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Metacam & other drugs!

racheyrabbit

Alpha Buck
Was back at the vets today with Kahlo, and she seems to be doing well although still not eating too much, but perkier in herself.

Been given various drugs to keep her going, including Baytril which I've got to syringe feed her. I've also got some probiotic that can either go on her food or in her water. Which do you guys think is best, or find easiest?

I've also got some Metacam to give her. It says its got to be given with food, so how exactly do I do that? Put a few drops on her greens?

Our kitchen is starting to look like a medicine chest, and its all for one bunny! :roll: I don't know how you guys with loads of bunnies cope!
 
if she has pelet food give her a little less than she would normally have (to guarentee she eats it) and put it on that or something else she really likes that can absorb it!
 
It smells really strong, so she may not eat her food if it is on it (my male likes it but I've used it on two females who both hate it).

What I do is feed her most of her food, pick her up and syringe it in and then give her the rest of her food.

It is like nurofen for us, and shouldn't be given on an empty stomach, buns tums are are always on the go, but by making sure she eats her meal beforehand she has a good lining on the stomach. And more food afterwards too to be on the safe side and to take away the taste.
 
Jack is on daily Metacam. The reason the drug info leaflet says 'give with food' is that it is really only licenced for use in dogs. Rabbits should always have food in their guts (they are hind gut fermemters) and so you do not have to worry about giving the Metacam with food as long as your Bun is eating OK. Metacam is Honey flavoured,(yep, I've tasted it :oops: ) and most Buns like it. Jack chases me if I am late with his Metacam :shock: :lol: The reason dogs have to have it with food is because it is a Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drug, they can cause gastric irritation/ulceration. Just as Aspirin/Ibuprofen etc can in humans. Jane and Buns xx
 
Thanks for that guys! When do you think would be best to start the drugs? She had an injection of both baytril and metacam on Tuesday at 3.30, but didn't have anything today. She's still not eating lots, just a few nibbles of hay and the odd pellet or piece of parsley. So, I was thinking that I might start with all the drugs in the morning, or should I do it tonight? Oh, this is far too stressful!
 
Hiya.Kahlo will need her meds every 24 hours. So if her last dose was yesterday at 3.30pm she would be due another dose at 3.30pm TODAY. I suggest YOU have a 'medicinal' sherbit to cope with the stress!! Jane and Buns xx
 
my vet never mentioned giving metacam with green foods! :?
when Leela was on it for her sores we had to measure out X number of drops then syringe feed her. not fun with a big bun though i found if you mixed it with a litle apple juice she would usualy lick it of the end of the syringe.
 
As Jane said she should get it every 24 hrs.

If she's had it already .......... WELL DONE!! :wink:

If not, bearing in mind that her appetite isn't what it should be, I'd watch her until she eats something (as much as possible) and then give it to her. Try not to stress yourself too much.

It is anti-inflammatory as well as painkilling, and tends to make buns a bit dopey, so it gets easier everytime you succeed. Hope this helps to put your mind a little bit at ease!! :wink:
 
Well, I managed to syringe feed her some baytril, much to her displeasure! She eventually ate some vegetables and herbs, and so I dropped some metacam on a leaf and she ate that. She didn't touch the water that's got the probiotic in it though :?

Oh well, we'll go through the same fun and games when I get home form work today. All she does is flop in her litter tray and look miserable at the moment :(
 
When we had our sugar gliders neutered, we were instructed to give them Metacam as needed for post-op pain. We mixed the necessary dosage of Metacam with a small amount of apple juice and they licked the mixture happily from a small syringe!

We offered our gliders some of their favorite foods to tempt them to eat, and after they'd had a "mini-meal," we gave them the Metacam/juice mixture. Even though they weren't eating the most healthful foods, at least they were eating.

Of course, the digestive system of sugar gliders and buns is totally different, and I'd worry about giving too much juice to any bun because of the sugar. Of course, a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down!
 
Hiya, sounds like all is going well with the meds :)

Just to let you or anyone else know....
There is a pellet form probiotic that I use, its fab.

Profibre pellets, tub of about 500/750g?(can't think off top of my head) & it's £13.17 at my surgery. The buns & piggies LOVE it, so you can relax knowing they are getting what they need! You literally just sprinkle it with their regular dry complete or give it before you give them their regular pellets if they are very fussy!
 
Well, she had the last of her Maxolon this morning, and I'll be attempting the routine of baytril and metacam shortly! Should be fun!

She really isn't happy with me at all, and completely 'not herself'. She just lies in her litter tray all day looking miserable and didn't even complain when I picked her up so that I could clean her litter tray (and I was the one starting previous threads about how to check the bottom of a bun that won't be picked up). She's still only really eating very small amounts (about 8 pellets at a time or a couple of bits of hay or a parsley leaf) at any one time, and still hasn't really had much to drink :(

In fact that most lively I've seen her since the op (on Monday) was when she went back to the vets yesterday and was little miss nosey when the nurse examined her :?

I really hope she picks up soon because tomorrow is the last day of my O/H's half term and he won't be around to play nurse for her (or at least give me an update when I phone asking what she's doing!!) :?
 
I seem to have been giving metacalm and Baytril continuously for months now. Ive been syringing the metaclam since it was such a small amount and the baytril normally goes down quite well on toast !
 
I've found the metacam quite straightforward. A small piece of carrot smeared with it goes down very quickly. She's certainly not keen on the Baytril! I have considered putting it on some food, but we did that with our hamster a couple of years back, hding the baytril inside sultanas! The 6 months he was still with us after that he refused to touch sultanas :lol:

Kahlo is feeling much better today, and has eaten all her breakfast :D She's also come out of her cage for the first time and is enjoying herself again :D
Thanks guys for all your support :D
 
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