This article provides an overview of the current understanding of evidence-based clinical analgesic use in birds. The field of avian analgesia has dramatically expanded during the last 20 years, affording more options for alleviating both acute and chronic pain. These options include opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, local anesthetics, and/or other drugs like gabapentin Toxic dose varies with species; use lowest dose possible Reptiles: 2–5 mg/kg Toxic dose varies with species; use lowest dose possible Amphibians: 1.0mg/kg of 2% lidocaine topically Meloxicam 0.5–2mg/kg PO, IM, SQ q12–24h (Divers 1996; Desmarchelier et al. 2012) (use with caution in xerophilic species or hospitalized wild birds not able to The dose for gabapentin is 10–25 mg/kg, PO, every 12 hours. For birds that self-mutilate, the gabapentin dose is 50 mg/kg, PO, every 12 hours. To date, no antivirals have been effective in treatment or prevention of ABV. Gabapentin. 10–25 mg/kg, PO, a day 2 to 3 times a day. Glucosamine. 20 mg/kg, PO, 2 times a day, or 35 mg/kg, PO, daily to every other day. Meloxicam. 1 mg/kg, PO, daily to 2 times a day. Polysulfated glycosaminoglycan. 5 mg/kg, IM, once weekly for 4 weeks, then monthly. Use with caution: fatal coagulopathies from injection have occurred in This is accomplished by administration of diuretics, most commonly furosemide at 1–5 mg/kg, IM. Initially, this may need to be repeated every 2 hours until the bird is stable; the dose can then be reduced to every 6–12 hours. Once the bird is stable, furosemide may be administered orally every 8–12 hours. After additional medical workup (again finding no physiological cause), my new vet suggested we try gabapentin. Gabapentin is not, strictly speaking, a psych med. It's used to treat neuropathy and nerve-related pain, and is now being increasingly used in birds that pluck. Gabapentin (1-aminomethyl-cyclohexaneacetic acid) is an amino acid that has the structure of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Gabapentin is used as an anticonvulsant to treat seizures and neuropathic pain (nerve pain). It is also used after surgeries and as an adjunct in the control of chronic pain, especially arthritis pain The drug was initially introduced in 1994 as an Good news/Bad news: First the good. Gabapentin is used in avian veterinary care. So there's that. The 'bad' news: common dosages start at 10 mg/kg and have gone up as high as 80 mg/kg. Now, considering that if you tried to dose your bird with this drug for some vet prescribed reason/medical issues, we both know he would hate it! Gabapentin 3–10 mg/kg PO q 24 hrs. The best effects are seen when used in combination with other analgesics such as NSAIDs or paracetamol (acetaminophen). My gabapentin is a mix of distilled water and powdered gabapentin from the capsule. Your vet will mix the proper dose for the weight and health of your bird. Reactions: Shezbug At necropsy, no signs of nephrotoxicity were seen in any bird, although two birds in the highest dose group developed gastric ulcers. In a recent study from the author's institution, fatal renal and visceral gout was seen in 36 percent of adult Rhode Island red hens administered meloxicam at approximately 5 mg/kg PO BID for five days compared I'd rather have a super high dose and a happy bird. I take it for nerve pain in my neck and I actually think their dose might be higher than mine in comparison. Mine is a 300 mg capsule three times a day and theirs is a 300 mg capsule mixed with 2mls of water. The initial dose is 5 mg/kg every 12 hours, or 10 mg/kg every 12 hours (canine doses) when used in combination with phenobarbital. 1, 23 Levetiracetam can be used at 20 mg/kg every 8 hours (canine dose) either alone or in combination with other anticonvulsants. 1, 23 The dose of levetiracetam may be increased by 20 mg/kg every 2 weeks (canine Birds are possibly more sensitive to the adverse effects of local anesthetics, so dosages administered should not exceed the suggested dosages. Lidocaine 2% (20 mg/ml) Suggested dosage – 2 to 3 mg/kg The suggested dose in birds is 110-220 mg/lb / 50-100 mg/kg every 4-8 hours. That is because of the higher metabolic rate of birds. The human dose suggested for mild infection is 25-50 mg/kg, given twice a day. But for severe infections is the same as the avian dose, given for 7-14 days. Metronidazole (Flagyl®) This article provides an overview of the current understanding of evidence-based clinical analgesic use in birds. The field of avian analgesia has dramatically expanded during the last 20 years, affording more options for alleviating both acute and chronic pain. These options include opioids, nonste Determining if an avian patient requires pain management is just the first step on the difficult journey of establishing a treatment regimen. With close to 9,000 different avian species one must not assume that the analgesic doses determined for other animal groups can be extrapolated to birds. Gabapentin. 10–25 mg/kg, PO, a day 2 to 3 times a day. Glucosamine. 20 mg/kg, PO, 2 times a day, or 35 mg/kg, PO, daily to every other day. Meloxicam. 1 mg/kg, PO, daily to 2 times a day. Polysulfated glycosaminoglycan. 5 mg/kg, IM, once weekly for 4 weeks, then monthly. Use with caution: fatal coagulopathies from injection have occurred in deaths from failed nests if a parent bird was taken. This is probably a major underestimation. Wild birds often present to us with traumatic injuries, such as bone fractures, head traumas or bite wounds. It is very difficult for us to detect pain in wild birds. Birds are often prey species and will act as such: a debilitated bird in the Meloxicam is a frequently used and effective COX-2 inhibitor, and a good option for orally medicating birds. Commonly used dosages. Hawkins et al. (2013) suggest these dosages for commonly used analgesic medications: Butorphanol: 0.5–3.0 mg/kg IM q4–6h; Buprenorphine: 0.25–0.5 mg/kg IM q6h; Gabapentin: 10 mg/kg PO q12h
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