Metacam question

[chicknmania]

I have a 6 lb old rooster that I'm currently treating for MS. He has had a relapse though he's on antibiotics. I'd like to try Metacam for his swollen foot, but I only have a tiny bit left of the Avian Metacam...(1.5 mg) that is leftover from treating one of my peahens last year. I assume it's still within date, and based on info here, I can guess at the dose, but I wonder how long I should wait before giving him any as I've had him on baby aspirin twice a day for the past couple of days. Also, what is the difference between dog/ cat Metacam and Avian Metacam? Would the dose be the same for dog/ cat Metacam as it is for Avian?

 

[casportpony]

Metacam is meloxicam and comes as 1.5 mg per ml and 0.5 mg per ml, other than concentration, there is no difference.

If I were going to give meloxicam to a 6 pound rooster I would give:
1.5 mg/ml formula - 0.35 ml twice a day
0.5 mg/ml formula - 1.1 ml twice a day

Does that help?

 

[chicknmania]

Metacam is meloxicam and comes as 1.5 mg per ml and 0.5 mg per ml, other than concentration, there is no difference.

If I were going to give meloxicam to a 6 pound rooster I would give:
1.5 mg/ml formula - 0.35 ml twice a day
0.5 mg/ml formula - 1.1 ml twice a day

Does that help?

Thank you. The Metacam (Meloxicam) that I have is 1.5 mg/ ml. However, I'm wondering if 0.35 ml twice a day might be a bit much, as it is, as I said, leftover from when a vet treated my peahen. The peahen weighed (as I remember) somewhere around 12 - 15 lbs. Yet the directions on the container dispensed for her, say to give her 0.43 ml every 24 hours. Considering that she was considerably bigger than my rooster...you might see why I think that...as apparently the dose is figured by weight, and the dose you're figuring for my rooster is actually more than what i would have been giving the peahen.

0.25 ml once a day, as someone else related was the dose for their 4 lb bird, seems more in line with what I thought my rooster should have.

in the veterinary chart you referenced above, it refers to "avian meloxicam" which is why I wondered if there was a difference between that and what is given to other animals.

And what do you think? Should there be a withdrawal (off the baby aspirin) before I start giving him Meloxicam? And do you think Meloxicam would make a significant difference in treating the swelling in his foot (more so than baby aspirin) ?

 

[casportpony]

The peahen weighed (as I remember) somewhere around 12 - 15 lbs.

My *heaviest* peahens weigh 8.8 pounds, and my heaviest cockbirds are ~13 pounds, so I don't think you hen was that heavy.

How's your math?

Max weight of most peahens is 8.8 pounds (healthy hens weigh 6.6 to 8.8 pounds).
The dose my vet prescribed was for a 4 kg hen (8.8 pounds). and it was 0.7 ml of the 1.5 mg/ml twice a day. That = ~0.26 mg/kg, which is more than what I suggested for your rooster.

The amount I suggested for your rooster is 0.2 mg/kg
6 / 2.2 x 0.2 / 1.5 = 0.36 ml

This is what one of my books says:

Doses range from 0.1 mg/kg once a day to 0.5 mg/kg twice a day.

• 0.1 mg/kg - 6 / 2.2 x 0.1 / 1.5 = 0.18 ml
• 0.2 mg/kg - 6 / 2.2 x 0.2 / 1.5 = 0.36 ml
• 0.5 mg/kg - 6 / 2.2 x 0.5 / 1.5 = 0.9 ml

 

[casportpony]

This site says 0.5 mg/kg, which is more than I would use:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/meloxicam

It also says this:

 

[casportpony]

And one last source:

 

[chicknmania]

Gotcha. Thanks for all the information.

 

[casportpony]

Good luck, and keep us psted!

 

[chicknmania]

I consulted with my vet who suggested that probably the rooster, since he is seven years old, has a degenerative condition of some kind, and perhaps the swollen joints, which may or may not be MS, are secondary to whatever the degenerative condition is. He suggested we keep him on both antibiotics, and try some Meloxicam and Prednisone also. He does not feel there would be any significant conflict with the medications as long as the bird is not septic. He appears to be healthy other than the extreme swellling and pain. I think the vet is probably right about the degenerative condition, since I've noticed MS (or swollen joints) in an older rooster before. Anyway, I'm gonna follow his advice, we'll see what happens.

 

[casportpony]

Did he suggest a meloxicam dose?