# Long term use of Metacam



## zowie (Apr 3, 2011)

For anyone that read my thread about Rosie and her bulging eye,this was about 8 weeks ago,she got put on depocillin and metacam. My vet took her off the depocillin after 4 weeks,I wasn't happy to keep injecting her every night,it was making her hate me and as her eye wasn't getting better,it was just staying the same,so my vet said that we should take her off them but keep her on the metacam just in case she was in any pain and keep an eye on her. So that's what iv been doing,she's had metacam every night for about 8 weeks now. She isn't acting any different to when i first noticed her bulging eye,she's still eating,drinking,pooing,hopping about etc etc. She's not losing any weight atall and apart from her eye looking googly,(which isn't getting any worse) i don't feel like there's anything wrong with her. Im worried about what effects the metacam could have on her in the long run. Is it ok for her to have it every day until what ever happens next?? Because she isn't acting any different now as before she was on it,i don't really know if its doing anything for her or not. I don't want to give her something unnecessarily.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

metacam can be VERY hard on the kidneys if used long term

what do they think the eye is? it could be root elongation pushing the eye out the socket, which will be painful, and the metacam will be needed

if you dont actually know what it is i would make a push of finding out, i would probably get some xrays done (to rule out RE) and work out if the metacam is actually needed


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

See thats the problem, you dont know if the Metacam is doing anything because they hide pain anyway. Very long term use can cause damage to - I think - kidneys and liver(at least it can in dogs) but months of it rather than X number of years I think is OK

The only way you would tell would be to take her off of it, I would check with your vet on how to do that, as the couldnt just stop having it after all that time.

It really is a tricky one


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## zowie (Apr 3, 2011)

She had xrays when we first went to the vets,her back teeth on the left side,top and bottom are growing all silly. We're are going back in a few weeks for a check up. Something just doesn't feel right by giving it to her every day like i am,i feel like i could be doing more damage to her insides than what her teeth could be doing to her eye,but id hate to think that if she wasnt on it that she would then be in pain. Then i think am i better off suggesting surgery next time,in the hope that once everything was cleared up,she wouldnt have to be on anything.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

if the roots are growing weird and into places they shouldnt, then sadly daily metacam is a must

is it all the teeth that are causing the problem? could removing some help? 
it may be an idea to get another xray about 4 - 6 months down the line from when you got the first set done, to compare growth and see how bad the roots are and if they are still infact growing and causing pressure/pain to the eye


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## zowie (Apr 3, 2011)

Lil Miss said:


> if the roots are growing weird and into places they shouldnt, then sadly daily metacam is a must
> 
> is it all the teeth that are causing the problem? could removing some help?
> it may be an idea to get another xray about 4 - 6 months down the line from when you got the first set done, to compare growth and see how bad the roots are and if they are still infact growing and causing pressure/pain to the eye


I was in a bit of a state when it all happened (i thought it was something awful that id done and thought she was going to die there and then) but from what i can remember from the xrays,it did look like the whole left side looked wrong compared to the right side and the bone around the eye socket was a bit infected. The vet said we could remove them but said it was quite a big op getting back teeth out and while she was acting well in herself and not losing weight,it was best to see how she goes and have a check up in a few weeks. It would be interesting to do more xrays to see how much worse it is getting. Her eye definitely isnt popping out anymore than when i first took her,its just stayed the same.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

root elongation is nothing that you have done hun, its genetics, so dont blame yourself

i would get more xrays done and compare them and take it from there, root elongation is very painful, so if it is progressing then the removal of the teeth could be the better option 

have a word with your vet when you go back and see whats what


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## zowie (Apr 3, 2011)

Lil Miss said:


> root elongation is nothing that you have done hun, its genetics, so dont blame yourself
> 
> i would get more xrays done and compare them and take it from there, root elongation is very painful, so if it is progressing then the removal of the teeth could be the better option
> 
> have a word with your vet when you go back and see whats what


I really thought it was me that had done it to her at first,i felt awful.

Il carry on with the metacam then for a few weeks then when we go for the check up il see what the vet says. 

When we first went and the vet was feeling her,she could feel little lumps along her bottom jaw so she suggested it would be teeth straight away,not that i know what im actually feeling for,but i have a little rub of her jaw every few days and i dont feel like the lumps are getting any bigger. Is this something that can slow down for a while and then flare up again or is it just a gradual thing that will continue to get worse very slowly?


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

the noduals on the bottom of the jaw tend to be the roots pushing out, it depends how bad the elongation is and if the top is worse then the bottom really with what you can feel 
it will carry on at the same pace, but what this pace is varies from animal to animal


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