Pain relief for rabbits?

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trinityoaks

trinityoaks

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This situation last night with Smokey has me wondering. Is there anything I could have given him to relieve his suffering (not necessarily put him down just yet), if I'd had it on hand? It was just so hard to watch him convulse for 15-20 minutes and not be able to do anything for him.
 
I use metacam for rabbits - they can tolerate a high dose well

I also hoard drugs so have some pretty potent stuff on hand that I can use if I think an animal is going anyhow - at least that way they fall asleep and drift off
 
Silver Star Rabbitry":15wwdbfd said:
I have heard that willow leaves work well for pain. Almost like Aspirin for rabbits.
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I wish I knew where to get some. Around here, trees are few and far between.

__________ Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:00 pm __________

Anntann":15wwdbfd said:
How do we feel about Tylenol with Morphine?
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Can rabbits take it?<br /><br />__________ Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:02 pm __________<br /><br />I don't want to be too quick to put a rabbit down if there's any chance it might recover. I had already seen some pretty miraculous recoveries with Smokey, so I wasn't ready to give up with out a heroic fight. I was just wishing I could relieve his suffering until we could figure out what else to do. Unfortunately, yesterday there was nothing else left for him.
 
If you have any land that you can grow stuff on, you might want to get someone who has willow to send you some (the stuff will grow ANYWHERE as long as you water it). On a trip to a river area, or swampy area even, you might find some growing...not sure about how much of it is in Texas (or what part of Texas you're in). Just cutting a few branches/twigs/stems, and rooting in water, or damp sand. Doesn't take long to root. Then just plant somewhere and keep it watered.

About the tylenol/morphine...I'm hoping Brody can answer that. She works closely with vets on the rescue animals and might know.
 
It is the willow bark you want, not the leaves. The leaves might help some, but the inner bark is a very effective analgesic. So effective that when my arthritic knees were painful and I was out of aspirin, I chewed some of the bark myself. Very bitter, but the pain gone in a very short time!

It doesn't have to be fresh, although the bunnies love it fresh. Dried will work too. If the rabbit won't gnaw it, you could make it into a decoction.

http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_white_willow.htm

Perhaps you can order some from a herbalist or have someone here send you some. I'd do it myself, but it would be difficult getting it across the border.
 
I used willow with Franklin with great success
i wouldn't use morphine on a rabbit unless it was drifting away anyhow - doseage with morphine is tricky with large animals (dogs, humans) it is very tricky with littles - that said it does help the drift away - and once I had an animal that slept for 24 hours (with some opiate help) then rallied upon waking
I have had vets suggest aspirin for rabbits - I'll have to ask about tylenol specifically as it's not a drug I have on hand ..
 
Tylenol (acetaminophen) is a no-no for rabbits. And if the pain is caused by inflammation, you really want something that is anti-inflammatory as well. Aspirin dosage is tricky, but do-able-- one low dose aspirin (81 mg) will treat 40 pounds of rabbit,. So, grind up a tablet, split into 4 equal parts, and if the rabbit weighs 10 pounds, you have 2 days worth of pain/arthritis relief for it.[One dose every 12 hours]
The cambium layer of willow is what contains the salicylic acid (aspirin!!)that is so beneficial-- If willow is not available, this lovely little chemical is also found in the cambium layers of the aspen/poplar family trees.
 
I wouldn't have know what to use for pain relief with a rabbit either Trinityoaks, I just wanted to say how sorry I am about Smokey! I wouldn't have been able to watch him have siezures, etc. either for very long.
 

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