prettylupin
Wise Old Thumper
Sorry, I know this has been asked on here MANY times before but there are just so many metacam related threads to trawl through!
I have two questions really - correct dosage - my vet practice, and my vet, as great as he is, seem to have differing opinions on dosages. Whenever Nino has his acute bloat I just do the standard 0.6mg/kg which works out at 0.6ml for Nino. One of the vets we have seen at times of emergency has attended some exotic lectures and has allowed me to go up to 1.0ml for very acute pain, mainly because he doesn't tolerate the opiates very well at all so only has those at a low dose to compliment when needed.
My reg vet has no problem with my dosing at this rate, but I think he prefers the 2x the dog dose - which in the kg syringe for Nino is around 3.5kg of meloxicam.
So my question, and i've asked this before sorry but is there an actual clinical dosaging guideline for vets currently available? I have been with my reg vet when he has looked it up before and the guidelines he had on his computer were something like 0.3-0.6mg/kg and so he said he prefers to use a middle range - but to do 2x the dog dose on the syringe is easier. I've just drawn that up for Nino and it is really only half what I usually give him :? Am very confused :?
Also, for long-term use for suspected arthritic pain - would those of you who have arthritic bunnies say your vets prefer to use a higher dose initially then tail off to the lowest dose necessary for therapeutic effect, or start at a low dose and increase if needed?
Sorry for all the questions I think I need to bug my vet again! :lol:
I have two questions really - correct dosage - my vet practice, and my vet, as great as he is, seem to have differing opinions on dosages. Whenever Nino has his acute bloat I just do the standard 0.6mg/kg which works out at 0.6ml for Nino. One of the vets we have seen at times of emergency has attended some exotic lectures and has allowed me to go up to 1.0ml for very acute pain, mainly because he doesn't tolerate the opiates very well at all so only has those at a low dose to compliment when needed.
My reg vet has no problem with my dosing at this rate, but I think he prefers the 2x the dog dose - which in the kg syringe for Nino is around 3.5kg of meloxicam.
So my question, and i've asked this before sorry but is there an actual clinical dosaging guideline for vets currently available? I have been with my reg vet when he has looked it up before and the guidelines he had on his computer were something like 0.3-0.6mg/kg and so he said he prefers to use a middle range - but to do 2x the dog dose on the syringe is easier. I've just drawn that up for Nino and it is really only half what I usually give him :? Am very confused :?
Also, for long-term use for suspected arthritic pain - would those of you who have arthritic bunnies say your vets prefer to use a higher dose initially then tail off to the lowest dose necessary for therapeutic effect, or start at a low dose and increase if needed?
Sorry for all the questions I think I need to bug my vet again! :lol: