the vets here in canada has a total different pt. of view. Their view is give what is just necessary, not what the max. a bun can take. Likewise, if you have a headache, and 2 extra strength tylenol can do, would you go w/ 4 x Tylenol 1 Max. Strength?
it's possible that a bun can handle 0.4ml/KG every 24 hr., but does a bun really need that much?
When my bridge bun Goofball had bone cancer, metacam was given for 11 mth. (Dog metacam), up till her bone cancer was dormant. In that time frame, I use about as high as 0.7 to 0.8 ml per 24 hr. And her wt. was 5KG and later on gained weight after the cancer is gone, gained to 7.1KG.
In that 1 yr. time frame, she loved to eat, and wasn't in any kind of pain, so the dosage amt. is correct. The formula I use is the one my vets use, they gave it to me.
At the very beginning, only 0.33 to 0.4 ml was given daily.
There is a "memory effect" by the rabbit, that their body will get used to the metacam amt., and that x amt. of metacam no longer serve any function, and as such, a higher dosage is again needed. And the cycle continues month after month. So if you guys starts w/ a higher dose, then you need an even higher dosage if metacam is needed in mid to long term.
I believe this is the reason why you guys have to use ranitidine so soon whereas I don't need ranitidine on Goofball until Apr of the 2008 (she starts using metacam in May 13, 2007)
And in the end, that other RU member, sammy's mom, 2 ml is all it takes to overdose her 2KG bun in 1.5 hr., paralyzed and die. That rabbit who passed away along w/ the ones on that web site she sent me, are e.g. of overdose of metacam
my other 2 rescue bun, who had spay or neuter surgery, the vets at SPCA only use 0.13 ml everyday for 3 days, they are 2.1KG.
And in the end, the dosage that we use here are clearly tabulated in many rabbit medicine book:
Dr. Hancourt-brown's book
Dr. Barbara Oglesbee's book The 5 minute Veterinary Consult: Ferret and Rabbits
your own country's BSAVA manual, latest 2007 ver.
So, what you found you can use in search, vs. what you needed to use on a bun is 2 different story.