Metacam for cancer pain.

I have a 13 year old Birman female cat, never really been sick in her life. We regularly go for annual checkups to the Vet and this year the Vet detected gingivitis and Samantha (the cat) was admitted for a scale and polish. During the surgery they became aware that her jaw bone had deteriorated and after x-rays they found part of the jaw bone “missing”. They did blood tests and also discovered she had renal deficiency. The latter was not severe, but it was 1 – 2 stage and of course the Vet’s diagnosis for the jaw bone was cancer. She didn’t do any other tests to confirm that diagnosis, but I have to agree that when I saw the X-rays there was nothing else I could even imagine that would eat away at a bone like that.



Now she did discuss with me various options for my little girl, radiotherapy, removal of the tumour etc., etc., but I love her too much to put her through any more invasive and scary treatments and after some emotional deliberations we both agreed to make her as comfortable as possible for as long as possible.



From what I have seen and read on the web, it will be the bone cancer that will cause her the most pain and discomfit and the renal deficiency apparently will not be (from what I have read) painful.



So I accepted the Vet’s suggestion to put her on Metacam on the 2kg rate once a day to relieve any pain or discomfit from the cancer without we hope impacting too much on the kidneys.



Your webpage regarding Metacam in the final analysis appears to confirm that it should not impact adversely on the kidneys. I hope this is so. We see the vet again in 4 weeks, she will continue to monitor her blood readings etc to ensure that there is no marked decrease in function.



We did use Onsior initially when Samantha came out of surgery, but the Vet felt that the Metacam had less chance of impacting negatively on the kidney function.



In light of all of the above, do you feel that we are heading in the right direction??? Do you have any suggestions or advice you could give?



I love my little girl and am dreading the inevitable.