Hi everyone, I am just looking for some advice regarding loxicom dosage. My 9+ year old rabbit has suspected arthritis which is affecting her mobility. She has been prescribed Loxicom (dog version) 1 x 2kg dose per day. I have read that due to their metabolism rabbits can tolerate alot more than this and i am wondering if i should request a higher dose? or even just go ahead and give her extra? She is 2.35kg. any advice will be gratefully received! Thankyou.
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loxicom dosage- advice please
- Thread starter carolinej
- Start date
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
The dose is low, but only the prescribing Vet can advise you as to whether it is appropriate to increase the dose. I expect you have already spoken to the Vet again by now. I am sorry that I missed this thread when you posted it.
daphnephoebe
Wise Old Thumper
They may be starting on a lower dose to see if it can be controlled that way. They'll probably want to wait around a week to see if it improves - if not then may increase the dosage but often the worry with loxicom is that it can affect the kidneys and being an older bunny they may want to keep the dose a low as possible to reduce the risk.
Its worth discussing with your vet.
Its worth discussing with your vet.
biscandmatt1
Wise Old Thumper
i'd speak with the vet again. are they rabbit-savvy? the dose is low. usually they will start higher than needed to bring the majority of the inflammation under control and then you will taper downwards and maintain just above where symptoms start again. hope that helps 
kidney damage is extremely unlikely due to the fast metabolism even on higher doses so i wouldn't worry about that, especially given her age when even if damage happened, it would take longer to happen that she is likely to be around for (sounds horrible to say but of course i don't mean it that way. keeping them comfortable in the moment is more important)
kidney damage is extremely unlikely due to the fast metabolism even on higher doses so i wouldn't worry about that, especially given her age when even if damage happened, it would take longer to happen that she is likely to be around for (sounds horrible to say but of course i don't mean it that way. keeping them comfortable in the moment is more important)
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Thanks everyone for your help. I have given the prescribed dose for just over a week now and it seems to be keeping her comfortable. She doesnt go downstairs in her hutch very often but is very keen to see me, eating and pooing loads etc. I dont know what to expect with her being 9+ but she does seem alot happier.
MightyMax
Banned
If you're managing to keep her comfortable and happy at her age, then I think you are doing well, and the dose is probably right for her :thumb:
oksana.dashwood
Young Bun
The dose recommended for rabbits in BSAVA Small Animal Formulary (which they are supposed to get their information from) is: dogs 0.1mg/kg, rabbits 0.3 - 0.6 mg/kg and up to 1.5mg/kg short term every 24h. All the rabbit vets I've worked with have said that's the lowest analgesic dose of 0.5mg/kg. This means that they don't think that anything below that provides adequate pain relief or any at all in rabbits. Normally, they are started on a higher dose to kick in the antiinflammatory response. If you're only concerned about inflammation and not pain, you can start off at higher ranges and go down to 0.3mg/kg maintenance regime, but I've never considered that effective for much. I've had rabbits started on doses been 0.6mg/kg and 1.5mg/kg. Rabbits tolerate 1.5mg/kg well for several days on a row and, unlike in carnivores, this dies not cause blindness on them. It's metabolised completely differently in rabbits and the risk of kidney failure is i believe low. There is also anecdotal evidence that some rabbits prefer a higher dose (0.6mg/kg) given twice a day. In theory better serum level would be maintained this way. I've had an old gentleman bunny, severely arthritic, where it interfered with his mobility, who was on 0.6mg/kg twice a day (so 1.2mg/kg total a day, that's 12 times the dog dose) for about 3 years, and every time this was reduced or if he didn't get a dose, this really noticed in him. He had several blood tests and his parameters always remained normal, so it did not affect his kidneys or liver, and if it helped him, that's all that matters to me.
0.5mg/kg is approximately 0.33ml/kg, 0.6mg/kg is 0.4ml/kg, and I work in these measurements because it's a long-term treatment, and weight can fluctuate (especially in older rabbits), making it necessary to adjust medication. You should have been given a normal syringe with millilitres marked up on it, not the dog one that comes with the drug.
Is your vet rabbit-savvy? Are they exotics specialists? I've never been given such a low dose, and I have a lot of rabbits on this drug. You can always call RWAF and ask for details of bunny specialist vets in your area (RWAF hold a register of them) and seek a second opinion if necessary.
0.5mg/kg is approximately 0.33ml/kg, 0.6mg/kg is 0.4ml/kg, and I work in these measurements because it's a long-term treatment, and weight can fluctuate (especially in older rabbits), making it necessary to adjust medication. You should have been given a normal syringe with millilitres marked up on it, not the dog one that comes with the drug.
Is your vet rabbit-savvy? Are they exotics specialists? I've never been given such a low dose, and I have a lot of rabbits on this drug. You can always call RWAF and ask for details of bunny specialist vets in your area (RWAF hold a register of them) and seek a second opinion if necessary.
