Dear Dave,  

Thank you for your website. You have been a saving grace and words cannot convey my appreciation for your time and effort  to educate cat owners of this lethal drug.

My cat, Tiger, 14 has been with me since a kitten. I was 21 when I bought him.  

He recently (15^th April) went to the vet for swelling on his head that I knew was caused by a blood blister that the treating vet had looked at 12 months ago saying that it was nothing. Still hadn’t gone away but hey, he’s a vet - he should know so I trusted him.

On this visit, the treating knocked him out to “clean up the abscess” that was the blood blister that still hasn’t gone away. Whilst he was out she examined him and found a lump. After x-rays found it was a tumour on his liver. She also noticed cartilage build up on his hips/pelvis. He was been hit by a car as a kitten and his pelvis shattered and he lost half his tail. I had been told this would affect him later in life. I knew he was a little stiff of late in his rear. He was tentatively jumping up and down off the furniture and, going down stairs, he would let both back legs drop down together at each step.

The vet prescribed Metacam for this. The first dose was a full tube (attached pic) and then half a tube daily. I asked her if this was something that would now be ongoing for the rest of his life and she said it was likely.  

The first few days he was jumping around like a little kitten, running down stairs using his back legs as he should. I felt I had done something wonderful for him and made him a little more comfortable and pain free.

However, of an evening when I got home from work most nights, I found vomit mounds (one or two a night). I contacted the vet and they said it was probably because of his liver tumour and that this was a sign of his decline and once he started to lose significant weight I would have to make the decision about his quality of life.  

I went away on 23^rd and returned on the 30^th to find that Tiger can’t use his any of his legs properly. His back legs don’t seem to do what he wants them to do – the right one falls behind the left and he can’t move it around so trips over. His front legs (which had nothing wrong) splay out like a starfish if he’s not walking on the carpet.  

He gets these funny head shakes that I have never seen him do before and he just won’t eat. He has this vacate look about him and just wants to be close and sleep.  

Yesterday on the way to work I decided to google Metacam. I’m surprised I even remembered the name as I hadn’t really paid attention to the bottle. Thank God I remembered the name. I found your website.  

I contacted the vet about it and spoke with another vet who hadn’t treated him and he told me that Metacam should not have been prescribed in the dosage, given his liver enzymes/blood results.  (attached)  

I AM LIVID! I can’t understand how this woman (the treating vet) could do such a thing. She had said that given Tiger’s age, having the tumour removed would only extend his life possibly 3-4 months and was I prepared to throw away $2K to have the surgery. Naturally then I chose to make his life comfortable for the remaining 3-6 months that she has predicted. She’s a vet, it’s her job to treat animals not kill them. As a paying consumer and an old client, I would expect the best treatment for my animal. That was a $770 visit to the vet for what – nothing but the potential of more issues given the Metacam.  

How can she call herself a vet! Tiger has been with that surgery since he was a kitten. I just don’t understand.  

He had his last dose yesterday morning. I have thrown away the bottle.  

·     Are you able to let me know how long it will take for the drug to be flushed from his system and what steps I can take to expedite this?  

·      How can I tell if his kidneys have been effected or look for signs of potential renal failure without having to take him back to a vet? I am reluctant to take him to any vet at the moment.  

·      Are the head shakes he is having  a result of the Metacam and what is it that is causing them?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you again Dave for your website.

Kindest regards,  

Felicity and Tiger