Whats the dosage for penicillin?

Rabbit #2 still has the rasp, we just took the Hay out and replaced it with a towel.
I gave him a penicillin shot this morning, followed by some Rabbit-Mycin nose drops. and some Vet Rx outside each nostril.

A friend just came over, one who actually raised rabbits as a youngster, held the rabbit and said what I suspected, the rasp is not reverberating from his chest, but from his throat. The rabbit has a SLIGHT clear discharge from his nose, no matted paws, he eats normally, humps your hand when you tend to him, and is drinking and feisty. He is not running a fever.

So do I keep on going like I am? When brought in the house for observation-he was fine.. but there is also no hay in the house. These symptoms did not actually manifest till the cold weather set in, and we gave them all Hay bedding.. we also brought in alot of hay and stored it in the barn for the other animals.

I am of the opinion it's the hay.. since he doesnt get any worse. How do I go about keeping the rabbit from the symptoms? House him elsewhere?

Also... how often can penicillin be given, and in what amount do you recommend for a rabbit of 7 lbs or so?

Thanks all..
Zin
Who really needs a rabbit vet in these parts.

Hi Zin,

I would urge caution with the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. I am not a fan at all with the nose drops you are using. With the current climate of bacterial infections...not only with rabbits but with all beings...it is very important to make sure you are treating correctly. If not, a resistant bacteria can develop and it will be difficult to eradicate.Most of the "drugs" you can buy over the counter at a pet store or farm supply are generally too weak to make apositive difference. As far as dosing any drug, including penicillin....it all depends on the concentration of the drug. There are different concentrations....meaning that one person might have a version that wouldbe dosed at.5cc and another may have a version that the same rabbit might get 1.0cc. Look at the label on the bottle and see what it says about drug concentrations. With penicillin it is usually stated as a particular number of units per ml....and with other drugs it's stated as mg/ml. And all penicillin is not created equally. Giving the wrong dosage based on what someone tells you is very dangerous....as I mentioned, all drugs concentrations are not the same and the dosing will be different accordingly. With rabbits, you are looking for Pen G....it's a mixture of procaine and benzothine.So I urge extreme caution. And if it's an allergic reaction to the hay...and that is very possibly with some of the dusty hay we all are having to put up with....penicillin is totally the wrong way to go. And you did mention that the discharge from the nose is clear...that is not an indication of a bacterial infection and antibiotics are inappropriate in that case. I can makea couple ofsuggestions....and understand that I am not a vet...but here is what I would do. Put the rabbit in a small enclosed room...like a bathroom....and add humidity. Contrary to popular belief...do not use steam. Use a cool humidity such as a cool mist humidifier. We have even just put the shower on cold with the head on the finest mist possible and let it run. We use cool mist exclusively in situations like this. And instead of using the nasal drops you are using....I would suggest something like children's Neo-Synephrine. I would only do this as a last resort as it can have some undesirable side effects in some rabbits...so again, caution is in order. I would bet on the cool mist as it has worked for us numerous times on several different species. And we have had buns and chins in the cool mist for days at a time.

And trust me...I fully understand the frustration of not being able to find a vet....that is how I got started doing this....out of desperation. It's not a good feeling....and I feel for you as I have been there.

Randy

Ok, I am little confused. Did you say the wet nose and rasp gets better in the house? I don't know about the rasp, but I know several of my rabbits will get a slight damp nose when the weather turns cold. LIke you said, it's clear, but there is no sneezing or damp paws with it. Also rabbit's behavior does not change, it acts normal. I could be wrong, but I have put it down to the weather, as my nose tends to get runny in cold weather too.

I do agree with Randy on the use of antibiotics, though, if you use the wrong one/wrong dosage, you can do a lot more harm than good. At the very least, you might jsut make whatever it is more resistant to meds.

Is there any way this one bunny can come live in the house? Maybe in a bathroom or closet or something? Sounds like it would be good for him to get indoors.

Aight, I must admit, I called a rabbit vet in another city, Houston, and he said to continue the antibiotics I was doing. But in my mom mind, I thought about everytime my kid got an earache, his doc put him on amoxicillian, which now, it takes something seriously strong to knock out anything he gets virally or bacterially. He built up an immunity to it. So I was tempted to discontinue use myself, but then I figured, I didnt go to vet school, he did.. so I was at a loss as to what to do. I think the roomies here have convinced me my way is better.

