Vetergesic? Help with Evo please... update - vibes please!

Has anyone been given Vetergesic (sp?) for their bun?

I had to take Evo to the emergency vet this morning, as he wasn't eating when I got up today. Luckily my vets open for 1/2 hour on a Sunday morning, so no emergency call out, but I was seen by a vet that I've not seen before. He looked over Evo really well, checked everything (tummy, teeth, temperature, eyes, ears.....), and couldn't find anything specific, so he was given metaclopramide and a shot of Vetergesic.

Now the Vetergesic (I presume) has left him so zonked out today, that he couldn't eat even if / when he wanted to - he'd wake up, try to eat and fall asleep with a strand of hay hanging out of his mouth half way through eating it. I have syringe fed him throughout, but it's been difficult because he's been so sleepy. He has also had another 0.2ml of metaclopramide orally. He's just beginning to wake up now, and is eating hay on his own, but not touching anything else yet. We have another appointment tomorrow morning (with a different vet, who is quite good with buns), but is it likely that the Vetergesic would have caused him to be so sleepy? If so, I don't really want them to give it to him again.... can I say that to them? Or maybe he had too much, as the vet today did have to look up the dosage??

Still no poo, but it's looking promising on the eating front, just need to keep him awake for long enough to eat! Is there anything else it could be other than general belly ache / stasis? He only had a dental a week ago.

Sorry for the mega long post!

I googled it and it's an opiate based analgesic so yes it'll make him sleepy. Muppet had an opiate based painkiller at the vets the other week which the vet said would last about eight hours. After six, he certainly 'woke up'.

Also found this previous post that may help:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?p=2161866

Sorry Evo isnt feeling well, hope he's better soon.

Hiya,

My molly had a vetergesic after his abscess surgery.... he was VERY sleepy for a good few hours. I let him sleep it off in the warmth.. he was still drowsy so I rang the vet to make sure it was normal, she said it can affect rabbits in different ways ie. one may be very very sleepy while another may only be slightly dopey.

Hope Evo picks up soon! xx

Sorry I can't help you on the Vetergesic topic. I hope that Evo starts to poop soon and makes a good recovery.

I did want to mention to you though that one of my buns saw a different vet this week and was given a steroid injection for infected cheek from a spur on a tooth - he had only had a check the previous week on his teeth. One time before when he had a similar thing, he had Baytril and Metacam.

He was totally zonked out and was out for the count the following day. The next two days he was still not himself but was improving. I took him back to my usual vet on Saturday and said I wanted it on his records not to have this steroid again unless absolutely necessary. He checked him over and everything was OK.

I hope Evo feels better soon.

Muppet2 said:

I googled it and it's an opiate based analgesic so yes it'll make him sleepy. Muppet had an opiate based painkiller at the vets the other week which the vet said would last about eight hours. After six, he certainly 'woke up'.

Also found this previous post that may help:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?p=2161866

Sorry Evo isnt feeling well, hope he's better soon.

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Thanks, just seen Jane's bit

Originally Posted by Jack's-Jane View Post
Vetergesic is an opiate so 'yes' it can zonk them out. As you say Caspian feels cold I would be *very* careful about administering opiates. They also lower the Blood Pressure and it sounds as though Caspian's is already pretty low

Janex

Edit- Also, if you accidentally hit a vein when giving the Vetergesic it'll go IV so will effectively semi-anaethetise him.

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The vet made him bleed! :shock: I'm not sure if it was giving the metaclopramide or the painkiller though. :?

Yes, of course you can tell your vet not to give a particular treatment It might be it effects some rabbits more or less so if you just explain the effect it had this time then the vet would probably agree with you and go with something else anyway.

I can't really give you any advice but just wanted to say hope Evo feels better soon! Sending lots of vibes! x x

Yay! We have pooooooooo!

Bump for help this morning please. He is still sleepy, and there's been no poo all night. He will eat hay, but only if I feed him strand by strand.

