# Alternatives to Metacam?



## angelas (Aug 23, 2003)

I'm at a bit of a loss lately. When Lucky got old I had all the supplement info saved and built into a table for her. That computer has since moved to the recycling center.

Shania was put Metacam last year on her 12th birthday. Her gait was getting a little stiff but not really obvious limping. We were able to manage her pain with a 4 kg dosage for the winter (she's a 6 kg dog). For the summer we were able to taper it down to a 2 kg dose.

She also gets each day:
Glucosamine (500 mg)
Chondroitin (400 mg)
MSM (400 mg)
Salmon Oil (1000mg)

Now that it has gotten colder again we are back up after I noticed her gait is off again to a 5 kg dose of Metacam each day. It's been a month and her gait in the back end is still really off. She's throwing her right leg out and a wide circle.

Because the Metacam is an NSAID with the associated risks to liver and kidney I don't want to up the dose anymore that it is already.

Other complications are a history of glaucoma, current cataract and a grade 1 heart murmur.

What are the other drug options I can ask my vet about when we go in for Shania's bloodwork and rabies to keep her comfortable? Are there any other suggestions for supplements that may be able to compliment a drug regimen?


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I would recommend taking a look at this page, it has a lot of good info on supplements and things you can ask your vet about: 
DogAware.com Health: Supplements & Diet Guidelines for Dogs with Arthritis

My previous two dogs had some joint problems and one had severe spondylosis as well, and we tried several of the things mentioned there and some other things. Some of the things we used included Dog Gone Pain, Duralactin, DLPA, Syn-Flex (a liquid Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplement), MSM, and salmon oil with vitamin E.
We also did acupuncture, chiropractic and water treadmill hydrotherapy which helped with their muscle tone, -keeping up their exercise and muscle quality helped a lot.
I have read that liquid supplements of glucosamine are absorbed better and more effective than in pill form so that might be something to check into if you are using pills.
I've heard some people have good results with Adequan as well.

Of course you should make sure to consult with your vet before starting any of these especially with the other health issues. My terrier had a heart murmur as well. The Dog Gone Pain does not list all the ingredients but my vet was able to contact the company to get that info to make sure it would be ok for my dogs to take it with their other issues and meds.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Rocky was on Metacam when we switched to a holistic vet. We were able to wean him off the Metacam with a combination of Zeel and Cholodin Flex. We were already giving the supplements you are. He's doing better on this regimen at 10 years than he was on the Metacam at 8 years.


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## angelas (Aug 23, 2003)

Thanks for the ideas. That website was quite helpful CC.

I was going to ask about Adequan when we go in and if it's not going to cause any bad interactions I found a place that sells Syn-Flex in town so I'll be able to get it locally. I always prefer doing that the first time I try something.

Emoore - for the Zeel stuff, do you use all three (ointment, tablet, drops) or is it just one or the other depending on preference? Did you continue with the glucosamine/chondroitin after switching over?

I wish I had a holistic vet closer to me. The nearest one is 3 hours away so I'll see what my regular vet has for options and if we're still having problems I'll see if I can't get her an appointment in Brandon to try acupuncture.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

angelas said:


> Thanks for the ideas. That website was quite helpful CC.
> 
> I was going to ask about Adequan when we go in and if it's not going to cause any bad interactions I found a place that sells Syn-Flex in town so I'll be able to get it locally. I always prefer doing that the first time I try something.
> 
> ...


He takes the Zeel tablets only,no ointment or drops, two a day. They're about $20 for 100 of them. He also gets Annamet Endure glucosamine/chondroitin/green-lipped mussel and the Cholodin Flex.


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## angelas (Aug 23, 2003)

Thanks. We've got an appointment on Friday morning. I'm going to ask about the Zeel and Cholodin to make sure it won't interact with anything or risk her heart.

I'm also going to ask about Adequan/Cartrophen to see if that might help.

I went down to the place that Syn-flex's website says sells in town here and they have never heard of it. So I'm on the hunt for a place to order on-line. Several of Amazon's listing say they can't deliver to my address so the search continues.


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

Angelas,

If you are trying to find something that can be shipped to you, you could try asking your vet to have it shipped to their clinic. Sometimes companies won't ship to individuals, but will ship to the vet clinic. 

Is your regular vet receptive to the holistic treatment? If so, you're very lucky! I switched vets a number of years ago because he flat out refused to look at alternatives to what he'd learned in vet school - oh about 20 years ago. 

Good luck,


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Check out this thread. There's a lot of discussion of Adequan and additional supplements that you may want to consider, as well as Gatorbyte's bone broth.

I have nearly eliminated NSAIDs from my old dog's routine, and last night he wanted to _go jogging _with my DH. He was like yours--stiff, slowing down, dawdling on slow walks, with difficult getting up from his dog bed some days. I feel like we've turned the clock back at least 3 years for him -- he's so much happier and more energetic.

The key for me was finding a new vet who didn't _only _want to use NSAIDs -- my new one believes that the clinical literature supports a conclusion that a multi-pronged approach (meds, supplements, Adequan, and exercise) gets the best results in arthritis treatment. _That _worked for us.

We did use NSAIDs for a while, to give the Adequan and supplements time to load, but we don't need the NSAIDs any longer. Our treatment protocol was to fade them as soon as we could (dropping down to 1/2 dose per day, then every other day...)

Good luck!


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