[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Metacam Dose

[Sandra Ferrell]

Hi!

Okay, going to try this posting this again, since the first one didn't
blow a fuse on my computer. Woot!

 

I saw the thread about dosing Metacam, and thought I'd toss in my 2
cents' worth. Metacam has a recommended dosage of .2mg/kg by the
manufacturer (also found in Carpenter's Exotics Formulary, in the Rabbit
section). To figure out the correct dose, you would take the weight of
the piggie, multiply times .2, and divide by the strength of the
suspension. The standard strength of the oral suspension is 1.5mg/ml.

 

So......if you had a pig weighing 1 kilo, multiplied by .2kg/mg dosage
and divided by the concentration, you'd get roughly .13 (just past the
.1 mark). That would be your dose in cc's. You can use that same formula
for any weight, to get the dose in cc's (weight times .2, divided by
1.5).

 

I had a vet last year who overdosed the Metcam, and recommended the
dosage at a whopping .8cc's. When I discussed this with her, she became
very defensive and said she had been dosing Metacam in small animals
"for quite some time." After looking into this further, it turned out
that the vet (former vet) had been using the dose rate for rats - I
think it is something like 1-2mg/kg, rather than .1-.2mg/kg. Big
difference! I'm just glad I'm anal about these things, and double- or
triple-check doses before I ever administer anything.

 

As an aside, the manufacturer of Metacam told me that some vets don't
dose precisely, based on weight. Instead, they'll prescribe it at 1 drop
per pound. Easier to figure, but I would still rather calculate it out. 

 

Just thought I'd toss that out, in case it helps. :-)

 

Sandra