Long term metacam use

I have been fretting about Gabe on and off over the last six weeks or so. I am not sure how old he is - 7 at least this year, but has always been such an on-the-go bunny that I am really seeing a big difference in him.

He has noticeably slowed down, sleeps more and his bunny binky/500 sessions are noticeably shorter and he sits down straight after. He is also less enthusiastic about food - particularly hay and some pellets -but never refuses a fenugreek crunchy and is still keen on dried herbs. However he is eating a lot of grass as him and Spring are out in the garden a lot more. He also had a wonderful free range time on Sunday where he thoroughly enjoyed himself. With us being in the garden all day I was able to watch him and at that point felt I was worrying over nothing. But then I went back to thinking that maybe something is amiss.

I have discussed this with my vet and we are thinking it may be a combination of age/heat/moulting but he has an appointment for a check up next week. He was last seen in February. She suggested that in the meantime we start him on metacam to see if this has any effect. Over the last couple of days his bounce seems to have come back and his poops are definately looking better. I am suspecting possibly arthritis type issues.

I seem to vaguely remember that if metacam is to be given long term that zantac should be prescribed as well. Is that correct? Is there anything else that needs to be considered?

Thankfully Gabe has decided he likes metacam so licks it off the syringe.

Which reminds me - how is the best way to get 0.5ml of metacam out of the dog bottle. Do you decant the contents into another container. I have cut the top of the dog bottle so that I can get a syringe in. Actually, thinking about it, if Gabe licks the syringe I could just use the dog syringe provided and use the correct dose that way.

I have/have had numerous Rabbits on longterm Metacam. I only give Zantac if the Rabbit has a reduced appetite and if my Vet specifically advises me to do so.

I never use the Metacam syringe, I drop out an approximate amount onto a teaspoon and draw up the exact dose into a 1ml syringe. I have found that 2 drops from the 180ml bottle = about 0.1ml

I hope Gabe continues to be more comfortable xx

bisc is on long term metacam and doesn't have zantac alongside it.

i put the metacam into a brown medicine bottle and syringe it up from there. :wave:

Doughnut is on daily metacam and I use the big syringe then put that over the smaller syringe then she puts her mouth over it and I push it in. She loves it.

I think dogs and cat can have side effects from long term use of metacam but my specialist doesn't think it affects rabbits. I think its because their metabolic rate is much faster so it's out the body quicker. I know some people give it after their rabbit has eaten just to make sure the stomach is full. Apparently there is no evidence that it is bad for rabbits on long term use and I know Doughnut is much happier on it and painfree, which is the main objective.

Thank you for your help. Gabe, after such a traumatic start, has a huge zest for life and is an enormous character. Hopefully the metacam will allow him to continue to enjoy life to the full.

I have used metacam long term for rabbits and never use zantac just because they are on metacam. If they are on a high dose long term we do blood test evety 6 months as our vet was advised by the rabbit specialist at d1ck vets.

With the 180ml bottle we draw it up with the supplied syringe then put a 1ml syringe in the large syringe to get the dose we need. It fits perfectly so quick,accurate and no mess or waste

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My vet supplies me with ampule bottles to put the metacam in out of the main bottle. My dosing syringes are the 1 ml type so they fit right into the ampules.
Mimzy has been on metacam since he was 3 and he's almost 8 now. He did have zantac at one point but shortly thereafter succumbed to head tilt and I feared the zantac had somehow lowered his metacam absorption because he seemed much more uncomfortable. I stopped the zantac and never used it again. He gets 0.4 mls twice a day and his vet says he can go higher but she assesses his pain is well controlled at this dose. He has spondylosis and hip spurs from early onset arthritis.
Bunnies do process higher amounts of metacam better than cats or dogs. It is still used "off label" for bunnies which I find laughable as it seems to work better for them than the animals it was originally formulated for. My dog can't take it at all as it causes her liver problems. :?

I have had a few rabbits on Metacam long term as well (ie over a year) and never used zantac. You are always advised to make sure that the rabbit eats at the same time, so that it isn't taken on an empty stomach.

I prefer the 32ml Meloxidyl bottle (same active ingredient as Metacam) as it is less messy to dispense from. I use the small syringe supplied, but have had to convert the dog kg scale to ml for one rabbit so that I can dose her straight from the syringe.