Help: Kitty+Teeth Extractions and Metacam, pain management

[Saphynne]

I'm so worried right now.

My senior kitty (17 yr old) had massive dental problems so yesterday she went in for dental cleaning and they also extracted two teeth. The Vet gave us antibiotics and Metacam for the pain. I went home and gave her a dose of the Metacam since she was in pain and could not eat.

Today, I looked up Metacam and found out it was not approved for use for cats, and many many cats have died from acute renal failure because of it. So I decided to
skip the Metacam, however, my poor kitty is obviously in serious pain and can not eat (all she can do is lick up Nutrical (supplement for cats who are off food /hurt).

So I called the Vet, and he said its the only pain killer we have for her, and its safe. So I decided to give her 2 drops (instead of 3 drops twice a day).

I don't know what to do? I don't want her to suffer but then again I don't want her to die from an acute reaction to the pain killer.

Anyone else, have to go through major dental surgery for your lil kitty? What did you do to encourage them to eat? Did you give them Metacam?

Sorry, if I sound neurotic , I'm so stressed out

 

[Irishgal]

OK, I just called my friend who has older cats, yes, in very very very rare cases cats can have problems with this drug but not often. It was her suggestion that you give your cat the dose the vet suggests as the pain is pretty bad. Also, keep in mind that most likely the renal failure is happening when cats are being given the meds for a longer period of time that you will be giving your cat, as the pain will subside over a few days. Pain hurts!

 

[Irishgal]

OK, I just called my friend who has older cats, yes, in very very very rare cases cats can have problems with this drug but not often. It was her suggestion that you give your cat the dose the vet suggests as the pain is pretty bad. Also, keep in mind that most likely the renal failure is happening when cats are being given the meds for a longer period of time that you will be giving your cat, as the pain will subside over a few days. Pain hurts!

 

[Saphynne]

/thank you for your reply.

 

[Irishgal]

Sorry I double posted...

 

[bagnshoofetish]

like irishgal said, please give the dose the vet prescribed to your kitty. most all meds have the potential to be deadly to any animal - a parvo shot can kill your dog if he/she is already infected for example - the bottom line is that these warnings are just that, warnings that it could happen but is unlikely. the pain will subside soon, just give your kitty plenty of love and comfort (if whe wants it, and leave her alone too if she prefers that.) she'll be back to normal soon.

 

[vetmedgirl]

Many drugs are used "off-label" in veterinary medicine because it is usually a long, tedious (and expensive) process to have a drug FDA-approved. That being said, there have been studies to support the safety and efficacy of Metacam in cats in controlled dosages and I think it may actually be licensed for use in cats in the UK. If you are still uncomfortable with the medication, ask your vet about Tolfedine, an NSAID that is approved for use in cats. We have it here in Canada but I'm not sure about availability in the US.

 

[Kathleen37]

My dog had 3 teeth out a couple of weeks ago, and she wasn't put on any pain meds at all, however, she is a complete piggy, and it didn't stop her eating for a second.

If your puss is still in a lot of pain after the extraction, then there may be a chance she has an infection? Hopefully not, but something to keep an eye out for. Personally (and please feel free to ignore, because it's only a personal opinion) if puss was still not happy after a couple of days, I'd either phone, or take her back to the vet, to rule out infection. I only mention that as one of our cats had a huge tumour removed from the inside of her mouth, on her gum/jaw, and she was able to eat the day after her op without too much trouble (lots of dribbling though)

All the best, I hope your kitty is well again soon,

take care,

K
x

 

[tiramisu]

Metacam is not FDA approved for cats in the US, but it has been prescribed in Europe for many years now. I don't know the reason why FDA has not approved Metacam use for cats yet. It is fairly new to the US for dogs and prescibed popularly for osteoarthritis pain, but has been around for a while, esp in Europe and Canada. And many many US vets have been prescribing this to cats for a while, too, and it is pretty safe if used correctly. It is the 'safer' Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug in the current vet market, although NSAIDS are generally avoided in cats because they cannot metabolize the drug well.
If you cat still seems painful after 24 hours, I would ask if the vet could prescibe something stronger. Usually for pain meds after teeth extraction, I would expect something stronger like in the Opiod class rather than Metacam, but I am no vet... My 15 yr old cat recently got her teeth extracted and I was prescibed Buprenorphine with antibiotics. Cats are too good to hide pain, and you are the only one who can watch and tell whether she is doing okay or not. As for encouraging her to eat, if you kitty is not eating more than 2 days, seek veterinary attention. You can always try tuna, boiled chicken (no salts, oil, etc), chicken broth on canned food, simple babyfood, etc and coax her to eat that way, too. Warm up food, etc. But you posted the thread on the 5th and today is the 7th... Usually after a dental extraction, cats eat normally right away... Did you cat receive IV fluids during the procedure? Did she get bloodwork checked before anesthesia? PM me if you need to but don't wait too long to contact your vet if you haven't, and if you kitty has not improved... Let us know...

 

[Saphynne]

Thank you everyone for your PMs etc. and support

Update: I posted my post the day of her operation. The next day, I did not give her the pain meds in the morning but she still ate 1/2 her food and also licked up a full portion of Felovite and Nutrical. (vitamin supplements/calorie supplement). However, she looked uncomfortable so after consulting with my vet, I gave her only 2 drops (instead of 3 drops 2x a day).

The next day (3rd/4th day): No pain meds, but she got up and ate her usual portion of food. So I decided not to give her any pain meds.

So far its day 4, the Vet says she's healing fine, I don't have to give her pain meds especialy if she is eating/sleeping/drinking water normally.
However, I'm worried the Vet said her front gums are red and inflammed but he's not concerned yet and hopes the antibiotics she's on will clean it up and/or its just minor irritation from the cleaning.

I'm just giving her tons of love, attention and letting her use my lap and/or heated bedding I bought her to keep her comfy.