metacam for arthritis

Question
my mini-rex rabbit is on Metacam for arthritis (.2 ml/day). He weighs 5.5 lbs. Is this too low a dose as he is getting worse? what is a more effective dose, and what is the maximum? is it better to give 1 dose per day, or twice a day at half the dosage? to avoid side effects of Metacam, is there anything that could be given to accompany it?

Answer
Dear Patricia,

Metacam stays in the tissues far longer than most other NSAIDs, so it is *not* advisable to give it more than once a day.  You don't say what the concentration of your metacam is, but the standard solution is usually 1.5mg/ml.  The dose range usually used for rabbits is 0.1 - 0.3mg/kg once every 24 hours.

Your bunny weighs just a hair under 2.5kg, so he could get anywhere between 0.25 - 0.75mg per day.  The volume of that dose will depend on the concentration of the metacam solution you have.

Hope that helps.

Dana