Hespeler Animal Hospital

Why it’s important to be careful with Metacam and other NSAIDs

An open letter to concerned pet owners
By Dr. Louise Langlais
as appeared in The Record July 13, 2010

I sometimes get pet owners who are frustrated with my colleagues and me. Many of them want medication refills without having to bring the pet in for a checkup. Others would rather not have to do blood work in order to get more of certain medications for their pets.

Here’s a letter I wrote to one of my clients some time ago. His dog was on Metacam, one of the drugs used to treat arthritis in dogs and cats. I’ve changed his name and his pet’s name, to protect his identity. I hope this will give you some insight into why veterinarians need to stick to their guns about this one.
Hi Jeff, it was nice speaking to you today.

Thank you for your understanding that the College of Veterinarians has very strict rules about us prescribing certain medications and requires we examine our patients before doing so.

As I mentioned on the phone, all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can have side effects. These can include stomach ulceration, liver disease, and kidney failure.

Ibuprofen is toxic to dogs, so the pharmacist who told you it’s OK to give it to Buffy was very wrong. Dogs given Tylenol have been known to go into liver shutdown as a result, even when proper doses are given, so I don’t recommend that either.

Some dog owners give Bufferin or A.S.A., at a dose of 10 mg per kilogram (not per pound), twice daily with food. I’m not that keen on this practice now that there are better medications available to us. Please keep in mind that the side effects are more common with Bufferin than with the newer generation NSAIDs, so its chronic use is not without risk.

I strongly feel that since the newer NSAIDs such as Rimadyl, Deramaxx or Metacam are not only safer but also more effective than A.S.A.; it makes sense to use them instead. Also, they’re licensed for use in dogs, so you have the support of the manufacturer should anything go wrong. Using people medications for pets is unwise, and leaves you no recourse should your pet have any problems while on the medication.

Here are the links to good internet articles I promised to send you:

www.dolittler.com/2009/03/26/On-Metacam-Rimadyl-and-their-NSAID-ish-side-effects
and
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/ibuprofen-toxicity-in-dogs/page1.aspx

I think the articles above illustrate why we run blood tests before dispensing these medications, and why we monitor the liver and kidneys on a regular basis when pets are on NSAIDs long term.

By the way, unlike the horror story outlined in the Dr. Dolittler blog, at Hespeler Animal Hospital, we give a handout outlining side effects to every client the first time we dispense Metacam. We counsel our clients to monitor carefully for vomiting, black feces, or loss of appetite. We recommend stopping the medication immediately if pet owners observe any of these signs and to bring the animal in for an exam right away.

We care about Buffy, as we do about all our patients, and want to keep her safe. I understand asking you to bring her in for regular rechecks can appear as a “cash grab,” as you worded it, but it really isn’t.