Do not use in pregnant or lactating animals.
Do not use in animals suffering from gastrointestinal disorders such as irritation and haemorrhage, impaired hepatic, cardiac or renal function and haemorrhagic disorders.
Do not use in cases of hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients.
Do not use in animals less than 6 weeks of age nor in cats of less than 2 kg.
Special precautions for use in animals
Avoid use in any dehydrated, hypovolaemic or hypotensive animal, as there is a potential risk of renal toxicity.
During anaesthesia, monitoring and fluid therapy should be considered as standard practice.
Typical adverse reactions of NSAIDs such as loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, faecal occult blood, lethargy and renal failure have very rarely been reported from post-marketing safety experience.
Very rare cases of haemorrhagic diarrhoea, haematemesis, gastrointestinal ulceration and elevated liver enzymes have been reported from post-marketing safety experience. These side effects occur generally within the first treatment week and are in most cases transient and disappear following termination of the treatment but in very rare cases may be serious or fatal.
Anaphylactoid reactions have been observed very rarely from post-marketing safety experience and should be treated symptomatically. If adverse reactions occur, treatment should be discontinued and the advice of a veterinarian should be sought.
The frequency of adverse reactions is defined using the following convention:
• very common (more than 1 in 10 animals treated displaying adverse reactions)
• common (more than 1 but less than 10 animals in 100 animals treated)
• uncommon (more than 1 but less than 10 animals in 1,000 animals treated)
• rare (more than 1 but less than 10 animals in 10,000 animals treated)
• very rare (less than 1 animal in 10,000 animals treated, including isolated reports).
The safety of the veterinary medicinal product has not been established during pregnancy and lactation.
Other NSAIDs, diuretics, anticoagulants, aminoglycoside antibiotics and substances with high protein binding may compete for binding and thus lead to toxic effects. Metacam must not be administered in conjunction with other NSAIDs or glucocorticosteroids. Concurrent administration of potential nephrotoxic drugs should be avoided. In animals at anaesthetic risk (e.g. aged animals) intravenous or subcutaneous fluid therapy during anaesthesia should be taken into consideration. When anaesthesia and NSAID are concomitantly administered, a risk for renal function cannot be excluded.
Pre-treatment with anti-inflammatory substances may result in additional or increased adverse effects and accordingly a treatment-free period with such veterinary medicinal products should be observed for at least 24 hours before commencement of treatment. The treatment-free period, however, should take into account the pharmacological properties of the products used previously.
In case of overdose symptomatic treatment should be initiated.
Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the veterinary medicinal product to animals
Accidental self-injection may give rise to pain. People with known hypersensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should avoid contact with the veterinary medicinal product. In case of accidental self-injection, seek medical advice immediately and show the package leaflet or the label to the physician.
This product can cause eye irritation. In case of contact with the eyes, immediately rinse thoroughly with water.