Quick metacam question?

Hello
Could I ask at what point everyone stops metacam post dental?

On Saturday Jenson had a conscious dental, his first. He is on metacloprimide (spelling?) and fibreplex and since Saturday metacam. I should have given him the metacam by now tonight but I'm undecided if I should or not or give a smaller dose.

The reason is that he's been SO subdued during the day and not pooping or eating much hay but eating but not food mad like he normally is.

Then he brightens right up as the evening goes on and poops again, wants food and has just done the biggest binky I've ever seen him do.

So I'm wondering if he needs the metacam?
I'm going to stick with the other meds for a bit longer anyway as his poops are a bit small and tonight's have hair in (my OH is none too impressed with my bunny poop inspections or that I keep showing him!).

When do you give him the metacam?

Metacam is metabolised very quickly in rabbits, so the slumps in the day could be due to it wearing off by then.

The first time Barney had a dental the vets wouldnt give him metacam, and it took him a week to seem okay again, and even then he wasnt eating as much hay as he had been previously for another couple of days, so I assume this is how long the pain lasts.

The next 2 times, I have kept him on it for 3 extra days at just over double cat dose and then a few more at cat dose. But his spurs were minimal and hadnt caused damage to his mouth, they were so tiny the vet didnt even think they needed doing but they did as he was under anyway.

Of course, if his spurs were bad and cutting into his cheeks or tongue, or if his mouth got damaged during the dental he will be in more pain and it will last longer than if you caught the spurs early and the vet didnt catch his mouth during the dental.

This is a long winded way of saying I'd play it by ear, but as bunnies dont like to show signs of pain err on the side of pain relief for now if he isnt eating as much as he should be.

I would be inclined to carry on with the metacam for another 2 or 3 days if you have enough, and see how things go. Maybe change the time of day that you give it? Maybe swap to mornings if you normally give it at night, or split the dose am / pm. Ring your vet and ask for advice on dosage.

If my buns look a bit 'off 'after a dental, I keep going until they are back to normal - usually within a week, but each time can be different. As long as they are eating and pooing fairly normally, things should pick up. The worst bit is over now and you are doing all the right things.

Nibbles is on metacam permanently and I tweak the dose according to how he is doing. He can take quite a few days to get used to his 'new' teeth after a dental. His weight is checked weekly and he has depocillin for a jaw abscess - so his is a lifetime condition.

Both the above comments are awesome answers.

If bun is looking subdued, they may still be in discomfort. How much metacam are you giving per dose and when in the day? and almost more importantly, what type of metacam is it, dog, cat?

Was the dental done by a rabbit savvy vet? I only ask, as i've seen dentals done and they've been a complete mess and waste of time (i've suffered that fate with Ginger once, when a non-rabbit vet did her dental)

I think Mischa was on metacam for two or three weeks following his dental on vet advise. It's always better with pain relief to err on the side of caution because they metabolise it very quickly anyway. What has your vet said?

Hi, thanks for the replies.

Dose is at night. He's quietest during the day and I would agree that's it's wearing off but he is definitely brightest when it must be worn off.

I rang and spoke with the vets earlier, plan is to take him in tomorrow evening unless he urgently needs to go sooner.

Dose is 0.25ml. The box says for dogs. Given at night.

Last night I gave it to him really late because he seemed better than earlier. It seems to me that he is eating more hay and more alert when the dose is due. The time I've been giving it is later and later so I'm going to wait till the morning to give him the next dose. I'm reluctant to give him it when he is really bright, being a bunny (digging, running about and investigating), begging for food and eating hay. Right now he's just woke me up playing.

Yes, dental was by rabbit experienced vet. I don't think there was lots of damage and he will be checked so we can start of gauge timescales instead of waiting for it to get bad.

Mischa is currently on 0.5ml of dog metacam twice a day so four times that dose. I can't remember how much he was on after his dental (he has snuffles at the moment) but that's the usual dose that my vet tends to give for my rabbits who are all between 1.3 and 2 kg. Personally i think i would phone and say he's a bit quiet during the day and can you up the dose.

Metacam always makes my rabbits hyperactive. Mischa is SO excitable at the moment!

Elena said:

Mischa is currently on 0.5ml of dog metacam twice a day so four times that dose. I can't remember how much he was on after his dental (he has snuffles at the moment) but that's the usual dose that my vet tends to give for my rabbits who are all between 1.3 and 2 kg. Personally i think i would phone and say he's a bit quiet during the day and can you up the dose.

Metacam always makes my rabbits hyperactive. Mischa is SO excitable at the moment!

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As long as Ginger's not *really* bad she's the same. Metacam is like speed for bunnies :shock:

Ginger's on 0.6ml twice a day dog metacam (1.5mg/ml) for tooth root issues (pain) and respiratory issues (anti-inflamatory).

Interesting. Jenson is just quiet mostly then hyper for a bit. It's not normal, usually he's more of a hay monster and never normally this quiet.
He's not happy with me today though cause he took him back to the vet again. Current theory is hair in his tummy. Had a some stringiness.

Tomorrow he's going into the vets for the day for checks and x-ray to make sure nothing else going on and liquid parafin for the fur. Worried about it all. Poor Jenson. I just want him to be right again, finding it hard, all the dashing about and worrying about him.

Is his gut moving slower? This can cause long fibres and hair to be more apparent in poops I believe, so it may be that rather than a blockage. Stay positive :wave: but I agree its best to check everything out.



Glad to know Barney's not the only one that is excited when on metacam, we even got a binky last time. I was worried that he had some sort of constant pain and was only happy when on pain killers! He goes mad for it, charges and bites if I'm not careful, trying to run off with the syringe.