I did buy some alternate bedding for him tonight. We shall give that a whirl.

I did hear the best advice ever tonight...I was telling a friend who raises rabbits that there are 2 schools of thought on sick rabbits. The breeders way, which is to shoot them, and the rabbit lover's way, which is to nurse them back to health. He told me 99% of all rabbits are save able, it just takes patience and time, something a breeder does not have. Hence why they dispose of sick one's because they have hundreds of others...

I had the time, and the patience... I guess that makes me a sucky breeder.

Well I am satisfied with my decision..

Thanks guys for the advice.. ya'll just put my mind at ease on the decision to cease medicating.

Zin

I'm sorry - but I have to disagree with you a bit on this. I am a breeder and I know several other breeders that will fight to the last breath to save a rabbit. I don't think it is "breeder's way" of thinking to just shoot them.

I do know that some breeders do look at their animals as "livestock" and do not have a problem putting them down - but many of us who are breeders can't give up....

Just my .02 ~ I don't like folks thinking that all breeders are like that...

Peg

GoinBackToCali wrote:

I was telling a friend who raises rabbits that there are 2 schools of thought on sick rabbits. The breeders way, which is to shoot them, and the rabbit lover's way, which is to nurse them back to health.

Click to expand...

I am a rescue...not a breeder....but I don't think that shooting a sick rabbit is a breeder's way....at least not the breeders that I know. That is usually a very old school breeder that really has no idea about how medical conditions affect rabbits or how to properly treat them. And you can continue that thought by understanding that most vets have no clue either. Our very best friends in the world are breeders and they would never, under any circumstances, do that to one of their rabbits. They will do all they can to help a sick rabbit....and I know that first hand. I think nearly all of the breeders care about the rabbits...but there is always a bad apple in the bunch every once in a while....no matter what group you are talking about.

Randy

Let me clarify.. the breeders I have started dealing with have a different outlook..

The breeders I originally started with looked at the rabbits as income..basically.. good ol boys. I went to a couple of them for help, and they told me to shoot him or they would do it for me.

Thats where I differ from most here. I get labeled tender hearted.. Deep south redneck's is what I deal with mostly, and I can say that with authority, because most of em here are related to me in one form or fashion. I will say I am adopted and do not share there genetic code.LOL

I sincerely apologize if I wasn't more specific and clarified myself. I did not mean to offend. When I said Breeders way and rabbit lovers way... I should have said *my cousins way.. and my way.* Actually when we were having the convo, my friend and I, we we're actually referring to my cousin Eddie, the main breeder in this area's way, and my way, as an up and coming breeder, who has done it the rabbit lover's way...HA.. I pretty much have stomped him in every competition...

Ya'll forgive me?

Zin

Heres a list of rabbit savvy vets by location:

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_forum.php?id=9

I hope you can find one in your area

I am sittin here feeling TERRIBLE I offended people...

:craziness

Really..


Zin

Phinnsmommy-

Ty for the listings, I had alredy checked it out.. nearest one is over 100 miles...

Ugh...


Zin

GoinBackToCali wrote:

I am sittin here feeling TERRIBLE I offended people...

Click to expand...

:laughsmiley: Not at all! Everybody just likes to voice their own take! I think y'all are on the same page.

Your posts are a hoot, Zin! Love hearing more about cousin Eddie and the gang. (Not sure that I'd like you to sign 'em up tho). :biggrin2:



sas opcorn2

Nope! It's just that most normal people aren't on a rabbit forum on Friday night...

Hey, I resemble that remark!:?

Oh, and I've met rabbit breeders of both descriptions so I know what you're talking about.

GoinBackToCali wrote:

I am sittin here feeling TERRIBLE I offended people...

Click to expand...

I have no life.. I have costumes due, armor to be made.. and I aint doin nothin but poppin Whoppers and drinkin Mountain Dewd, as my son says..

Wow.. the crap on cable this time of night...

I need a shower.. I feel violated...

Zin