• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

£180 later...

Freakinfreak

Alpha Buck
Neo got under my feet on Tuesday, I though that he had mostly just sort of ran into my leg, and he looked fine, didn't react to me feeling his legs and back, so all was well.

Last night at 10pm I notice that he hasn't moved in the last 20 mins or so, very weird... Fenugreek and Carrotys offered... Not even a glance.
10 minutes later no response to food...

Get him into a long pen to see how his movement was, not good, arching his back downwards and walking very stretched out and then cautious flopping after one hop... Scary as hell!

Out of hours vets at about 10.45pm, luckily no breaks and vet thinks it was some kind of sprain from when he collided with my shin.

He gave him metacam and emeprid (???) With some fibreplex for me to take home, also took a swab of his ear for under the microscope as vet noticed a wax/crusty area.

Up at 3am with the fibreplex and he is now eating a little this morning and has also pood.

It was so scary!!! Vet said to see how he is tomorrow and Friday as the painkiller will wear off a little. Not really sure what to look out for really, he definitely happier as instead of scrunching himself up he's just flopped out looking quite happy.

Anyone have any input?
 
Vets again this morning, Neo still acting a bit funny, lethargic... Metacam taken home with me for 1.5ml each morning.

Saw side-effects can include being lethargic... So how do I know he's getting better?! They have assumed a pulled ligament or tendon as he is weight bearing but still tenses a lot when feeling his left back leg.

Any ideas anyone?
 
Never known it make them lethargic tbh - even if it does say its a side effect.

Thats a big dose of metacam - is he very large? (is it dog metacam or cat?)

Did they suggest an xray? Thinking injury to pelvis or hip joint.

PS £180 very reasonable for OOH vet -
 
Never known it make them lethargic tbh - even if it does say its a side effect.

Thats a big dose of metacam - is he very large? (is it dog metacam or cat?)

Did they suggest an xray? Thinking injury to pelvis or hip joint.

PS £180 very reasonable for OOH vet -

That's good then! :)

He is (according to their sales) 2.5kg and it's the cat one. Do you think it's too much for his size? Looking at the leaflet from the box it suggests 0.5ml per 0.05kg of a cats weight.

When he waa weighed about 2/3 months ago he was about 1.7kg...

They have suggested an xray if no improvement on Monday but said they really don't want to if they don't have to as he will need to be put under for it.

£180 isn't too bad, I know, but we are looking at £220 including petrol so far!
 
That's good then! :)

He is (according to their sales) 2.5kg and it's the cat one. Do you think it's too much for his size? Looking at the leaflet from the box it suggests 0.5ml per 0.05kg of a cats weight.

When he waa weighed about 2/3 months ago he was about 1.7kg...

They have suggested an xray if no improvement on Monday but said they really don't want to if they don't have to as he will need to be put under for it.

£180 isn't too bad, I know, but we are looking at £220 including petrol so far!



We dont have the cat one (always the dog one) so you need someone whose brain is working this evening (which mine isnt after a long day at work) to work out the mgs per kg for you - cats and rabbits have very very different dosages due to different metabolism rates. What mgs per ml is the cat one?
 
I asked the receptionist if it matters if it's dog or cat, the vet said dog and reception said it doesn't matter...

Sceptical to give it to him...

It says 0.5mg/ml? I'm a little bit unsure on how to work it out!
 
I asked the receptionist if it matters if it's dog or cat, the vet said dog and reception said it doesn't matter...

Sceptical to give it to him...

It says 0.5mg/ml? I'm a little bit unsure on how to work it out!



It makes a LOT of difference - in fact it is totally essential!!!!!! If cat is 0.5mg/ml - because Dog metacam is 1.5mg/ml - so which did the vet work the dosage out for?

and just as importantly is your vet aware of the relatively recent changes in the dosage recommendations for rabbits? (I say relatively recent - I think its about 18 months now but you never know if its not a rabbity vet . . you still get the odd one very seriously under dosing on pain killers)


The dosage is in mgs per kg of animal but there is quite a range of dosages anyway (ie between bottom and top end - like us deciding whether we need one or two aspirin depending on the pain).

