My vet just gave my dog Metacam for his fever. How much time does Metacam take to work in dogs? We are here to answer all your queries about Metacam in the article below.
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Meloxicam, also known as Metacam, is an anti-inflammatory drug. The unique thing about this medicine is that it is a non-steroidal drug. Your vet will prescribe this drug for your pet dogs and cats for relieving pain, inflammation, or even fever.
This is a quick-acting medicine. You can observe the effect of this medicine in about 1 to 2 hours. After this time, you should see a positive change in your pet. I will talk more about Metacam, its usage, how long it takes to take effect, and how long it stays in your dog’s system after administering it.
How Much Time Does Metacam Take To Work In Dogs?
As mentioned earlier, this is a very fast-acting drug and will show results in just 1-2 hours.
Metacam is a fast-working drug or medicine on cats and dogs. You can expect this drug to work on your dogs in about one to two hours.
How To Give A Metacam To Your Pet?
Metacam is available as a liquid, chewable tablet, and injection. Consult your vet for the form in which you should administer it.
Metacam or Meloxicam is available in the market in liquid form. You can feed this medicine to your pet dog orally. If your dog makes a fuss about taking this medicine through an oral liquid, you can also go for an oral spray. Some medicine manufacturers also create chewable tablets for dogs and cats.
For dogs and cats with a severe condition or problem of inflammation, then you can also give your pets Metacam injections or pills. However, you should consult your vet before giving any of these forms of medicine to your pets.
If you don’t know how to administer an injection, you should not try to do so. You should take your pet dog to their vet, and then they should professionally administer the injection.
If you are feeding your dogs the oral liquid, then remember to shake the bottle well before use. You will need to carefully measure the dosage recommended by your pet’s doctor.
One of the easier methods of giving Meloxicam to your dogs is giving them this medicine with food. Giving it with food also reduces the risk of gastrointestinal side effects such as loss of appetite, vomiting or soft stools.
How Long Does Metacam Stay In The Dog’s System?
It may take upto 24 hours for the effects of the drug to remain.
Metacam has a long-lasting effect on a dog. Your pet dog can observe the development of this drug on its body for up to 24 hours.
Although, this duration also depends on the size of your pet dog and the dosage they are taking. If you are smaller in size and take a higher dosage, then the effect will last longer than it should.
Some dogs can also suffer from severe side effects to Metacam. The symptoms for severe side effects are blood in vomits or stool. The blood in the stool can also be tarry, red or black.
This can also be due to ulcers in the stomach of your dog. If you see some of these symptoms, you should immediately stop your dog from giving this medicine.
You should remember as responsible pet owners to give Metacam to your dogs as per the dosage suggested by the doctors.
The time Metacam stays in your dog’s system also depends on the application of the medicine. If you are using this medicine for general anesthetic purposes, its after-effects should go away in about 24 hours after taking it.
Pets such as dogs and cats struggling with osteoarthritis can use Metacam to relieve pain and inflammation. Once the inflammation and pain go away your dog can move normally. Ideally, you should give your dogs 24 hours to recover fully.
What Will Happen If I Miss A Dosage of Metacam?
If you are also wondering about the consequences of not giving your doctor the ideal amount of medicine at the right time, then you should follow the following steps.
Once you miss a dose of this Metacam, you should give the medicine as soon as you remember; you can provide it at the time so that you do not further increase the gap between the two doses. If the gap between any two doses is around 12 hours, then you can:-
- You can skip the dose you just missed and take the amount at the next scheduled time and hour. Then you can alter your dosage scheduling according to the new timing.
- The second option that you can follow is giving the missed dosage to your dog and then waiting for the time or interval that your doctor offers.
- Annual testing of your pet’s blood is an effective way of monitoring your dog’s situation. Another thing that you should check and regularly monitor is the conditioning of the kidney and liver upon the consumption of Metacam. You can also perform some type of monitoring while giving this medicine to your dogs.
- You should store this medicine at room temperature. There is no need to keep this drug in a refrigerator. But do also remember to not use this drug after the expiration date has passed. Do not let the children gain access to this drug as it is a high-class drug that should only be consumed under proper supervision.
How Does Metacam Make a Dog Feel?
While it will visibly reduce pain and fever, it may have gastrointestinal side effects.
Metacam is an effective drug for reducing pain and inflammation in your dogs. This drug can cause some side effects. The majority of these side effects are related to digestive issues—vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea.
A decrease in your dog’s appetite can also be quite visible if this drug is not suiting your dog. You can observe such changes if you keep a close eye on your dog while giving them this medicine.
If the digestive issues continue to persist even after taking medicine, then you should immediately talk to your doctor or vet. He is likely to either change the treatment or change the dosage.
How Long Does Metacam Pain Relief Last?
It can last for upto 24 hours.
As Metacam is a solid and effective painkiller, its effect can last 24 hours. If your pet dog suffers from arthritis or any other injuries which are causing them a lot of pain, then you can give this medicine to your pet dog. The time for which this medicine relieves your dog’s pain also depends on the quantity of treatment they are consuming.
Metacam is a powerful drug. Due to this, it is only available to you if you have a prescription from a doctor. You cannot consume or feed your pets with this medicine if you don’t have proper proof.
Is Metacam a Strong Painkiller?
Yes, Metacam is a strong painkiller for pets.
This painkiller is only available in the market legally if you show the prescription at the medical store. Otherwise, you won’t get this medicine from the stores. Usually, the strength of this tablet is about 7.5 mg per tablet. Your pet’s doctor is the right person to advise you according to your dog’s dosage precisely.
A Few Final Words
Metacam is a strong dog that is effective and has a long-lasting effect on your pet dog. Since you cannot give this drug to your dog without a proper prescription, the concerns surrounding the appropriate administration of this drug grow exponentially.
You can find this medicine in different forms, such as liquid medicine, sprays, tablets, and pills. If your pet dog suffers from any of the severe symptoms mentioned above, then you should take them to a doctor.
Thank you for reading, we hope you got the answers you are looking for. We have written about other drugs such as Frontline and Mylanta.