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Metacam Dose Rates- NB Do Not Alter Dose Without CONSULTING YOUR OWN VET !!

Jack's-Jane

Wise Old Thumper
Just thought I'd mention that C went to a lecture given by Richard Saunders recently. When covering the subject of analgesia he said that he now prescribes Metacam at doses as high as 0.6mg/kg every TWELVE HOURS in cases involving severe pain. C asked Richard how long he would feel comfortable giving this dose and he said 'for as long as it is needed'.

So Vets who are still giving the old maximum dose of 0.3mg/kg/24hrs might as well be prescribing water really.
 
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That's interesting and handy to know for people. I have given 0.6ml in 12 hours too, at the beginning of Doughnut's illness and she's just over 1kg. She is on 0.2ml twice a day but when I could tell she was still in pain I gave her another dose and Mark said that was fine to do since their metabolic rate is high.

Hopefully people who have had their rabbits speyed will read this and know they can give a bit more if their rabbit still looks to be in pain.
 
Pippin was spayed yesterday and I was told to give 4 drops a day until needed. Should I be giving her more?
 
when holly was ill the **** vets advised my vets with the highest dose allowed BUT they also perscribed zantac to be given 1 hour before to protect the tummy.... might be worth remembering when people are trying to get their vets to up the dose if they are lucky enough to find a vet that believes in bunny pain relief :wave:
 
Pippin was spayed yesterday and I was told to give 4 drops a day until needed. Should I be giving her more?

Have you got the dog suspension and how much does she weigh? Have you got the syringe with the black bits along the side so it's 0.2ml twice a day?

If so you can give her another 0.2ml if you think she is in pain and not eating or moving around a lot.
 
Have you got the dog suspension and how much does she weigh? Have you got the syringe with the black bits along the side so it's 0.2ml twice a day?

If so you can give her another 0.2ml if you think she is in pain and not eating or moving around a lot.

Yes it's the dog one and she weighs 2.6kg. I have got that syringe yeah but I didn't use it, I used a smaller syringe and put the 4 drops in there. Shall I use the syringe that came with it next time? She's alright at the moment but I'll be keeping a close eye on her. Thank you.
 
I don't understand when you say four "drops", weren't you given a syringe for measure it out.

There is also a pink syringe which goes in body weight.

She could definitely have more then since it's 0.6ml per kg and Doughnut is 1.2kg.

If she's fine I wouldn't give her any more. If she's eating and active then she's not in pain.
 
I don't understand when you say four "drops", weren't you given a syringe for measure it out.

There is also a pink syringe which goes in body weight.

She could definitely have more then since it's 0.6ml per kg and Doughnut is 1.2kg.

If she's fine I wouldn't give her any more. If she's eating and active then she's not in pain.

Sorry that's just what the vet put on the box. Like when you turn it upside down let it drip 4 times. The bottle is a dropper type thing.
I have the syringe that came in the box yeah. but didn't put it in that because she other syringe I have goes into her mouth better. She was okay and eating but now she's sleeping a lot and not taking food. If she still isn't eating later I'll give her another dose.
 
Oh I've never heard of that before. I just measure it all out.

Maybe she's just tired and wants a nap and then will eat more a bit later.

Good luck.
 
PLEASE DO NOT START INCREASING THE DOSE YOU GIVE WITHOUT FIRST SPEAKING WITH YOUR OWN VET !!

Metacam is a PRESCRIPTION ONLY Medication (POM) and only a Vet can decide on the dose to give.

The reason I posted this thread was purely as information about the evolving nature of prescribing medication for Rabbits, not to get you all upping the dose you were told to give. It really is important that no-one reads this thread in any other way :)
 
Oh I've never heard of that before. I just measure it all out.

Maybe she's just tired and wants a nap and then will eat more a bit later.

Good luck.

I'll do that next time then, so at 2.6kg how much should she be getting? Sorry if I can work that out myself I'm running on barely an hours sleep today :lol:

Yeah hopefully :) Thanks.
 
the drop system sucks, you can ask for a different bottle to give the correct measured dosage :wave:

I think I have given Sebastian 0.6ml in 24 hours (he's 1.5kg) up to 0.9ml before now, but will bear this thread in mind if he needs more meds :thumb:
 
Like Jane said I would consult with your vet first, you could just call them to clear it with them. I don't know how much you are giving her at the moment since it's drops and not measured out. I was told to give Doughnut 0.4ml split into two doses but I have given her 0.6ml when she was still in pain, she is over a kg. Since your bun is heavier she could have more but again she may be getting more than that as yours is measured out differently to mine.

If you think she is in pain just ring them up and see if you can give more, they will be able to tell you how many more drops.

My metacam comes with a large syringe which fixes onto the bottle then I transfer it to another syringe! I feel like a nurse all of this medicine.
 
the drop system sucks, you can ask for a different bottle to give the correct measured dosage :wave:

I think I have given Sebastian 0.6ml in 24 hours (he's 1.5kg) up to 0.9ml before now, but will bear this thread in mind if he needs more meds :thumb:

I've never used that, sounds like it's hard to know how much they get though as one drop isn't always the same as another!
 
I'll stick with what I'm doing unless any problems arise :) If they do I'll give the vets a call.
 
Also, be careful not to equate milliGRAMS with milliLITRES.

The dog Metacam is 1.5mg/ml. So 0.6mg/kg is not the same as 0.6ml/kg :)

Jane's original post quoted 0.6mg/kg - this is only 0.4ml/kg.

ETA - my bun Paddy has been on this higher dose of Metacam for several weeks for sore hocks. He gets 0.8 ML every 12 hours and he's just over 2kg. Dose prescribed by vet obviously!
 
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Also, be careful not to equate milliGRAMS with milliLITRES.

The dog Metacam is 1.5mg/ml. So 0.6mg/kg is not the same as 0.6ml/kg :)

Jane's original post quoted 0.6mg/kg - this is only 0.4ml/kg.

ETA - my bun Paddy has been on this higher dose of Metacam for several weeks for sore hocks. He gets 0.8 ML every 12 hours and he's just over 2kg. Dose prescribed by vet obviously!

Also, some Vets prescribe the CAT Metacam which is a different strength to the Dog Metacam. Hence it is absolutely essential that you always consult your Vet before altering the previously prescribed dose :)
 
When Mini dislocated her hip at old vets she had the drop metacam, it was cat metacam rather than dog metacam.
 
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