An alternative to Metacam

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GuineaCat9497

Post   » Tue Sep 17, 2024 6:39 pm


Hi everyone!

My guinea pig Bebita is almost 7 years old, and she has hyperthyroidism and arthritis, amongst some other things.

She also has a very sensitive stomach and is prone to gut issues and infections.

At the moment, she is in need of some pain relief for her arthritis, which is most likely getting worse due to her age and the drop in temperature. I am looking for an alternative to Metacam that would be less harsh on the stomach. Metacam is not suitable for her because of her ongoing gut issues. She reacted quite badly to that when I gave it to her recently.

My vet suggested giving infant paracetamol (100g, 2 times a day). Does anyone have any other ideas? Thank you in advance 🙏

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Sep 17, 2024 8:21 pm


Here's a 2013 paper discussing paracetamol (which is actually acetaminophen) for dogs.
It points out that it seems to be easier on the gastric system (which is what your vet told you):
https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/def ... 72&print=1

The Merck manual also mentions its use in cats, dogs, and horses. This is worth a read too:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/pharmaco ... n_v3337675

They note that, "has little ulcerogenic potential" which seems to also confirm it's easier on the digestive system.

I do not have any specific advice on its use in guinea pigs. It does not show up on my Fourth Edition (old) of Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary.

Sounds like it would be worth trying.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Wed Sep 18, 2024 8:19 pm


Just out of curiosity, how much Metacam was she given, and what was the strength of it and her weight? I wonder if the dose might have been too high and therefore causing gastric issues. Just a thought. Was it given shortly before or after feeding?

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Oct 09, 2024 11:40 pm


We used Tylenol successfully for one of ours, ages ago, for months, if not years. The dose looks right, or at least in the neighborhood, of what I remember using.

There aren't a lot of vet references out there for it, but our vet at the time found one and we used it very successfully.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Oct 09, 2024 11:46 pm


https://guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopi ... l#p2203208

https://guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopi ... l#p2318280

Also ask your vet about Rimadyl (carprofen). This is an older drug, but one we've used successfully in the past.

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