Once again I have had a run-in with a vet about Metacam. I have been looking into changing vets since Tasha died, and was very pleased to find a new vet had opened close to me. So I took Dushka to see her on Monday, as she is due for her annual exam and vaccine. The vet confirmed my suspicions that she has some slight athritis (she is 10) and suggested a Cosequin supplement for a month. If that does not help she wants to put her on long-term Metacam, and was very put out when I said no thanks, and explained why. She said Metacam had been proven to be the safest drug longterm in cats with joint problems and gave me a glossy brochure that makes this claim. She asked to see any evidence I had to the contrary.
On reading it at home I found that the brochure cites a study of 76 cats in Melbourne, Australia, in 2011, divided into 4 groups, healthy and in CRF, with and without Metacam, but most importantly, it was underaken and written up by the Director of Research for Boehringer Ingelheim, the manufacturers of Metacam! And she expected me to accept this as a believable scientific study!
So I need to find some evidence. Apart from the FDA notices in 2010 and 2011 I cannot find a credible collection of evidence or a scientifically based independent study. Case studies that simply say 'my cat had Metacam and died' are not enough, distressing though they are. Neither are pure opinion pieces from journalists or even online vets. Can anyone out there point me in the right direction?
On reading it at home I found that the brochure cites a study of 76 cats in Melbourne, Australia, in 2011, divided into 4 groups, healthy and in CRF, with and without Metacam, but most importantly, it was underaken and written up by the Director of Research for Boehringer Ingelheim, the manufacturers of Metacam! And she expected me to accept this as a believable scientific study!
So I need to find some evidence. Apart from the FDA notices in 2010 and 2011 I cannot find a credible collection of evidence or a scientifically based independent study. Case studies that simply say 'my cat had Metacam and died' are not enough, distressing though they are. Neither are pure opinion pieces from journalists or even online vets. Can anyone out there point me in the right direction?