tonyshuman
Well-Known Member
In an effort to gain more insight into some drugs and conditions, I'll run a weekly series on different medical topics. Hopefully we can get opinions from our experts all in one place for future easy reference.
PLEASE PLEASE CORRECT ANYTHING I HAVE WRONG. I WILL NOT BE OFFENDED. The goal of this is to combine all our knowledge into an easier reference guide we can put in the Library, instead of having it spread all over.
This week (Aug 3-9), we'll be talking about pain.
I'll feature a different drug each day, but feel free to comment on any related drug or other treatment (non-Western medicine is fine to discuss as well).
Pain in rabbits comes from a variety of sources. The ones we deal with most are post-operative pain (from neuter/spays) and stomach pain (from GI stasis, gas). Other sources of pain include bladder/kidney disease, cancer, infection, and tooth issues. Acute injury (breaks, sprains, bruises) can also lead to pain.
You can tell that a rabbit is in pain by activity level and sometimes vocalization. A rabbit in pain will be less active, perhaps lethargic, and may sit huddled in the corner. Eyes may be glazed. Vocalization of pain can be screams in intense pain, or tooth grinding (distinct from a tooth purr).
Metacam (meloxicam) is the most common drug prescribed to rabbits for pain management. It's a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which puts it in the same class as ibuprofen and aspirin. It is a cycloxygenase (COX) inhibitor, which means that it reduces the synthesis of prostaglandins very high up the biochemical pathway. Prostaglandins are inflammatory signaling molecules. By inhibiting this inflammatory signal from being spread, it reduces overall pain and inflammation.
It is usually prepared in a suspension for oral dosing. It can also be given as an intramuscular or sub-q shot. Oral dose is 0.3mg/kg every 24 hrs and injectible is 0.2mg/kg every 24 hours. Dosing instructions are found here: http://www.med.yale.edu/yarc/vcs/drugs.htm
Side effects include GI slowdown and ulcer. Another important side effect is kidney or liver damage. By inhibiting COX, meloxicam reduces the flow of blood through the kidneys, which decreases the rate by which the drug (and other compounds in the system) is eliminated. It can also directly damage the kidneys.
A suspension can be stored at room temperature safely for 6 mo.
Important things to remember: adminster every 24hrs, ensure adequate hydration of the rabbit, may be contra-indicated in pain from urinary tract problems, watch for gut issues, do not administer for more than 4 days in a row unless under a vet's constant supervision, ie for long-term arthritis pain.
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meloxicam
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Animal...edAnimalDrugProducts/DrugLabels/UCM050392.pdf
PLEASE PLEASE CORRECT ANYTHING I HAVE WRONG. I WILL NOT BE OFFENDED. The goal of this is to combine all our knowledge into an easier reference guide we can put in the Library, instead of having it spread all over.
This week (Aug 3-9), we'll be talking about pain.
I'll feature a different drug each day, but feel free to comment on any related drug or other treatment (non-Western medicine is fine to discuss as well).
Pain in rabbits comes from a variety of sources. The ones we deal with most are post-operative pain (from neuter/spays) and stomach pain (from GI stasis, gas). Other sources of pain include bladder/kidney disease, cancer, infection, and tooth issues. Acute injury (breaks, sprains, bruises) can also lead to pain.
You can tell that a rabbit is in pain by activity level and sometimes vocalization. A rabbit in pain will be less active, perhaps lethargic, and may sit huddled in the corner. Eyes may be glazed. Vocalization of pain can be screams in intense pain, or tooth grinding (distinct from a tooth purr).
Metacam (meloxicam) is the most common drug prescribed to rabbits for pain management. It's a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which puts it in the same class as ibuprofen and aspirin. It is a cycloxygenase (COX) inhibitor, which means that it reduces the synthesis of prostaglandins very high up the biochemical pathway. Prostaglandins are inflammatory signaling molecules. By inhibiting this inflammatory signal from being spread, it reduces overall pain and inflammation.
It is usually prepared in a suspension for oral dosing. It can also be given as an intramuscular or sub-q shot. Oral dose is 0.3mg/kg every 24 hrs and injectible is 0.2mg/kg every 24 hours. Dosing instructions are found here: http://www.med.yale.edu/yarc/vcs/drugs.htm
Side effects include GI slowdown and ulcer. Another important side effect is kidney or liver damage. By inhibiting COX, meloxicam reduces the flow of blood through the kidneys, which decreases the rate by which the drug (and other compounds in the system) is eliminated. It can also directly damage the kidneys.
A suspension can be stored at room temperature safely for 6 mo.
Important things to remember: adminster every 24hrs, ensure adequate hydration of the rabbit, may be contra-indicated in pain from urinary tract problems, watch for gut issues, do not administer for more than 4 days in a row unless under a vet's constant supervision, ie for long-term arthritis pain.
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meloxicam
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Animal...edAnimalDrugProducts/DrugLabels/UCM050392.pdf
