While I'm at it - can I clear up this confusion too? Me and Jane advise NOT to give paracetamol to rabbits - but in the care section first aid box it says DO give paracetamol to rabbits - I am unable to edit this and my PM about it has not made any difference either, so I would love to know if I can safely give my bunnies calpol, since I don't have a car and it would be easy for me to give them this if I need to. In the meantime lots of newbies see the first aid thread and give their bunnies calpol - is this safe advice or not?
-
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.
Paracetamol for bunnies
- Thread starter elve
- Start date
sillyrabbit
Wise Old Thumper
Im sure I have read on here that you shouldnt give them paracetamol, but again I dont know which one is right
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
Christobel advised me that Paracetamol should not be given to Bunnies. Especially to those in GI Stasis whose liver function is already likely to be compromised. As Christobel is a Bunny Savvy Vet I respect I will go with what she advises 
Janex :wave:
Janex :wave:
sillyrabbit
Wise Old Thumper
Thanks for clearing that up I dont keep any paracetamol in the bunny first aid box but didnt realise it said you could on here
I dont keep any paracetamol in the bunny first aid box but didnt realise it said you could on here
petticoat74
Alpha Buck
I read that thread about calpol and wondered if it was right, as I was sure paracetamol a no-no for buns and piggies... thanks for clearing it up Jane
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
I read that thread about calpol and wondered if it was right, as I was sure paracetamol a no-no for buns and piggies... thanks for clearing it up Jane
Please note it's Christobel's opinion, which I respect. I dont want folk on here saying 'Oh well Jane says its NOT OK'..........I'm not a Vet
Janex
petticoat74
Alpha Buck
Yeah I realise that!!:lol: But I wouldnt really have given them the paracetamol anyhow!:lol:
I've got it in and will give it if I've run out of Metacam. I am aware if you give to much Paracetamol it can cause liver damage. But the same applies to Metacam.
Metacam is a NSAID same category as Ibuprofen. Primarily used to treat inflammation of the joints. We use it for ANY type of pain in rabbits. Give to much and you can cause kidney damage. My vet is very specific about how much and how often to give Metacam so its obviously very easy to over medicate.
Louise
Metacam is a NSAID same category as Ibuprofen. Primarily used to treat inflammation of the joints. We use it for ANY type of pain in rabbits. Give to much and you can cause kidney damage. My vet is very specific about how much and how often to give Metacam so its obviously very easy to over medicate.
Louise
Last edited:
I have used Calpol in rabbits but it tends to be where the primary issue is helping with pain. Yes it can cause liver damage, I have only ever used it where the pain is such an issue that they may be on the verge of pts.
I certainly wouldn't use it routinely.
I believe it's technically illegal to give it to animals anyway as it's completely unlicensed for animals... but sometimes needs must!
I certainly wouldn't use it routinely.
I believe it's technically illegal to give it to animals anyway as it's completely unlicensed for animals... but sometimes needs must!
SarahP
Wise Old Thumper
Ooh sorry - misread!I didn't say Calpol was a NSAID I was implying Metacam and Ibuprofen was.
Louise
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
As a aside Ibuprofen can kill dogs :shock: yet they can have Metacam :?
http://greatglenvets.co.uk/viewArticle.php?action=view&ID=6
Janex
http://greatglenvets.co.uk/viewArticle.php?action=view&ID=6
Janex
Hmmm - I'm still confused :shock: The literature on poisons I read (mattocks) refers to cats, and paracetamol kills cats apparently - obviously rabbits aren't cats. I mean, raisins kill dogs :shock: Rabbits love them....
I did see one table on mattocks (forget which link - there's millions) which said asprin was safe for rabbits, so in the past I've given quarter of a soluble asprin in 100ml water. But just going on what human advice is, asprin is hard on an empty stomach so paracetamol would be better for treating windy pains in that respect, if it doesn't damage their liver. But then again undiluted baytril is hard on an empty stomach too, and they all have that :?
I did see one table on mattocks (forget which link - there's millions) which said asprin was safe for rabbits, so in the past I've given quarter of a soluble asprin in 100ml water. But just going on what human advice is, asprin is hard on an empty stomach so paracetamol would be better for treating windy pains in that respect, if it doesn't damage their liver. But then again undiluted baytril is hard on an empty stomach too, and they all have that :?
Yes and bunnies livers as we know are far more delicate than ours - I guess I shall stick to soluble asprin for emergencies then.
So why is the first aid reference in care unchanged when I've requested there be a cautionary note added to it? And I can't post there for some reason, so I can't add a note myself.
It bothers me that newbies are taking that as gospel as one lady said the other week in her first post that she'd been following all the instructions in care section to give calpol to her rabbit in stasis - I'd never even checked it till then.
So why is the first aid reference in care unchanged when I've requested there be a cautionary note added to it? And I can't post there for some reason, so I can't add a note myself.
It bothers me that newbies are taking that as gospel as one lady said the other week in her first post that she'd been following all the instructions in care section to give calpol to her rabbit in stasis - I'd never even checked it till then.
I have used it whilst waiting for the vets and did inform my vet. Last time I was in the vets with bloat, I had given him metacam and infacol which it seems had nipped it in the bud by the time I got there:lol: , She told me metacam did have a shelf life once opened so was suprised that the metacam had worked as my bottle was just under a year old so she gave me a new bottle.
I would use calpol again if necessary as a one off if I could not get into the vets or didn't have metacam in, but would not use it longterm without proper advice. It has to be said though that it does have to be the baby calpol and I know from when using it on my children as babies that it is very unlikely that you could over dose a baby with it hence it being purely for 0-3 months old otherwise I feel that there would be quite a high mortality rate in babies if this was the case . I had one of my daughters having an asthma attack during the night once, had given her the bottle dosages of calpol and piriton and called the emergency doctor out. On arrival he decided not to give her the injection, he asked what I had given her (which I told him) so he gave double again of both calpol and piriton, I queried it and he told me that you cannot overdose a child on baby medication, have to say, it really did do the trick and continued with his dosages until I got in allergy tested
It was pendragon Sue who had written it in the first aid box and being a reputable breeder as far as I know wouldn't of written it if it didn't work otherwise she would of lost alot of bunnies by using calpol I would of thought. The article does say that it nips bloat in the bud, perhaps rather than delete it (as others have used it for this purpose) a note attached to the post saying not to be used longterm until further research is acquired is more appropriate
I would use calpol again if necessary as a one off if I could not get into the vets or didn't have metacam in, but would not use it longterm without proper advice. It has to be said though that it does have to be the baby calpol and I know from when using it on my children as babies that it is very unlikely that you could over dose a baby with it hence it being purely for 0-3 months old otherwise I feel that there would be quite a high mortality rate in babies if this was the case
. I had one of my daughters having an asthma attack during the night once, had given her the bottle dosages of calpol and piriton and called the emergency doctor out. On arrival he decided not to give her the injection, he asked what I had given her (which I told him) so he gave double again of both calpol and piriton, I queried it and he told me that you cannot overdose a child on baby medication, have to say, it really did do the trick and continued with his dosages until I got in allergy tested It was pendragon Sue who had written it in the first aid box and being a reputable breeder as far as I know wouldn't of written it if it didn't work otherwise she would of lost alot of bunnies by using calpol I would of thought. The article does say that it nips bloat in the bud, perhaps rather than delete it (as others have used it for this purpose) a note attached to the post saying not to be used longterm until further research is acquired is more appropriate
