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Generic Drugs for Dogs - Petcam (Meloxicam)
Hi There...I have two dogs who have hip issues that we give Metacam to regularly as needed...it costs about $175 per 100 ml bottle. On the internet I see Petcam advertised for a fraction of this price....anyone have any advise or experience useing Petcam instead of Metacam...any other options? Thanks much. I've bought Metacam in the States and had it sent up here in the past and that saves some money but it's still rather expensive.
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#2
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Okay, what exactly is the pain? Arthritis? There are MANY MANY MANY better things to do for your dog than use Metacam. I know Metcam is much safer in dogs than cats but I've still seen a few dogs die from metacam, including a 4 month old puppy that was perfectly happy and fine, then got spayed and after another vet decided to give the puppy FOUR days of metacam, she went into kidney failure out of the blue and after we had to sit there and try to force feed her, we eventually put her to sleep after about 2 weeks because she was soooo sooo sick. Here is the info sheet on the injectable http://www.metacamkills.com/inject.pdf Also, how the heck are you ordering this stuff anyways? Do you have a prescription? I am VERY against ordering meds offline... especially medicines like this that are already iffy or dangerous to begin with. If it is not a trusted company, who knows if the medicine is real or if it has been properly stored & handled before coming to you. I /never/ order ANY meds offline for my animals (and I practically have small zoo in my house) just because I am way too paranoid. Here is the company that makes Petcam http://www.cipla.com/admin.php?mode=...on=disp&id=110 Quote:
Let's put it this way, if you were taking medicine and saw you could order it online from some random company in some random country, would YOU take it? As far as helping with hip problems, there are some AWESOME alternatives that work much better than metacam. http://www.dgpforpets.com/ http://www.arknaturals.com/category/56-joint.aspx
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My cat is smarter than your honor student. Stop Dog Fighting ~ Neuter Mike Vick! ~ RIP Timmy ~ May 2009 - November 6th 2009 |
#3
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Meloxicam Generics
Thanks for the information. They both have the same problems - hip dysplasia - they are relatively small dogs so it's treated by keep their weight under control and pain meds when needed. They've been given Metacam for probably 2 years...intermittently as needed, which is about twice a week roughly as we go to a cottage on weekends and they just can't help themselves to having as much fun as possible!! This usually ends up with them in some pain.
In terms of generics....we certainly take generics all the time for our own bodies (some of which are manufactured locally, some not)...certainly we have regulatory bodies that control that I simply didn't know if it would be the same for Meloxicam. I've had Metacam shipped to Canada in the past with no problems. A script was not required as it was being shipped out of the country, which I found interesting but didn't have any issues with - easy enough to get one from my vet if needed....only bought after a long conversation on the phone with the pharmacy. You mention better alternatives to treat the pain....any suggestions? Thanks much. |
#4
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Hi, Cecilb10 and welcome to the forum.
Quite a number of our members have used or are using Metacam (meloxicam) for their adult dogs without incident. When used as prescribed it is considered by veterinarians to be one of the safer nsaids for use in adult dogs. All drugs have the potential for serious side effects in some dogs. If the occasional use of this drug has been helping your dogs without issues, I would not be overly concerned about continuing to use it. Some more information on meloxicam and metacam: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/meloxicam.html SOME PRECAUTIONS: Meloxicam should not be used in pregnancy or in lactation. Meloxicam should not be used in puppies under 6 months of age (safety has not been proven). Meloxicam should be avoided, if possible, in patients with impaired function of the liver, kidney or heart. It should also be avoided in dehydrated patients and patients with known GI ulcers. The veterinary formulations of meloxicam are oral liquids (either 1.5mg/ml or 0.5 mg/ml). It is important to compare these sizes to the human tablets which are available in much higher strengths. In general, human strength pills will be too strong except in very large dogs. It is important not to use human medications on pets unless your veterinarian has provided detailed dosing instructions. Meloxicam (not Petcam) is the generic version of Metacam. It is the human version but is also approved for use in dogs and would definitely be cheaper and could be a good alternative for very large dogs. However, for reasons mentioned above it would not be viable for your smaller dogs due to difficulty in measuring the exact dosage and the danger of accidental overdose. Metacam, Meloxidyl, and Petcam are veterinarian formulations of meloxicam made by different companies. Metacam is the formulation commonly prescribed by veterinarians in North America. Meloxidyl and Petcam are manufactured in the UK and India respectively and would be commonly prescribed in various countries overseas. Cipla, the maker of Petcam, has been around since 1935 and is approved by five major regulatory bodies including the FDA (see Wikipedia). Still, I would be careful of the legitimacy of some of the websites that are selling Petcam and other drugs without prescription in North America and I still would not want to purchase this product without the approval of a respected veterinarian. Nothing wrong with purchasing drugs online in my opinion. Perhaps I am overcautious but I would only purchase any drugs online from a proven reputable licensed pharmacy. Some information from Wikipedia about online pharmacies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_pharmacy Pharmacies offering medication without requiring a prescription and doctor review or supervision are sometimes fraudulent and may supply counterfeit—and ineffective and possibly dangerous—medicines. There are a number of members on this forum who have or had dogs that suffered from hip dysplasia. I'm sure some will come along who can offer you some information on some of the things that they might have found helpful. Again, welcome.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The animals share with us the privilege of having a soul." -Pythagoras "The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body of each is different." -Hippocrates "Let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world." -Jack Layton "Be the change you want to see in the world" -Gandhi Kitties: Punky (17), and Sassy (13), Twinky (10), SweetMickey 1991 to May 24, 2009 Last edited by mikischo; April 30th, 2011 at 04:24 PM. Reason: Additional information added |
#5
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I don't know anything about Petcam-couldn't you ask your vet about it though?
