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  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Cookie and her heart UD post 51 Vets tonight :(

N

newbabybuns

Warren Veteran
Would I be able to give this from a bottle opened early October this year and kept in the kitchen (not in the fridge, not sure it is even meant to be actually)? It was Cookies for when she was breathing fast while resting and X rays showed some sort of inflammation but nothing else sinister (no tumours like her sister had died from the year before). She was on a course of it for a week. The vet said I could give it as and when I thought she needed it if a week wasn't long enough, but after a week she was fine again. Over the past couple of days I've noticed she has been breathing fast but wasn't sure if I'd missed her just running etc, but tonight for sure it is when she is resting and I can feel her heart beat stronger in her chest a little bit. (This happened before, and when I tried to compare hers with Lola's I couldn't find Lola's heartbeat at all!)

I'm hoping it is just the same as before, I can't handle it being anything else so I am hoping giving a dose tonight will be better than waiting and getting her on the road to recovery straight away. Do you think the medicine will be ok to use from before?

Thank you in advance xx
 
Last edited:
Metacam can be used for 6 months after the original bottle has been opened (as per the labelling / leaflet inside). If it has been dispensed into another container, it may be a lot less than this. Storage at room temperature is OK.
 
That's great thank you Shimmer, for some reason I hadn't kept it in it's box, but now I have found the box! xxx
 
Yes definitely 6 months. I keep mind in a cupboard in the kitchen as cool there. Hope she's alright
 
newbabybuns said:
Would I be able to give this from a bottle opened early October this year and kept in the kitchen (not in the fridge, not sure it is even meant to be actually)? It was Cookies for when she was breathing fast while resting and X rays showed some sort of inflammation but nothing else sinister (no tumours like her sister had died from the year before). She was on a course of it for a week. The vet said I could give it as and when I thought she needed it if a week wasn't long enough, but after a week she was fine again. Over the past couple of days I've noticed she has been breathing fast but wasn't sure if I'd missed her just running etc, but tonight for sure it is when she is resting and I can feel her heart beat stronger in her chest a little bit. (This happened before, and when I tried to compare hers with Lola's I couldn't find Lola's heartbeat at all!)

I'm hoping it is just the same as before, I can't handle it being anything else so I am hoping giving a dose tonight will be better than waiting and getting her on the road to recovery straight away. Do you think the medicine will be ok to use from before?

Thank you in advance xx
Click to expand...


My vet has told me an opened bottle is still effective after at least a year and a half. From the point of view of potency you've nothing to worry about :)

I really hope you're OK? xx
 
MightyMax said:
My vet has told me an opened bottle is still effective after at least a year and a half. From the point of view of potency you've nothing to worry about :)

I really hope you're OK? xx
Click to expand...

That's good to know!

Aww thank you, I am ok, trying not to over worry, I think because it seems to be exactly the same as before and she was ok (albeit for only two months) then I think I am more confident that I can get her better again. She was not so good at taking the medicine tonight as she was back then though! I am wondering if it is coinciding with the temp/humidity in her room, even though her heater is on as it is a bit colder and damper (I've turned the temp up a bit now) and that happened the last time too as it was before I'd fully put the heater on for the year. Luckily we had x rays done last time so if they need re doing we will have a good comparison!
 
If in the UNOPENED original bottle the shelf life is 3 years. Once the bottle is opened the shelf life is 6 months

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/?id=-447614

Meloxicam is light sensitive and will deteriorate rapidly on exposure to light. So if the prescribing Vet dispenses Metacam from the original bottle into another container the shelf life will be about 28 days maximum.
 
newbabybuns said:
That's good to know!

Aww thank you, I am ok, trying not to over worry, I think because it seems to be exactly the same as before and she was ok (albeit for only two months) then I think I am more confident that I can get her better again. She was not so good at taking the medicine tonight as she was back then though! I am wondering if it is coinciding with the temp/humidity in her room, even though her heater is on as it is a bit colder and damper (I've turned the temp up a bit now) and that happened the last time too as it was before I'd fully put the heater on for the year. Luckily we had x rays done last time so if they need re doing we will have a good comparison!
Click to expand...


It's so difficult to second guess what's going on and why, isn't it? I really hope all's well with her.

Keep your pecker up, you've a lot of plates to spin :)
 
Jack's-Jane said:
If in the UNOPENED original bottle the shelf life is 3 years. Once the bottle is opened the shelf life is 6 months

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/?id=-447614

Meloxicam is light sensitive and will deteriorate rapidly on exposure to light. So if the prescribing Vet dispenses Metacam from the original bottle into another container the shelf life will be about 28 days maximum.
Click to expand...

