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Metacam doseage

N

Nursegiles

New Kit
Hi
My house rabbit Betty has recently developed weakness in her back legs. The vet said he thought she was suffering with arthritis. Her right leg is worse than the left. She was given Prednisolone steroid tablets but to no avail. After reading much information on the Internet I feel Betty may fair better on Metacam. The vet is willing to try this too. What dose would anyone reccommend? She weighs 3kgs so would 1ml be the correct dose? Any other suggestions regarding tips for her diet would also bd greatly appreciated.
Thank you :)
 
Your vet should be able to tell you the exact dose. The dosage can vary quite a lot dependent on what your bun needs out of the Metacam. For initial stages of treatment you could use a smaller dose and up the dose as time goes on, so the vet really needs to decide.

I have a bun with Arthritis and she is on daily Metacam, has been for over a year now and copes well with it. I also give her liquid glucosamine and she has acupuncture sessions.
 
Is your vet experienced with rabbits? If so they should be familiar with the correct dosages. Also steroids such as prednisolone can have significant side effects in rabbits so they should be used with caution. An NSAID such as metacam may be a safer option.
Whilst hind limb weakness may be due to arthritis there are other possible causes including a parasite called E. cuniculi. It may be worth discussing treatment for that at the same time, and possibly having x-rays of the legs/hips/spine if her symptoms do not improve soon xx
 
:wave: hi...i had my bridge bun bertie our frenchie on metacam daily..one he had arthritis in his hind legs....and two he had pasturella and associated seizures.

the vet should bevable to look this up in a formulary section in a rabbit medicine textbook..or ring and consult with a more bunny knowledgeable vet.

Bertie was 6kg in weight and was on the dog metacam at the 19k mark on the syringe. Rabbits metabolise metacam at least three times faster than a dog ir cat so get a higher dose than youd believe was a good idea!

steroids and buns as far as i have read and discussed with vets....is not a good mix....pain relief is much more sensible. There are vegetarian glucosamine etc tablets from health shops or chemist health shops online...i got a huge tub which when it came were massive solid chalky tablets....theyre stillin my room..i was considering taking them myself lol!

good luck with the vets...and hope the dosage helps your poor bun. Its so hard to see them in pain poor things.
 
Hi
Thank you all for your comments. Although my vet is lovely I'm not sure rabbits are his speciality. When I asked about an x-ray for Betty he advised me no matter what it showed the treatment options would be the same. As regards to dosing Betty for the Metacam, he said it was very difficult to dose rabbits and that I could try 0.5ml and increase to 1ml if necessary. I'm just reluctant to start on the lower dose as her mobility really is very poor at the minute and she is hardly walking around.
I will definately get some liquid glucosamine in addition to using the Metacam.
I really hope she improves as its horrible seeing her struggling to walk.
How long would people reccommend I use the Metacam for before results should be seen?
Thanks again for all he advice it is greatly appreciated :)
 
Last edited:
Flora is on daily metacam for an arthritic spine. We have an excellent bunny-savvy vet so he knows what he's talking about but it's hard for non-bunny specialists. They often prescribe the cat version for metacam which is a much lower potency than the dog version (0.5mg/ml opposed to 1.5mg/ml). You need the dog version for starters. Your vet should be the one to tell you how much to give but I'd say that 0.5ml for a 3kg bunny was very low.
 
Jack's-Jane said:
What strength Metacam are you using ?

Has the Vet mentioned the possibility of Encephalitozoon Cuniculi (EC) ?

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...N3ISKU&sig=AHIEtbR1V0Bkgl46nxoM3IZVX7iM5Uaz_Q

Personally I would seek a second opinion from a Vet experienced in treating Rabbits
Click to expand...

^^ this.
Just to be on the safe side, as they can give you the proper dosage rather than you having to work it out yourself.
I'm sure there are folk on here who know rabbit savvy vets in the area you live :wave:
Sending vibes to make her feel better!
 
A cautionary note regarding steroids and NSAIDs. There needs to be a withholding period of somewhere between 3-7 days (depending on differing views) between the last steroid dose and the first dose of NSAIDs.
 
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