Meloxicam question

[Susanne]

Hi, so last night my rabbit acted in pain, I’d guess probably going into statis but of course not sure. She wouldn’t eat her favorite treats and refused any food. I had some Meloxicam leftover from a past vet visit that I could give her, which was all she needed to get better. Another time not long ago, another one of my rabbits was getting sick and I gave her some, and she got better by the time I got to ER so they were all confused why I said she was so sick lol. Point being, seems like if caught really early and mild, a dose of the pain med can get them eating and pull them out of statis. But now I’m out of it. That said, I do have some of my own that a doctor prescribed for my back that I never needed much of, so I have a bunch leftover. Is this OK to use for rabbits in emergencies (this last dose I had last night saved Pancake pain, a risky late night long drive to ER, and hundreds of dollars). I see on the label from vet they used a certain MG per ML. So like break up my pill, and dissolve it in water? Would that be OK for next time? I obviously don’t want to hurt them either. It might get a bit tricky since the pill is small, and 7.5 MG where the rabbits only need like 1.5 MG.

[Bam]

We can’t give veterinary advice here, because we are not vets.

I was once given meloxicom pills (for humans) instead of liquid meloxicam. (It was during the pandemic). I dissolved part of a pill in water so I knew how much meloxicam there would (theoretically) be in a ml of the water/pill mix. I stirred well before measuring up the prescribed dose in a syringe, because the pill fragments sunk fast. This worked well.

Rabbits are sensitive to pain and pain relief can help them get through mild stasis-type episodes.

If you have a rabbit vet that knows you and your bun, you could call them and ask if they think it’s ok if you give some of the meloxicam you have if/when your bun has tummy trouble. A vet that has never seen you will perhaps not want to give that type of advice.

 

[Susanne]

Thank you! Yes I will ask my vet. I’ve been to several in my area so I have a couple I can call. Some seem more willing to give that type of advice than others, sometimes it seems they are more picky about that stuff and giving out meds for emergencies than human doctors. It’s all so weird and frustrating! Having a solution for people without a rabbit ER in the area for evenings and weekends would be just a common courtesy in my opinion :/

[Bam]

Yes, I agree. Where I live there’s no longer any ER rabbit vets. There was one until last November, when she wasn’t on duty, the other vets could consult with her for a fee. Now that possibility is gone. My rabbit vet recommends a certain generosity with meloxicam prescriptions for long time  patients and owners (This vet runs a daytime-only clinic. Great vet. Not at all easy to get an appt with.)

It’s very sad that there are so few rabbit savvy vets and it’s horrible if you cant do anything for a poorly bun. Animal hospitals here will see rabbits if they can fit them in. That’s not very reassuring 🙁

[Susanne]

I’m so sorry Bam, sounds like you’re in a really tough spot in your area:( It is also hard to get into regular rabbit vets here for emergencies during regular hours, by the time I would call around to the ones within a 30 minute drive I might as well just go to the 1.5 hour away ER where I know they are the best. But at least I have that. The times it’s been hard is when I’m really tired and it doesn’t feel safe to drive, then I have to weigh out how the rabbit is doing, so that is when having the pain meds really comes in handy.

I’m glad you at least have some solution/meds at home as well, but there are some things only a vet can handle and that must feel very vulnerable. I’d really hate not having an ER option at all.

I just ordered more metacam off the vets website (I emailed this morning about the incident last night and they were supposed to get back with me but never did), so hoping they approve so I can have more on hand. If I’m in a bind I have my Meloxicam that I can also ask about but I’d only do something like that if desperate. Like you said, it’s terrible seeing a poorly bun and feeling helpless.

[DanaNM]

I hope they will approve it! I too have seen great results with rapid treating with meloxicam at the first signs of trouble. I think it’s especially good to have an extensive rabbit first aid kit on hand if you are in an area without exotics ER vets. Another good thing to inquire about is subcutaneous fluids. The vet can prescribe them and show you how to use them so you have them on hand if needed. My vet did this when we drove cross country with ours and we did use them a couple times.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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