Metacam oral solution is NOT FOR USE IN CATS!

by Leo
(Winchendon, MA)

My friend and family member, Rocky, has been in emergency care for renal failure for 5 days. Our Veterinarian prescribed Metacam oral solution for pain. This drug is NOT FOR USE IN CATS!

If your Veterinarian prescribes Metacam for your cat advise them that you will not accept the risk. Tell them to stop using the drug for cats! The use of Metacam oral solution in cats is prohibitive by the FDA and the product manufacturer. There is no safe amount of this drug for use in cats! NONE!

According to the manufacturer’s product sheet, (http://www.bi-vetmedica.com/product_sites/METACAMORAL/documents/Metacam_Oral_Susp_rp.pdf) Metacam is not for use in cats and has a narrow margin of safety (also known as therapeutic index) in cats, meaning that there is very little difference between a safe, effective dose and a toxic dose. Repeated doses of Metacam Oral in cats have been known to result in death, as documented in the clinical tests submitted to the FDA.

Veterinarians often may administer a drug in a dose or frequency different from the manufacturers’ instructions. This practice is termed, “off label use”. While off label use may be practiced in veterinary medicine, prescribing a drug directly against the label directions is not off label use. It is malpractice.

The use of Metacam in cats will harm them. There is no dispute! Please help get the word out to all cat owners, pet owners, Veterinarians.

Metacam Kills Cats

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Editor's note:

I'm very sorry to hear about Rocky. It's very sad when our pets are hurt by those we are supposed to be able to trust.

I have not done much research on this, but I took a look around, and have added some comments and links below.

Metacam and renal failure question

This question was asked back in 2005, and the Vet says that the FDA has approved the drug for cats, and that the dosage given was within normal range. From what I've read, the FDA approved use for Metacam in cats is for a one time injection, not oral use. I don't claim to know more than a veterinarian, however, and keep in mind that the FDA may have changed its position since these documents were created.

As I continue reading about this, though, I conclude that oral use in cats is NOT approved by the FDA. So, either the FDA changed its position, or the vet who answered that question was not fully informed. This really should be regarded as unacceptable, and it makes you wonder how many other vets are not fully aware of this, or other problems as well.

Metacam info at Veterinary Partner (last updated 11/12/2007)

This information is supposed to be for veterinarians, and is kind of technical, but this reveals quite a bit (meloxicam = Metacam)...

"In cats, this product is given either as a single one time injection in association with surgery (its FDA approved use) or long term 2 to 3 times per week.

Patients being considered for long term meloxicam use should be evaluated with a complete physical examination and initial screening blood test to identify any factors, such as liver or kidney disease, that might preclude the use of this or any other NSAID."

FDA page on NSAIDS

"Oral NSAIDs are approved for use in dogs only."

I'm guessing that means cats = no!

Pain management for orthopedic problems in cats

The vet from this site always seems to have very sensible answers and always mentions risks.

This page is long so I'll excerpt a bit here...

"Pain is a frustrating thing to treat in cats. They do not tolerate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) very well. This is particularly true for cats who have any kidney damage."

So, if your cat needs medication for pain, find out exactly what your vet is prescribing, and research it before you administer it.

Thanks to Leo for bringing this to the attention of all the cat lovers out there. I hope Rocky recovers quickly and I hope this helps others to avoid a catastrophe. Be careful out there!

-Kurt