Hi Laura :wave:

Sorry to hear Evo's been poorly. I would be inclined not to use the vertegesic again seeing he's been so sleepy. Did he have any symptoms that may indicate why he went off his food? Grinding teeth, pushing tummy on floor etc? How often does he have his molars burred? Is he moulting?

I don't really know what to suggest. He's not mad about his A&P pellets is he? I expect if he's off his food he's not really going to be tempted by them. Do you have any of his old SS left? Spring greens often work when my buns are off their food.

Poor Evo. How is he in himself? Is there any kind of food that he loves you could tempt him with?

Probably best to book him in with your usual vet this morning and have a good checkover.

Get well hugs to Evo,

Nicola and Harvey xxx

Nicola3 said:

Hi Laura :wave:

Sorry to hear Evo's been poorly. I would be inclined not to use the vertegesic again seeing he's been so sleepy. Did he have any symptoms that may indicate why he went off his food? Grinding teeth, pushing tummy on floor etc? How often does he have his molars burred? Is he moulting?

I don't really know what to suggest. He's not mad about his A&P pellets is he? I expect if he's off his food he's not really going to be tempted by them. Do you have any of his old SS left? Spring greens often work when my buns are off their food.

Poor Evo. How is he in himself? Is there any kind of food that he loves you could tempt him with?

Probably best to book him in with your usual vet this morning and have a good checkover.

Get well hugs to Evo,

Nicola and Harvey xxx

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Hi Nicola,

He had no symptoms at all, just turning away from his food. He did growl at me when I offered it though, so he must be hurting somewhere. He only had a molar burr last Friday, but he is moulting loads. However, the vet said he could feel no blockage.

I have tried some SS, he's just not interested. The only thing he will have is hay. And then only if I force it on him. I guess that's still better than syringe feeding though.

He came out for a little run around when I went to check on him last night, but is a bit quieter today, still seems a bit sleepy to be honest. Up until yesterday he has been bright as a button, really mental, so it's been horrible seeing him like this.

Don't know what else to do. Vets is at 9.30.

Hi Laua :wave:

Good luck at the vets.

I wonder whether he has pain from his dental, seeing as he has just had one a few days ago. Harvey used to be very miserable after his dentals and would go off his food. Evo may have a sore mouth, sometimes their teeth can be sensitive where they have been burred and occassionally the burr catches the inside of the mouth so ask the vet to check for any red patches on the inside of his cheeks.

Different vets have different methods of burring. I ended up changing vets as Harv used to have a really sore mouth after dentals and the gaps between dentals were very small as the vet used to only file the spurs off. Do you have the same vet for Evos dentals each time? I wonder whether his teeth are sore and that's why he is miserable. Try breaking the SS pellets up into small pieces that may tempt him to eat them. If he is sore after his dental soemtimes it can take a week or so to get back to normal. You could try injectable metacam.

Sending Evo lots of get well vibes,

Nicola and Harvey xxx

oooh ...only just seen this ...you must be so worried .

hope hes ok

Angie

Rallybunny said:

Bump for help this morning please. He is still sleepy, and there's been no poo all night. He will eat hay, but only if I feed him strand by strand.

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I would pop him back to the Vet as he may need more Metoclopromide and the Vet will need to 'feel' for any changes in his abdomen. Until you can establish if his stomach is emptying I would not syringe feed him but giving just cooled boiled water (via syringe if he wont drink for himself) will help hydrate his gut contentents and make them easier to pass through his GI tract.

Good luck and sending get well vibes to Evo

Janex

I've left him with the vet for them to monitor / syringe, I'm sure the vet nurses will do a better job of it than I could at home..

Come on Evo, get yourself better

Sending tons of vibes

Janex

Jack's-Jane said:

Come on Evo, get yourself better

Sending tons of vibes

Janex

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Thanks Jane, I'm s ure he'll appreciate some "Jane" vibes.

Hope he improves today

Sending lots of vibes for evo!

oh so sorry Laura I've only just seen this. Sending loads of vibes to Evo. I really hope he pick up soon. You must be so worried but he's in the best place. xxx