QUESTION
Metacam is newly licenced in cats and appears to give very good levels of pain relief. I am however very dubious about the long-term safety data in cats and have already seen two cats have problems both of which were dose related. The ongoing maintenance should be only 1-2 drops maximum per day and at the bottom of this range there should be no problems.
I would however still be dubious in any cat with kidney problems as they can become worse ontreatment. There are very limited opportunities to use other products for arhtritis in cats with nothing licenced. We have used cartrophen off licence for some years but as it can stimulate glandular tissue I would avoid it with hyperthyroidism or any types of tumours.
The other alternative is synoquin cat which works well in a high percentage of cases but can be unpalatable and I have seen cats that vomit with it for no real reason. If the cat is stable and happy on metacam then continue on one drop daily but it would pay to keep a check on kidney and liver function every 6 months. It is wise to do this anyhow with the thyroid problems.
Tanya, UK
ANSWER
Dear Tanya
I would think that your cat is more likely to have problems with kidney function and being very thin I would also be making sure she did not have problems with an overactive thyroid gland. Take her to the vet and a blood test can be taken that should confirm or rule out these diseases.
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