflet says not vets label!


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## JessiesGirl (May 8, 2010)

So she's roughly 25-30 pounds if my math is correct? 

I think this is why you are confused:

Metacam, and all the NSAIDS, have two different dosing schedules. One is for chronic pain and one is for acute (sudden) pain. It sounds as though your vet has recommended the dosage for acute pain, but I'll go look it up for you. The leaflet probably has the long-term, chronic pain management dosing info.

ETA: I'd call the vet back. For tonight, go with the lower of the two doses if worried. 

I could only find dosing information in pounds, and I don't want to mess you up with my questionable ability to convert pound into kgs and mgs to mls! What I am finding says typical dosing, is .5 mg per pound. 

12 x 2.2 = 26.4 pounds

.5 mgs x 26 would be 13mgs


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## sarybeagle (Nov 4, 2009)

I've no idea on kg/lb ratio lol! Leaflet says inital dose .2mg/kg weight on first day, continuing over 24hrs at .1mg/kg. 

After 4 days adjust for long term pain relief.

Basically I'm totally unsure=no meds tonight as I don't want to balls up. Last time she had meds locum put wrong dose on label and I had to query it!!


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

Is it a metacam syringe? the one we have has kg on & just used to fill it to 36kg (just under as 36 isnt marked) for banjo or is it an upside down syringe thingy :confused1:


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## sarybeagle (Nov 4, 2009)

Yes it came with bottle and has marks for kg and says to fill to dogs weight but vets written 10ml once daily which is far more than the 2ml her 12kg marker is iyswim-I measured out 10ml water and sucked up to 12kg which still left about 8ml water as extra :s


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## Ridgielover (Apr 16, 2008)

sarybeagle said:


> I'm confusing myself over bellas metacam doseage.
> 
> Vets label says exactly this- metacam oral suspension dog 10ml x 1.0 from 14/6/10. Dose for 12kg once daily with food.
> 
> ...


The vet hasn't given you one 10 ml container of metacam has he?


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## sarybeagle (Nov 4, 2009)

I think it is? I'll check in morning as bellas only just settled down for night. So do you think it's 10ml bottle, dose x mark on syringe for 12kg dog? Normally the vet would show me how to work out the amounts ie on worming paste etc but both nurse and vet were locums and very busy and there was a male dog in there so I didn't want to hang around and it was only after tea I looked at packets and begun to confuddle myself lol!! 

You'd think working with medication I'd be better than this lol!!!


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## Kinjilabs (Apr 15, 2009)

When Ive had dogs on metacam the vet usually defines the dose, not the recommended dose on the bottle, so it wasnt what the leaflet said it was what the vet said, err Im confused now, hope this makes sense


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## sarybeagle (Nov 4, 2009)

Kinjilabs said:


> When Ive had dogs on metacam the vet usually defines the dose, not the recommended dose on the bottle, so it wasnt what the leaflet said it was what the vet said, err Im confused now, hope this makes sense


Problem is vet just said I'll put her on pain killers and antib's and I came out to reception but she then disappeared with next patient leaving me with nurse who was on phone as she printed out meds and just handed them over. I should of asked her exact dose then and there but like I say boy dog+2cats in baskets and a poor bell who's just been internally checked and howling to get to boy dog I just got out asap! All vet said was 4 days antib's come back in 3 days if no improvement. I'll pop in tomorrow as it's on my rounds and I'll take syringe and bottle with me xx


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## Kinjilabs (Apr 15, 2009)

sarybeagle said:


> Problem is vet just said I'll put her on pain killers and antib's and I came out to reception but she then disappeared with next patient leaving me with nurse who was on phone as she printed out meds and just handed them over. I should of asked her exact dose then and there but like I say boy dog+2cats in baskets and a poor bell who's just been internally checked and howling to get to boy dog I just got out asap! All vet said was 4 days antib's come back in 3 days if no improvement. I'll pop in tomorrow as it's on my rounds and I'll take syringe and bottle with me xx


Yes thats best thing to do, Metacam can have side effects so you dont want to overdose on it, let us know please how things go x


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

I always have to be shown syringe thing doses or by the time Ive been draged home forgotten what was said & have to go back :lol:


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## Ridgielover (Apr 16, 2008)

Sorry, had to go to bed last night!

If you've been given a 10 ml container of metacam, then I would imagine that you just use the given syringe thing up to the 12 kg marker BUT I think you're very sensible to double check with the vet since you're not sure :001_cool:


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## reddogs (Feb 6, 2009)

The syringe is marked so use it to give the dogs weight in the metacam i.e. for a 20kg dog fill the syringe to the 20 mark. Do not go over these doses as it can wreck a dogs stomach very quickly.

Our old boy was on it long term so until he got very ancient he had a dose that was lower than his weight.


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## sarybeagle (Nov 4, 2009)

I was right to ask as it is as you say the 12kg mark on syringe (about 2ml) to be given daily for 7+ days. She actually said they've complained to manufacture about the labeling system as it confuses many ppl. I'm glad I'm so anal about pharmacy labels as we are often sent wrongly dosed meds at work!! So my 5 r's came in handy-right dose, right time, right person, right med and right route


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

:thumbup: hope it does the trick


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