[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Long-term use of painkillers
Ann Evans
ann.evans at hintlink.com
Wed Mar 20 10:12:02 EDT 2013
Hi Joanie,
The CCT recommends metacam to be used with caution in cavies and for the
shortest amount of time. Ideally it should only be used for post
operative pain if Rimadyl is not available. How much pain killers are
given and for how long depends of each case. Here are general guidelines
from the CCT. Cavies are the most Rimadyl tolerant of all the rodent
species. Rimadyl has been used in cavies since the early 1980's. It is
the CCT's first choice for pain or inflammation.
Rimadyl 5-10 mg orally twice a day. I usually start out at a the higher
dose of 10 mg twice a day and then reduce it to 5 mg twice a day when
the piggy is showing improvement. Administer for as long as needed. A
typical time period would be 10 days. For arthritic piggys the dose can
be slowly adjusted down to 5 mg every other day for the life of the
piggy. I had one arthritic piggy that lived on this dose of rimadyl for
4 years and died at 9 years of age. This was before I knew about
Potter's tabritis tablets that can be bought from amazon.com.
You asked for rimadyl in milliliters. It comes as an injectable liquid
at a concentration of 50 mg/ml. Since I am a pharmaceutical scientist I
formulate for the vets that I work with a 10 mg/ml solution of rimadyl
in black currant juice. However, a vet could dispense to you in a small
bottle 5.0 ml of the Rimadyl 50 mg/ml injectable solution. To give 10 mg
of Rimadyl you would need to pull into a 1.0 ml syringe 0.2 ml of the 50
mg/ml solution and then pull up some juice to flavour the Rimadyl. For
example pull up 0.7 ml of juice. Invert the syringe a few times to mix
the rimadyl and juice then give orally.
If you want to give 5 mg of Rimadyl using the 50 mg/ml solution you
would pull up 0.1 ml of the Rimadyl and then mix it with juice.
I hope I am making myself clear. Rimadyl comes as tablets and an
injectable liquid that can be given orally. Dose is expressed in
milligrams, mg. Concentration is expressed as milligrams per milliliter,
mg/ml. If you want to give 10 mg of Rimadyl using a 50 mg/ml solution
the equation is: 0.2 ml times 50 mg/ml = 10 mg.
Likewise, If you want to give 5 mg of Rimadyl using a 50 mg/ml solution
the equation is: 0.1 ml times 50 mg/ml = 5 mg
Ibuprofen: Using children's ibuprofen which is a 20 mg/ml oral
suspension give 0.2-0.4 ml orally twice a day for as long as needed. As
above with rimadyl, I usually reduce the dose to 0.2 ml when I see
improvement.
Metacam: 1.5 mg/ml oral solution. Give a maximum of 0.2 ml orally once
or twice a day. Do not exceed three days. Change over to rimadyl or
ibuprofen. Personally I do not use metacam in cavies.
There is no harm in changing over from rimadyl to ibuprofen. However, I
would not arbitraily rotate their use. It is best to stay with one drug
I volunteer as a consulting rodentologist to Drs. Danielson and Saleh
D.V.M. of Ehrlich Animal Hospital and Dr. Bonsack D.V.M. of Westchase
Animal Hospital Tampa, Florida.
Cheers,
Ann and the Rescued Piggys of Piggyville, Tampa Florida USAor the other.
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