Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

London, UK

Member Since:
15 December 2015

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26 October 2016 - 12:35 am

What a saga!

I've been using Metacam on and off for years, and a problem I have always had with the larger (100ml) bottle sizes is that by the time you get towards the end of the bottle, the marks are wearing off the syringe, making it difficult to measure the dose accurately.

It's not a massive deal, you can just about see, but it is certainly not ideal. What I've done, if I've had another bottle, is to start using the syringe from that early, but of course then the marks rub off that by the time you're half way through, so then you start the next syringe and so on and so on, until before long the marks have rubbed off the syringe before you've even started the bottle.

Both Elsie and Meg are now on long term/permanent Metacam. As they each weight around 30 pounds, a bottle lasts a considerable time, and the syringe needs to do so too. So, I decided it was time to tackle the issue and emailed Boehringer Ingelheim, who own Metacam (at least in the UK), and asked if they could send me some spare syringes. I explained the problem I was having in totally non accusatory tones, and also offered to pay for the extra syringes.

OMD, the forces I have unleashed! They wrote back with a huge list of questions, starting with the batch number, expiry date etc. (I had said that it happened with every bottle). Then, how do I use the syringe exactly? (I mean, how do you think???) Do I squirt directly into the dog's mouth (no!), and so on and so on. They didn't actually ask the single question I would have thought most relevant, aka the size of the dog, which obviously determines how many times you need to use the syringe. I also have to return the syringe to them, then they will, they said, send me a replacement (note the singular), but first they need to get one of their vets to call me to discuss it.

If I didn't absolutely need the syringes, I really would give up at this point. I mean, is it just me? Do I have particularly abrasive hands, or what? So yesterday one of their vets called but I couldn't take it as I was out walking the girls at the time, and trust me you need your wits about you when you're out with the Megastar. She left a message, saying she would call back today. So please people, does anyone else have this problem? Is it really just me? Help me please before they send round the forensics squad....

Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.

Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...

London, UK

Member Since:
15 December 2015

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26 October 2016 - 3:05 am

Oh no... it occurs to me that US members probably have different syringes, measured in pounds? UK ones are measured in kilos. So I know there are a few of us in the UK but Eurydice probably gets about two doses out of a bottle... Zuki? (Not exactly small either) Anyone? Help!

Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.

Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...

eurydice

Member Since:
21 May 2016

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26 October 2016 - 6:55 am

Hi Clare 😍

Gosh, what saga, those people are truly infuriating 😡😡😡 and sending ONE syringe only? ...

I do note your point about them not asking the size of the dog 🙈... obviously they are not asking the right questions 🙊...

Eurydice does take Metacam every other day we have the big size bottles and, like you, I keep the syringes from one bottle to the next as spares.

She takes 1 full measure plus a bit each time but I never noticed the markings wearing off ...

Could you not make a marking yourself with coloured adhesive tape where Meg and Elsie's measure is? (assuming your saga will go on and syringe replacements take time to arrive💉⏳📆📪)

Good luck Clare and deep breaths whilst on the phone to their vet 🐸

Let us know how you get on 😬

Lots of love and cuddles flying your way 💕💕💕🐾🐶

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)

London, UK

Member Since:
15 December 2015

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26 October 2016 - 7:00 am

Could you not make a marking yourself with coloured adhesive tape where Meg and Elsie's measure is?

Of course!!!! That's a brilliant solution. Thank you, Teresa! Why did that not occur to me???? Seriously, I despair of myself sometimes! sad

Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.

Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...

London, UK

Member Since:
15 December 2015

Offline

26 October 2016 - 12:51 pm

So I survived the interrogation, just about, though I couldn't have done it without my girls, one either side, for moral support.

They have agreed to send me one replacement syringe. If that wears out, I will have to contact them again and go through the same process (she actually said that) in order to receive another.

The ~~detective~~ vet did let slip that this is a common problem.... (so do something about it....grrrrrrrrr!)

But I now have heart Teresa's heart magic solution and am beyond the reach of their aggravations... Thank you, Eurydice's Mum. Thank you, thank you, thank you xxx

Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.

Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...