If its cat metacam then 1.5mls is only 0.75mgs for a 2.7 kilo bun which is errrrrrmmmmmm about 0.25mgs per kg (very roughly) -

The current recommendations are:

0.3 - 0.6 mg/kg subcutaneously or orally every 24 hours. "studies have shown that rabbits may require a dose exceeding 0.3 mg/kg every 24 hours to achieve optimal plasma levels of meloxicam over a 24-hour interval and doses of 1.5 mg/kg subcutaneously or orally are well tolerated for 5 days

So you are on the lowest or just below the lowest dosages - which is a bit like what you might take if you had a really minor headache that was just a bit niggling. For a rabbit that has had an acute trauma one might expect the vet to think about starting slightly higher or at least mentioning that there was quite a range possible to go up to if the bun was still in discomfort. At least thats what I would think - but I am NOT a vet!!
 
It makes a LOT of difference - in fact it is totally essential!!!!!! If cat is 0.5mg/ml - because Dog metacam is 1.5mg/ml - so which did the vet work the dosage out for?

and just as importantly is your vet aware of the relatively recent changes in the dosage recommendations for rabbits? (I say relatively recent - I think its about 18 months now but you never know if its not a rabbity vet . . you still get the odd one very seriously under dosing on pain killers)


The dosage is in mgs per kg of animal but there is quite a range of dosages anyway (ie between bottom and top end - like us deciding whether we need one or two aspirin depending on the pain).

If its cat metacam then 1.5mls is only 0.75mgs for a 2.7 kilo bun which is errrrrrmmmmmm about 0.25mgs per kg (very roughly) -

The current recommendations are:

0.3 - 0.6 mg/kg subcutaneously or orally every 24 hours. "studies have shown that rabbits may require a dose exceeding 0.3 mg/kg every 24 hours to achieve optimal plasma levels of meloxicam over a 24-hour interval and doses of 1.5 mg/kg subcutaneously or orally are well tolerated for 5 days

So you are on the lowest or just below the lowest dosages - which is a bit like what you might take if you had a really minor headache that was just a bit niggling. For a rabbit that has had an acute trauma one might expect the vet to think about starting slightly higher or at least mentioning that there was quite a range possible to go up to if the bun was still in discomfort. At least thats what I would think - but I am NOT a vet!!

Ooh... Ok, well do you think it's best to not give him anything this evening and then wait until tomorrow when I can call someone?

Alternatively, I can give him what they recommend this evening and then speak with someone tomorrow?

I don't want him to be in any pain but the wrong dose is probably worse! He's been hopping around just fine and is cleaning himself etc.

Wish vets were more rabbit savvy as they are with cats and dogs!!!
 
Ooh... Ok, well do you think it's best to not give him anything this evening and then wait until tomorrow when I can call someone?

Alternatively, I can give him what they recommend this evening and then speak with someone tomorrow?

I don't want him to be in any pain but the wrong dose is probably worse! He's been hopping around just fine and is cleaning himself etc.

Wish vets were more rabbit savvy as they are with cats and dogs!!!

As they are under rather than over I would give what they say. Whereabouts are yo? Maybe there is a good rabbit vet in your area
 
As they are under rather than over I would give what they say. Whereabouts are yo? Maybe there is a good rabbit vet in your area

Thanks :)

I am in Windsor area, South East. He has been taken to Temple End in High Wycombe as they were on the list that I was sent by the rwaf? Or someone like that!

I've head of Kynoch vets? But he travels so badly that they are a bit far away.
 
Thanks :)

I am in Windsor area, South East. He has been taken to Temple End in High Wycombe as they were on the list that I was sent by the rwaf? Or someone like that!

I've head of Kynoch vets? But he travels so badly that they are a bit far away.

Start a new thread asking for recommendations in your area. Tbh anywhere where they are so casual about different types of metacam seems a bit iffy. In my vets the receptionists would now and the vet make sure you got the right thing
 
Having had his Metacam last night, this morning he has been running around a little bit.

Spoke to someone on the phone about the doses being different depending on the dog or cat metacam and she said that the vet had administered the cat one on her notes.

I've asked for a call back to speak with someone but she can't guarantee I will hear from anyone today.

As they think that it is just a muscle pull or similar, I think they are reluctant to xray.

I suppose I will see how he is when I stop the Metacam tomorrow night and see how he is Monday.

Is this a bad idea?!
 
Back
Top