Hamster pain relief

[annc]

I'm posting this for a friend.

I have a hamster who had a bad fall. She had x-rays today and it appears her back is broken but she is not paralyzed. She has been on metacam which the vet says he will increase this evening to the maximum dose. Does anyone know whether you can give hamsters paracetamol or ibuprofen and if so which, if either, of these can be given along side the metacam. If we cannot keep her comfy whilst she heals she will have to be put to sleep. We adore her and want to give her every chance .

[Angelhamster]

Sorry to hear this and even more sorry that I don't know the answer. Could the vet not recommend anything? I hope she heals but if not, that she can be put to sleep before she's in too much pain

[souffle]

You cannot give a hamster human medication annc. It could kill them.
The metacam should do the job in keeping the pain at bay however a broken back is very serious. I'm not even sure if it will be able to heal but the vet will be the best person to know. Try and watch she is peeing and pooing normally as if these functions are comprimised then she will not be able to survive.
I hope she can be kept comfortable x

[annc]

I'll pass this on. In rats there are certain infant medications we can give, but even then I wouldn't give them in conjunction with Metacam

[Vectis Hamstery]

I wouldn't recommend human medications for hamsters either. Metacam is the trade name for meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication from the same family as ibuprofen. The other painkiller my vet has given my hamsters is vetergesic (trade name for buprenorphine) which is an opiate painkiller and therefore extremely strong. It isn't something I've been given to take away, but has been administered by injection at the vets, mainly post op in addition to the ham being in a hospital cage.
I hope your girl stays comfy.

[kyrilliondaemon]

Yeah, I'd be careful with human meds. One of my worst nightmares is a ham escaping and accidentally getting at my meds somehow. (Co-codamol, ibuprofen and something called lanzoprazole, the co-codamol and ibuprofen would kill, and I doubt the lanzoprazole would be good either...) I don't have a choice about taking them but if a ham ever gets at them I'll never forgive myself.
I've also got an unexpected allergy just to a one brand of antiseptic cream and figure that if I've got that unexpected allergy I'd not trust human stuff to not cause them for hamsters too sometimes.

I'd trust the metacam really, its made a world of difference to pets I've lived with at my parents place a few times. I hope this works out well for the hamster in all of it.

[crazygal330]

I don't see any point adding other painkillers, metacam is very good stuff, if she is worried it isn't working it would be better to try a higher dosesge of that than to mix meds. if they haven't already done so I would be restricting her space dramatically to a singular levelled cage/carrier, with nothing to climb. also offer her easy things to eat like baby food or porridge or similar alongside her normal food

[acapae]

You cannot give meloxicam and ibuprofen together. Firstly as others have said, no idea on dosages. Secondly they're both non-steroidal anti-inflamatories, so basically the same drug type in two different forms i.e. looking at OD risk.

Personally I would ask your vet about Vetergesic (only available on prescription, is a restricted drug). It's an opiod painkiller that's many times stronger than morphine, but also much safer.

The thing with meloxicom is that it's 'just a painkiller' - i.e. they feel fine, try to be active etc., so you're having to toss up removing the pain and that they may try to do more than they're capable of. Increasing the dose of that will only make the animal feel like it can do more, which increases the risk of secondary injury. Extended use of a high dosage can also put strain on the kidneys as it's a drug which is processed by them alone, rather than a combination of liver and kidneys.

Buprenorphine (Vetergesic is the only UK brand name) on the other hand makes them all woozy, so they go to sleep and don't try to do things they think they're capable of. It's a better painkiller in itself, but you also pretty much remove the chance of feeling better - which is better from both a physically healing pov but also mentally coping.

The hamster dose is tiny and the vet may have to dilute down the dose themselves for increased accuracy. The only downside is that as a drug it doesn't last very long. Max time between doses is about 18hrs (compared to 24hrs of meloxicam), but you can safely increase that up to every 6-8hrs if the situation deems it. The drug can either be injected, or syringed at an angle into the mouth - it's absorbed through the gums, so you don't want it going straight down the throat.

Anfreda was prescribed it following her spay (and all my rats are on it post-spay), and I've had rats on it for situations similar to the seriousness you're now facing. Vets should always have it in stock, but it's something that for small animals involves a lot of trust between you and them, even with the tiny doses involved.

But I would definitely at the very least talk to your vet about it before you increase NSAID dosage. I can pass on the contact details of my vets who are happy to prescribe it in suitably serious contexts if you feel it might help - cos it is still a bit 'out there'.

eta - In saying all that, I agree with souffle in that realistically your vet (or rather, your friend's vet) may really just be giving her time to come to terms with the decision to pts. Rather than actually thinking of a way to manage pain longterm.

[hammy_mumma]

Hello
It is my hamster who had the accident and Annc kindly posted for me. Thank you so much for your responses. I figured I ought to join the forum directly.

Hampsey is now a lot more comfortable on her increased dose of Metacam. She is restricted to a low cage (much to her disgust). She has now managed a tiny little poop and I'm hoping there will be more tonight when I check. Her x-rays showed she has a cracked vertebra which has moved out of place. She is not paralysed but the neves in one of her back legs are affected to a degree, she is slow to place it or holds it up, although it has feeling in it. I really thought she would have to be put to sleep at the beginning of the week because she was in so much pain but I now feel she has a chance of recovery. Thank you again for your response and please keep everything crossed for her .

[hammy_mumma]

Lots more poops last night when I cleaned out her bed . I picked her up for the first time since the day of the accident and she didn't object although I was terified I'd hurt her. I think she is a bit bored as she is used to being out of her cage about 3 times a day. I will let her have a little potter around my sons bedroom floor later once I have removed all climbable items. I will have to put my thinking cap on and provide some ground level entertainment for her.