I have been using Metacam for my dog for 1yr and 4 months, intermittenly, and haven't had issues. As said, all drugs have possible side effects. Since you're not having problems with that one and it works, I see no reason to change. Your vet is probably the best person to ask about the Petcam though. But with little dogs a 100mL bottle must go a long way at least. |
#6
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Thanks
Great information...thanks so much for offering your thoughts!
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#7
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I have been using Metacam for about 8 years for 3 different dogs. The first dog was on it for the last 3 years of her life, it really helped with her arthritis and she had no side effects that I saw from it. We had graduated to it from a Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM mix (though I kept giving this as well to all 3 dogs). When we were giving her the Metacam, it was the only NSAID available for dogs other than injections once a month that were more expensive than the Metacam.
The second dog we tried with several others first, eg: Deramaxx, Previcox and another one I can't remember the name of, they gave her side effects of vomiting and diarrhea that did not resolve after a couple of weeks on each drug. We finally decided that Metacam and the Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM mix were the only drugs that she could tolerate without side effects. She remained on the Metacam for 2 years before she passed of old age and complications after surgery. The third dog was also tried on Deramaxx, then Previcox with the same vomiting and diarrhea side effects that resulted in me finally changing him to Metacam. Again it was the only NSAID I gave him that did not cause side effects. He has been taking Metacam and a Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM mix for over a year now and without it he wouldn't be able to use his hind legs to get himself up or walk. He does have a chronic condition that results in days when he misses his meds and the following days show that his hind end weakness is still very much an issue without the NSAIDS. I am NOT saying that other dogs will not have side effects to Metacam or have stomach problems resulting from its use. Every dog will react differently to any medication given, just as any human may have side effects to a drug they are given. I am only telling you what my own experience with the use of Metacam has been and it has been good for all my dogs, so far. As for using Petcam, if it were readily available here in North America through my vet or even through an online pharmacy that DOES require a prescription, I wouldn't hesitate to use a generic form of Metacam. However, from googling Petcam it does not appear to be available at an online licensed pharmacy in North America that requires a prescription, so I would really question whether what they were selling was actually Meloxicam or something else. I would wonder if I might be putting my dog's health at risk by ordering a "drug" that could be anything. My hesitation extends to human "prescription" meds available online that do not require a prescription as the same holds true for them. Believe me I know how expensive Metacam is, but when I think of possibly taking a chance with my baby's health I just can't bring myself to do it. Have you checked with another vet for the price of Metacam as I pay quite a bit less for mine though still over $100 for the 100ml bottle. Good luck it would be wonderful if there were a generic form of Metacam available in North America.
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Willing Slave to: Sam 17 yrs; Bailey 14 yrs; and Smokey 10 yrs. R.I.P. Raggs 1997-2012 ; Pepper 1997-2009 ; Tiger 2000 - 2014; "Please do not breed or buy while shelter pets are left to die" |
#8
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I was asked to give my on Petcam.
To begin I have no direct clinical experience with Petcam. My understanding is that it comes from India. I do not know more than that or about the quality controls there. The concern with generics is always 1) does it have the same bioavialability as the original? 2) what is the quality control and safety factors. For clients that need generics due to cost I have in the past used a compounding pharmacy that I trusted. I knew the facilities, the pharmacists and their level of quality. As such I could get medications at a good cost, the concentration I needed and get them as flavored liquids when I needed. Regardless of where the generic drug comes from, I would recommend that you ask your veterinarian for their opinion. Some drugs seem to be fine as generic and I use them quite often. There are others that I have stayed very clear of. I hope that helps.
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Christopher A. Lee, DVM, MPH, Diplomate ACVPM Preventive Medicine Specialist With a Focus on Immunology and Infectious Disease myvetzone.com |
#9
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#10
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Ordering Metacam online in Canada
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You will need a vet prescription to get it there, but even if your vet charges for writing the prescription, and then factoring shipping charges, it is still quite a bit cheaper than buying it from the vet. BTW, I also try to get my other meds at the same time, since the shipping charges are usually one flat fee for a few items VS. one. Their Dasuquin is also cheaper than getting it at the vet. P.S. I have no association with petsdrugmart. I am just a satisfied customer. Thanks. |
#11
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Good afternoon. Advise generic drugs for dogs, which I can buy in Canada. Maybe you know a few good pharmacies. I will be happy with your answer. If there is a real experience, describe it. Thank you.
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