Metacam for an elderly arthritic cat - your experiences please?

bacardi66

Hi

My cat is 19 years old - his mobility has been deteriorating over the last few months eg he no longer wants to go upstairs and on Friday the vet confirmed he has arthritis in his back legs and prescribed Metacam which I need to pick up tomorrow.

However I googled Metacam and was quite concerned about some of what came up such as it being linked to kidney failure etc.

The vet did bloods to check his kidneys before prescribing and the tests came back with normal kidney function which is brilliant considering his age.

I would love to hear if your cat had arthritis and whether Metacam worked - obviously I would like my cat to have improved mobility and less discomfort but not by putting him at risk.

Thanks for any replies

bagpussbear

The vet gave my elderly cat Metacam for his arthritis which helped him a lot and I could see he felt more 'comfortable'.

But the vet did say it would cause liver problems in due course, she was honest, but he was very old (18) so I took the gamble.

He did start to suffer liver problems as predicted, but given his age the Metacam made him much more comfortable in his last 18 months so I have no regrets about it.

missindecisive

The vet gave this to my cat, not for arthritis but for a troublesome abcess. It seemed to work quite well and definately made the cat more comfortable. I wouldn't hesitate in giving it to your cat, he/she deserves to be more comfortable in the golden years. x

Miss_J

My elderly cat (turns 19 in February) started Metacam in June. Like you I was concerned about starting him on it based on what I had read, but we had a couple of nights where he jumped his normal heights and cried horribly with pain. We started off on a full dose for a 3 kilo cat and straight away noticed the improvement in his comfort. However within a few days h developed vomiting and the runs so we stopped it. Instead I started him on Easeflex and whist this helped he wasn't as good as when on Metacam. Eventually I tried him back on Metacam hen it was obvious that he was uncomfortable and now I give him about 2 drops every other day ( about 1/3 of original dose) along witha daily dose of Easeflex. He is so much more comfortable, comes up and down the stairs, something he hadn't done for a few months, he has days when he scales a 6 foot fence to get to the neighbours garden. He recently had bloods taken just before a general and they said his liver/ kidney function was the best it's been in a while.

bacardi66

Thanks so much for the replies - I will pick it up from the vets tonight and start him on it - I really hope it will ease his discomfort as I can tell he really isn't very happy at the moment. I realise he hasn't got much time left and I just want him to be the happiest he can be.

Gold_Dust_2

My cat just had it as he was post-op, he's 14 and only had it for 3 days, but he did seem to feel better on it. Have you tried it yet?

bacardi66

Gold_Dust wrote: »

My cat just had it as he was post-op, he's 14 and only had it for 3 days, but he did seem to feel better on it. Have you tried it yet?

Thanks for your reply.

I started him on it last night so he has had two doses - to be honest he still really isn't himself and he is being incredibly fussy with his food and not moving much - the vet couldn't find anything obvious wrong with him when I went on Friday so I will see how he is and perhaps take him back at the end of the week.

Gold_Dust_2

My cat didn't move much on it either, I hope that that's what is happening with your cat now. It does say in the leaflet that effects can be seen after 7 days I believe, so he's got a bit of time yet. In terms of him being fussy with his food, what have you tried so far? One of mine is doing the same thing right now and he's driving me up the wall.

Tiddlywinks

My last two oldies were on Metacam - both for over 2 yrs. It really helped with their mobility.

I have arthritis - it hurts and it is miserable sometimes. I wouldn't wish that on anyone or anything - I have always chosen Metacam if the vet felt it was an option.

It's a trade off isn't it? Would you rather live longer but in pain or take the chance with a drug that might bring on a health condition BUT will ease the pain?

bacardi66

Gold_Dust wrote: »

My cat didn't move much on it either, I hope that that's what is happening with your cat now. It does say in the leaflet that effects can be seen after 7 days I believe, so he's got a bit of time yet. In terms of him being fussy with his food, what have you tried so far? One of mine is doing the same thing right now and he's driving me up the wall.

Im really struggling with the food thing - he has never been a fussy cat and for 18 years has just eaten Whiskas wet and Royal Canin dry food but has got a lot fussier in the last few months and in the last few days practically impossible. Because he is so old I just want him to eat SOMETHING and the only things he will eat at the moment are bit of chicken and cat lickestix although he did just manage a teaspoon of M&S cat food! Ive tried sardines, mackerel, cod,, and every type of gourmet cat food money can buy - he might eat a tiny bit and then just turns his nose up - I also have been feeding him by hand.

If he doesn't pick up soon I'm going to have to go back to the vet.

Gold_Dust_2

My situation is exactly the same (minus three years and the food brands). I believe that inappetence has been listed as one of the side effects of metacam, so that could be why he's being such a picky lad now. Don't wait until he hasn't been eating a while to contact the vet, give them a ring and see what else they have that they can recommend for him before he reaches the point of hospitalisation. The vet might prescribe an appetite stimulant for him, and you'll be on your way to munch-town in no time.

Other things that you could try are:

Fortiflora - the things that I have heard about this supplement make it sound like magic. You just sprinkle some on the food and kitty cannot resist eating it! I haven't tried it myself yet (completely forgot about it until now) but this stuff comes highly recommended. It's almost like kitty crack! Your vet might have some in stock if you don't want to buy a whole pack before trying it.

Bone broth - to help get some nutrition and water in while he's being picky. It takes a while to make, so to determine whether it's worth it or not you can make some quick chicken broth - just boil until the chicken is done, allow the broth to cool and serve it to the kitkat. I have tried this and most cats seem to like it.

Raw meat or plain boiled-chicken- just give a teensy bit a try if he shows interest in the scent.

Raising the bowl - he might be feeling nauseous, and raising the height of the bowl so that his mouth is higher than his stomach when he eats could help (it prevents acid reflux).

Putting bits of wet food onto the top of his paws - I've done this a couple of times with my old man. He's a fastidious groomer and he can't resist licking the 'dirt' off.

Is there something that your cat prefers above everything else? Other than lick-e-lix? Try mixing that in with a spoonful or two of food - so that the lick-e-lix/other treat is the majority and see if he'll eat a bite or two with that.

I hope some of the above suggestions help. You'll have to really take note of how much he is eating of a day otherwise you won't know when to stop worrying. He might be eating an appropriate amount in fits and starts, and you won't know it until you add up everything that he's had in the day. Have you ever thought about syringe feeding?