Conditions I Think Pedro had a Stroke

How much does Pedro weigh? We can help you calculate dosing if you are concerned.

Metacam is well tolerated, as Kathlaaron said. Since your vet recommended dosing him, and its a very common med, I would go for it. As long as he is dosed properly it shouldn't be an issue.

ETA: So sorry you and Pedro are going through this. I bet he sure is glad to have you there for him, lucky little pig!

He fluctuates around 1kg. I just figured out the math (I think) so he should get 0.1mL every 24 hrs. That's right, right? God I'm stupid. Thanks for everyones help.

I was just confused becasue it didn't actually say the units on the box, just "1kg dose every 24 hrs" and she put a sticker on the syringe to show how much to give. I wasn't there to pick it up so I didn't get to ask. From what I am reading, it sounds right. I just want to be sure. I would really like to try some tonight and see if he perks up. Thanks for all the help!

ellisa said:

Thank you!! Thanks for the link also! Urrrghghghg It's all so confusing! My vet said it wouldn't hurt to try giving him a dose tonight, so I probably will. Just to see if he perks up at all. He's been so sleepy and I'm wondering if he's sore. I'm just afraid that he might stop eating or something will happen to him if I give him some. I am terrible at figuring out dosing on GL. I'm sorry. The box I have says it is 0.5mg/mL and the bottle has 3mL in it. The vet told me to give him a 1kg dose every 24 hrs.
Thanks for all the help. I feel so useless lately

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I am really awful with this type of thing too...conversion weights ect. I am just not too good at this either, so I hear you ! However, YOU are going through a lot with Pedro now, so it isn't surprising to me that your mind is a bit befuddled honey !

I would wait to ask Billie (bpatters) or Paula or pinky....someone that DOES know how to properly calculate ( they will need Pedro's weight though) and guide you....I am sure that someone more knowledgeable with these things will come on, for you DO NOT want to accidental overdose Pedro, you know ?

Sorry...miss-read something ! I am so glad surfing pigs answered too...

.1ml of a .5mg/ml dose in your 1kg pig equates to a dosage of .05mg. The maximum dosage is .2mg/kg. (ETA: in other words, 4 doses of this in a day would be the upper limit, if you can follow the math?)

That means Pedro should be fine taking .1ml, it falls well below maximum dosage range for 24 hours for a pig of his size.

If someone would like me to clarify anything here, let me know. I tried to "show my work", but I was always a better student than teacher.

Thanks SurfingPigs! So he should be fine with 0.1ml? I'm just paranoid after reading that GL thread with everyone giving different answers on dosing.

Hold on.... did the vet recommend the .1ml dose? Thats how I read it (and did my calculations). If that wasn't what the vet recommended, then you may be able to up the dose. If he hasn't been on metacam before, initial doses are typically low. Shooting for a minimum dose to relieve pain is good, so .1ml doesn't seem absurdly low to me.

If the vet didn't recommend a dose, I would check with them. Since he is an older guy, I like to err on the side of caution.

Well, the box said a 1kg dose, which really means nothing to me. My mother told me she said that there are 30 doses in the bottle. Since there are 3mL in the bottle, and it lasts for 30 doses, that would mean each dose is 0.1ml, yes? I would much rather give a low does, since he has never taken it, his weight fluctuates, and because it's just a trial right now. The syringe she gave me doesn't have any units on it, just a sticker for how much to give him.

Well the dose I calculated from is safe and not too low, sounds safe to me. The syringe sounds odd, no measurements on it? Add long as its actually .1ml that is marked it should be fine.

The syringe looks like it is in .1ml increments. It just says "Metacam 0.5mg/ml" on it. So, I can give him 1ml then? I would like to try it soon. Thanks for helping me

.1ml, not 1ml.

1ml would be very dangerous.

Woopsies! I meant to type 0.1ml not 1ml

Just a quick update:
So, I gave Pedro his first dose of Metacam, and I think there has been some improvement! The last few days he hasn't been too keen on eating his hay. He was eating all his veg, but not as much hay as he usually does. Today he's been eating more hay and he seems more alert. He still spent most of his day sleeping, but he seemed to walk around more today than he has the last few weeks. I'm going to give it to him for the next few days and see how it goes. I am hopeful that it will buy us some more time together. Thanks for all the help last night kathlaaron and SurfingPigs

@spy9doc, thanks for your reply. I am familiar with Metacam, but I have only given it to dogs, not cavies. My old dog took it for arthritis and my current dog needed it when he was a puppy for growing pains. The bottle I have is 0.5mg/ml and it's a 3ml bottle. The dosage he is on currently is 0.05mg every 24 hrs. According to GL the max dose is 0.2mg every 24 hrs. I don't want his dosing to be too high if he will be on it everyday. Do you think this is enough to help his pain, but not too much to make him OD if given everyday? I'll probably call my vet on Monday just to confirm everything.

Yes, sorry! I guess I should have worded my question better! Please excuse me! I meant that I've heard that a higher dosage is okay for short term use, but not for long term use. So, I was wondering if .05mg is okay for a long term dosage? Does this type of drug build up in his system, and if so, will it harm him in the long run? Or is that dose is too low? I just don't want to give him a high dose if he's going to be on it every day. Maybe no one on here would know the answer, so I'll call my vet to confirm. I think my vet perscribed a lower dose because of his age, and because he doesn't weigh that much. He's weight has been jumping up and down the past few weeks.
edit: I just wanted to add that the vet told my mother that he can be on it long term, but since I wasn't actually there to witness it, I will call just to make sure. I like to check 1,000 times before I do anything. I guess I just worry about everything. Thanks for the help!

@spy9doc, so if you were perscribed 0.13ml and your strength was 1.5mg/ml, does that mean your pig actually got 0.195mg of the actual drug? I suck at math

@spy9doc , thanks so much for all your help! I am just a huge worry-wart when it comes to my pets. I've heard of cavies with stones that can't be removed taking Metacam long term, so I think Pedro will be ok. I know giving him a bunch of meds isn't ideal but I honestly don't know how much time we have left together, and I don't want him to be in pain. Especially since it seems like it's helping him so far. I guess it's kind of like a senior human having to be on pain meds long term. My vet is closed tomorrow, so I will give him tomorrows dose and call her on Monday to check that he can be on it long term. Thanks again for all the help!

How is Pedro this morning? I hope all is going well!

He's doing well, thanks. He's been eating more hay since giving the Metacam. He seems more awake and perky. He still spends most of his time sleeping, but he's always been lazy, and I think getting lazier with age. He is more skittish since his seizure episode. When I go to pet him he sort of freezes up, and he's never been that way before. I really do think there is a change since he's been on the Metacam, though! He seems to be standing taller, and not so squat.
Some of his poopies are still oddly shaped, so I'm just keeping a very close eye on him. I have no idea why this is happening, so I really do think it's probably because the lump is pressing on his cecum. I will rush him to the vet if anything changes. Thanks so much for all the help and kind words