Rabbit spayed but sent home with only one dose of pain med

[koj]

Hello,

My bunny got spayed today 🙁 She was injected with some inflammatory/pain shot according to the vet and we got sent home with one dose of METACAM. I tried to purchase additional metacam, but they told us they were out of stock and would not restock till the end of this week. I would give the dose tonight, and they told me it should be fine for the next 12 hours, in which she wouldn’t be in too much pain anymore. Is this true? Will she not be in much pain after the dose wears off?

If it’s not, is there anything else I can do? i know some pet stores sell metacam but i’m nervous on whether that would be safe for her. Thank you!!

[DanaNM]

Usually they should have pain meds for at least 3 days, so I would call around and see if they can get you some from another vet’s office. As far as I know it’s prescription-only (at least in the USA), so I don’t think you’d be able to find it at a pet store?

. . . 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.  

[koj]

I called different vet offices around the place, and all of them only have them for dogs and cats:( I’m going to try to call the rabbit vet again tomorrow morning and ask. I’m just worried because it’ll wear off tomorrow morning and she might stop eating if she’s in pain 🙁 Thank you though!

[DanaNM]

It’s off label for bunnies. The version I’ve used is always labeled for dogs.

. . . 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.  

[Bam]

Rabbits as s rule get dog metacam which has a strenght of 1.5 mg/ml (cat metacam is 0.5 mg/ml). Rabbits need a comparatively high dose of metacam because they metabolize more rapidly than dogs and cats. One dose should last 12-24 hours though.

I agree you should try to get some more for your bun, preferably 5-7 days’s worth. Pain relief is very important for rabbits.

[koj]

Thank you for the advice! Unfortunately, Ive called almost every single vet in my area, and they all said they can’t give it to me because it’s a prescription. I called the vet we went to to get the spay, and they said it’s not possible to get metacam elsewhere because it’s a prescription 🙁 Thank you again though!!

[Susanne]

And your vet can’t call another and get the prescription because they ran out? They’d rather let your bun suffer? I’d be calling cursing and NEVER go back.

[koj]

That’s exactly what I thought! Even before that, I thought it was very unprofessional of them to be out of stock in the first place because today is specifically the day where they neuter/spay 15-20 bunnies at a low cost (called low-cost day), so they should’ve ordered a lot more beforehand. It was shocking to me because the Georgia House Rabbits Society recommend this vet :/

[LBJ10]

Hmm… that’s odd. The vet should be able to call over to another vet office.

[koj]

Yeah, they’re closed today, but Im gonna try calling again tomorrow morning and ask why they can’t do that.. Thank you all for the help!

[Hazel]

I agree, it’s very unprofessional for them to go through with the surgery knowing they don’t have the needed post surgery medications to send home with the rabbit. If they ran out unexpectedly they should have rescheduled the spay. Especially since it’s a prescription only medication not labelled or rabbits that other vets will be hesitant or unwilling to prescribe if your rabbit isn’t one of their patients.

I hope you can get your hands on some, they should be bending over backwards to get a prescription from another vet for you, since this is their fault to begin with.

[Susanne]

Wow they sound like they need reported then, they definitely should have rescheduled any bunny after they ran out, especially given they aren’t willing to get you some from another vet. So there are more rabbits they did at low cost that day that also have to suffer. Unprofessional and cruel. Sorry you and bunny have to go through this, and surprising they are on the GHRS list.

[Wick & Fable]

While unfortunate that you are in this situation and ultimately a vet practice should at least fully inform you on their situation, I know that in my area of the US, there has actually been an extreme shortage in resources and staff in veterinary practices, especially exotics, which were already less common. With increased demand due to the spike in pets over the pandemic, but no change or even decreases in available resources, (supplies and staff) I can imagine circumstances where vet practices which are usually fine in their practices may be especially strained during this time.

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.

[DanaNM]

I agree with others, so very lame of the vet!

That said, don’t panic. Keep your bun calm and as comfortable as possible, and make sure she’s eating. If she doesn’t eat on her own, syringe feed her.

We have had members who’s vets didn’t give them pain meds at all (!) and the buns were all OK. It is so horrible to think of our bunnies in pain for sure, but just keep up with the other supportive care regardless.

If it gets to the point where you are like 2 or 3 days out and another vet says they would need to actually see her to give metacam, personally I would only do it if the bun seemed really uncomfortable. I think the stress of an additional vet appointment would be worse than lingering pain at that point in most cases (but definitely see how your bun is doing to make that decision).

. . . 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.  

[koj]

Update:

 

Thank you all for your responses! Fortunately, my bunny, even though spayed, is surprisingly recovering very well and fast. She’s right back to eating her hay and drinking her water (which is great because force feeding really stresses both of us out), and she’s active and trying to get out of her pen lol. She doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of pain, but I still plan on getting the Metacam hopefully by tomorrow since that is when it should be restocked. Thank you all again!

[Bam]

Wonderful news that she’s doing so well! Thank you for the update!

[Hazel]

So glad she’s doing okay! 🙂

[DanaNM]

Great news!

. . . 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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