Oh goodness that does reduce it quite a bit. Luckily this one is still in the original white bottle, so was ok. Thank you Jane xxx
 
MightyMax said:
It's so difficult to second guess what's going on and why, isn't it? I really hope all's well with her.

Keep your pecker up, you've a lot of plates to spin :)
Click to expand...

Yes it sure is, I've been trying to book her into the vets but they aren't picking up the phone, I guess Mondays are the busiest day. Would have probably been quick to walk down there :lol: She is definitely a bit worse now, but we have been having gun shots go off all morning (the RAF are training, we don't live somewhere dangerous :Lol: ) so that might not be helping. Luckily I barely have any work this week so can be home monitoring her.
 
newbabybuns said:
Yes it sure is, I've been trying to book her into the vets but they aren't picking up the phone, I guess Mondays are the busiest day. Would have probably been quick to walk down there :lol: She is definitely a bit worse now, but we have been having gun shots go off all morning (the RAF are training, we don't live somewhere dangerous :Lol: ) so that might not be helping. Luckily I barely have any work this week so can be home monitoring her.
Click to expand...


Did you manage to get through to the vets eventually? :wave:
 
Thank you! We think it is just the same as before, not too sure exactly what or what the cause was, but as she responded to Metacam with a view to the x ray showing slight inflamation, with it before she has been given that again. He gave her a higher dose, this time upto the 8kg mark on the thin dog Metacam syringe. So I'm not entirely sure what that dose is, but it absolutely stinks, the cat one didn't smell bad! She also has Sulfatrim twice a day just incase that helps anything going on too. She sounded a tiny bit noisy when she was breathing when sat in the waiting room. That happened last time too when she was stressed at being picked up for meds and it stopped when she was better, so whatever it is seems to be the same pattern as before.

She hasn't lost any weight which is good, no temp either, but her heart was super fast, 300 bpm!
 
Can anyway give their thoughts on this medication schedule for me? Cookie is to have Sulfatrim twice a day and Metacam once. Would -

9am - Sulfatrim
9pm - Sulfatrim (might be more like 8am & 8pm)
11pm - Metacam

Be ok? Well as close to those time scales as poss?? I'm trying to work it round the days I will be at work later this week as don't want to miss any doses. I am tired and in pain from my wisdom tooth pushing through that has spread a pain all over my cheekbone like a sunburn feeling :shock: tonight and can't think straight!
 
newbabybuns said:
Can anyway give their thoughts on this medication schedule for me? Cookie is to have Sulfatrim twice a day and Metacam once. Would -

9am - Sulfatrim
9pm - Sulfatrim (might be more like 8am & 8pm)
11pm - Metacam

Be ok? Well as close to those time scales as poss?? I'm trying to work it round the days I will be at work later this week as don't want to miss any doses. I am tired and in pain from my wisdom tooth pushing through that has spread a pain all over my cheekbone like a sunburn feeling :shock: tonight and can't think straight!
Click to expand...


This sounds OK to me :wave:

Sorry about your poor tooth. You are in the wars again! xx
 
MightyMax said:
This sounds OK to me :wave:

Sorry about your poor tooth. You are in the wars again! xx
Click to expand...

Thank you! As for the tooth, hopefully it will just disappear as quickly as it started. It happens every now and again, I'm guessing its the nerve causing the weird sensation but I am too much of a baby to have the tooth out!
 
newbabybuns said:
Can anyway give their thoughts on this medication schedule for me? Cookie is to have Sulfatrim twice a day and Metacam once. Would -

9am - Sulfatrim
9pm - Sulfatrim (might be more like 8am & 8pm)
11pm - Metacam

Be ok? Well as close to those time scales as poss?? I'm trying to work it round the days I will be at work later this week as don't want to miss any doses. I am tired and in pain from my wisdom tooth pushing through that has spread a pain all over my cheekbone like a sunburn feeling :shock: tonight and can't think straight!
Click to expand...

You could give the Metacam dose at the same time as the 9pm Sulfatrim dose, that would mean just two 'pick ups' rather than 3 :)
 
newbabybuns said:
Thank you! As for the tooth, hopefully it will just disappear as quickly as it started. It happens every now and again, I'm guessing its the nerve causing the weird sensation but I am too much of a baby to have the tooth out!
Click to expand...

You're welcome! I hope Cookie is better soon :D

I know, the thought of having a tooth out makes me shudder. I had to have this a couple of months ago but not with a wisdom tooth :shock:
 
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