My 15 year old cat is at the hospital on IV fluids and medication because she was on this drug. She was on it for twelve days before she started having bloody diarrhea, lethargy, and decreased appetite. Prior to her taking this drug, with the exception of her arthritis, she was doing just fine for an older cat.

The ER vets diagnosed acute renal failure which they believe was caused by this drug. I wrote the company a letter that I will also send to the FDA, my vet, the magazine Cat Fancy, and my local newspaper.

When I first got her to the ER, Glenn's blood levels were through the roof. She had been on the drug for 12 days. Yesterday they did a bloodwork recheck after she had been on an IV for a day and some of the levels dropped a bit but they're still high. The ER vet said that my cat was feisty, eating well, and that you can't tell that she has a serious illness.

I am hoping that she'll pull through this. I have given subcutaneous injections to my ferrets so I'm certain that I should be able to give them to my cat after I get her back from the hospital. I'm going to be optimistic and assume that she'll be coming back home. She's a tough girl, always has been.

I didn't know that the company was still peddling that drug to vets. I can't believe how stupid I was to trust my vet and not do my own research.

9/10/2008

Today we decided to put my cat to sleep as she was not tolerating the IV fluids which she had been on for six days. At first it was working to lower her levels (BUN went from over 200 down to 107) but then we found out that the fluid was building up in the spaces around her lungs. She stopped eating and they were going to put in a feeding tube. She also developed a heart murmur and anemia, the later for which they were recommending a blood transfusion. The anemia was developed because her stomach lining was bleeding from the metacam.

I believe that my cat was ready to go because she was acting so very passive, which is very unlike her when she is near anybody in a white lab coat. Knowing that she hated staying in the hospital, I brought her home to her favorite sleeping spot and that is where she peacefully passed on.

Last night while we were waiting to go visit her during visiting hours at the hospital, a woman had a miniature pinscher puppy in her arms. I heard the vet tech say that they just gave her an injection of metacam. I had to say something to the lady about metacam, I just couldn't help myself even though it was not any of my business. She said that they tested the dog first to see if he was reactive to the metacam. Hopefully she won't have the problems that many of us greiving pet owners did.

Sandra