Could our dog’s night-time vomiting be a delayed Metacam side effect?

[Exhorseygirl]

Has anyone had any slightly delayed side effects after starting metacam? Specifically delayed onset vomiting? But only happening at night. She’s eating/drinking/pooing normally.

We’re having some issues with our older girl and I’m wondering if they’re connected. I’m awaiting a call back from the vet but in the meantime time I’d be interested if anyone had any ideas.

She is 11 and started metacam is for arthritis on 23/7. Initially no problems at all. No sickness or upset tummy and all seemed fine. The plan was a 2 week trial, then bloods to check kidney and liver function before we keep her on it long term.

However, she’s started vomiting, but it’s presenting oddly.

The first night it happened (Thursday into Friday) we took her to the vets that morning, because she was clearly feeling rubbish (which is not like her at all, even when she's eaten something disgusting/had a bug- she vomits and bounces off). She was very quiet, and just lay on the kitchen floor looking very sorry for herself- she really had me worried. Typically she picked up during the few hours before we saw the vet and so looked full of beans. She didn't have a temp, he couldn't find any soreness or tension in her tummy. He suggested we stop the metacam for a few days as it can irritate their guts, break her meals down into more regular smaller portions and just monitor it as at that point it was just one incident of vomiting, with nothing else indicating an issue.

We rang on Saturday as she did the same overnight again, but as she was completely well in herself they said wait and see, no need to come back in. Obviously straight to OOH if things changed.

It has now happened every night, for a total of 4 nights. We called again when they opened this morning, and the receptionist said she'd speak to the vet and he'd call us back later today.

It's very odd as if you didn't find the one pile of vomit you'd never realise anything was wrong as by Friday afternoon she was back to her usual cheerful self and has stayed that way since. It only happens overnight, and only once each time. It's not the hungry sicks as there is undigested food in it. She is pooing to her normal schedule, completely solid, eating with enthusiasm, playing with our younger dog.

The metacam website says side effects such as vomiting and upset tummies can occur within the first three weeks. I'm wondering if actually it could be related to starting the metacam, even tho she seemed fine the first week? And if so, how long before it settles down (she hasn't had any since Friday morning)?

Has anyone else experienced similar?

Thank you!

My last dog has terrible acid reflux on metacalm, he did vomit occasionally but during the day. The vet prescribed something for it, till he was off metacalm

Very common to get vomiting on metacam. There are loads of different pain killers so it woud make sense to swop to another one.

Thank you both.

The vet called back and said give it a few more days to see if it passes, altho he didn’t sound particularly convinced it was the metacam as her poo is completely normal and it’s got this odd pattern of just once every night.

We’ve booked to go back in on Wednesday, the plan being further investigations in the form of blood tests to start with if it’s still happening. If it’s stopped we’ll look to swap her onto another painkiller. She hasn’t had any further metacam since Friday morning.

Fingers and toes crossed for no sick tonight!

I wonder if it could be to do with the time of day she has her metacam?

Have you tried giving the metacam with food?

To answer the above, she was having the metacam on her breakfast around 8am approx.

She’s not on joint supplements is she? YuMove made my dog vomit so badly it burned a hole in the carpet 😭

Just an update in case anyone is in a similar situation and finds this doing a search.

She repeated the pattern of one single vomit but otherwise well (after clearly feeling rough for a few hours on Friday morning), from Thursday night, through to Monday night.

No vomit Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. No vomit since.

We cancelled the Wednesday morning appointment after a chat with the vet as she hadn’t vomited on Tuesday night and hence was improving, and rearranged for Monday to make a plan then when hopefully she won’t have had a repeat at all. We can then make a plan for a change of painkiller going forward from a baseline where we know she’s over whatever it was.

I try and avoid dr Google but in this scenario I think it was correct, that her stomach was inflamed and possibly the metacam was causing delayed gastric emptying, which in turn meant her afternoon/early evening food was sitting in her stomach too long, fermenting and then making a reappearance. Our vet was doubtful as seemed to think we’d have vomiting earlier in the day too, and thought the pattern was odd (which it was!).