Carprofen/Rimadyl for pain management in rats?

[violet976]

I've requested Metacam from my vet and just got a call that they have "something similar" that he would prefer to use instead of metacam:
Carprofen

Which google shows is the same as Rimadyl.

This would be for pain meds after a spay. Ratguide says its in the class of advil and aspirin... Is this going to be strong enough?

I've never heard of this pain med either, not used for rats at least, so I'd love input from those with some expertise. Is this a suitable replacement for metacam or should I continue to push for the script for metacam?

 

[victoria]

I have no experience with it but I know it's the NSAID typically prescribed in the UK. I think it's very similar to meloxicam. There are some issues with dogs taking it according to my Google search but you can find similar warnings about Metacam and rats tolerate NSAIDs much better than other species.