Metacam comes as an oral suspension with a little syringe for squirting onto your dog's food.

There is another word on the front of the box, Meloxicam, I suspect this is the generic name for the drug.

It's for the alleviation of inflammation and pain in both acute and chronic musculo-skeletal disorders.

The manufacturer is -

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma KG
55216 Ingelheim/rhein
Germany

It also says on the box that it's subject to veterinary subscription but I don't know whether that applies in the US or not.

Penny showed signs of chronic arthritis at only 12 months and certainly couldn't have managed without it. Although she is, understandably for a nine year old GSD, now looking a little stiff she has had a very energetic and happy life. We once ran out of Metacam just before a holiday weekend and the rate of deterioration in her was alarming. I have no doubt that the drug has given Penny her life and I now keep two spare bottles.

Heidi was diagnosed with hip displasia (sp?) at two years old and I decided to give her Metacam too. The weekend we ran out proved to me how much she also benefitted from taking it. She is, like many dogs, ball crazy and she just wouldn't have been Heidi if she hadn't been able to run around like an idiot. Although she now occasionally sits down without meaning to she and Penny are very good for their age and I just feel that every year is a bonus considering their genetic disadvantages.

I wouldn't recommend Metacam for mild or temporary pain relief, but it's an absolute lifesaver for dogs with joint conditions like Heidi and Penny especially those more usually associated with the onset of old age.

I hope this is of some help. It's awful to think of dogs suffering uneccessarily especially as they can't tell us.

Please let me know if you find out how to get it in the US.

Don.