Aug 4 - Radar amps 252 - he eats and purrs happily - +2/214

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jan Radar (GA)

Jan Radar (GA)

Member Since 2015
Yesterday's drama

I was so worried last night at bed time that Radar would fall off the bed in his bupe induced haze so I made a bumper out of several rolled up towels and put them under the sheet. It worked really well and I was able to sleep peacefully.

After the drama of yesterday when Radar was rather grumpy and looked quite awful because his pain was so out of control, today has started with a bath, purring and happy eating noises coming from the food dish. :cat:

I'm curious to see what 3 cycles of consistent dosing will do for us in the BG department....
 
How much Bupe are you giving Radar? How do you administer it? I am having a hard time giving it to Bronx, not sure how much actually works since he seems to just swallow it when I put it in his cheek. He fights me the whole time too.
 
I just read the last few condos and I'm so sorry Radar had such a difficult time. I've never heard of that anesthesia and it's not one my veterinary anesthesiologist uses. I'm glad you were able to get him back in and they managed his pain. I've found that sometimes the weight based dose of bupe (which even then has a wide dosing range) is too much for some cats. @Djamila Sam recently had an issue with it after a dental and it took him a couple days to get it out of his system and my little Liv did, too, after her rhinoplasty/spay. The prescribed dose was too much and, in both cases, once it was out of their system, a much, much lower dose managed the pain nicely without side effects.

I'm glad your sweet boy is back and better! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Bronx's dad said:
How much Bupe are you giving Radar? How do you administer it? I am having a hard time giving it to Bronx, not sure how much actually works since he seems to just swallow it when I put it in his cheek. He fights me the whole time too.
Click to expand...
It tastes bad. He will get some benefit if he swallows it but it's absorbed faster when given in the cheek pouch. If he's on it long term, you can have it compounded into a flavored liquid that does not have to go into the cheek pouch. Just be sure they do not add any sweeteners ...even artificial like maltodextrin.
 
Jan Radar said:
I was so worried last night at bed time that Radar would fall off the bed in his bupe induced haze so I made a bumper out of several rolled up towels and put them under the sheet. It worked really well and I was able to sleep peacefully.
Click to expand...

Smart thinking on the bolsters. I once had a cat fall off the bed in her sleep and she knocked herself out. She stopped breathing and I had to do chest massage to get her started again.

Glad Radar is feeling better.
 
Bronx's dad said:
How much Bupe are you giving Radar? How do you administer it? I am having a hard time giving it to Bronx, not sure how much actually works since he seems to just swallow it when I put it in his cheek. He fights me the whole time too.
Click to expand...
There are two different versions of bupe. One can be given as an injection. Smaller dose and better pain control.

The type shown in the photo below can be given IM, IV or cheek pouch.
 
Last edited:
20170804_111224.jpg
 
Bronx's dad said:
How much Bupe are you giving Radar? How do you administer it? I am having a hard time giving it to Bronx, not sure how much actually works since he seems to just swallow it when I put it in his cheek. He fights me the whole time too.
Click to expand...

For a few days before his dental we were giving a tiny dose of 0.1 ml and that seemed to help him without disorienting him completely. But it took some experimenting to find a dose that worked well for him. And of course we had to wait 12 hours before the next experiment was allowed. Last night we gave the full dose of 0.4 ml that the vet advised us to give him. I didn't want to take any chances that he'd be in any pain so we just went with the vet's dose and took safety precautions for a drugged cat. :rolleyes:

Radar does NOT prefer the giving of bupe... or pills for that matter, :eek: but we have worked out a way that's fast so the restraint is minimal. One of us holds his upper body raised off the floor while also restraining the front paws and braces the head against a human shoulder to minimize wiggling. The other has the pre-loaded syringe of bupe. There is a place on the jaw where the two jaw bones connect, the second person pushes gently and the mouth pops open and then you stick the syringe in the side of the mouth, squirt and release.

You are supposed to put the bupe in the cheek and we try to do that but most of the time getting it INSIDE the cat is the primary goal. lol

I hope my experience is helpful to you, but you'll have to find a way that works for you and your kitty.
 
apple said:
There are two different versions of bupe. One can be given as an injection. Smaller dose and better pain control.

The type shown in the photo below can be given IM, IV or cheek pouch.
Click to expand...
The next time we have to do bupe I will ask the vet about giving it to us as an injection. I would much much prefer that method if my vet agrees. Thank you apple, for that great information.
 
20170804_114516.jpg
Jan Radar said:
The next time we have to do bupe I will ask the vet about giving it to us as an injection. I would much much prefer that method if my vet agrees. Thank you apple, for that great information.
Click to expand...

You are welcome.
The second kind of bupe is given cheek pouch only.

The second kind of bupe is a (sorry if I don't get the science quite right.....) chemically similar drug. The 'high' has been taken out. So, if a human was to take the drug, they would not get the high from it. The second version came about as a response to the opiod abuse problem in America.

If a human takes the IM, IV, cheek pouch (version 1) the human will get high. There is also a big market to sell bupe and make $$$$.

If your med has a FDA warning label, (similar to what is shown above) it may be version #1.
I used to have to sign papers, Every time I got the drug, that stated I knew it was an FDA controlled substance, I was subject to incarceration and fines if uses incorrectly or sold, etc. All these years later, I don't have to sign, and it's understood I would be prosecuted.

As always, this will vary based on local laws and vet practice rules.

Edit: I learned there were two versions the hard way. Second time we were at the u, he was given the non-high version and had a violent reaction to it.
I requested it never be given to him again. I was told it was u policy to give the 2nd version so people can not use their pet's meds to get high. Ever since then, I bring my own bupe with me and note in his file I've brought bupe, when we check in @ the u.

The u will use the first version, IM, IV, but anything dispensed to a non-dvm is version 2 for cheek pouch. His first neurologist was wonderful about making sure he got the correct version if bupe. One he left, I always brought my own.
 
Last edited:
carfurby said:
I'm so glad Radar is doing better today. I've always found the dose of bupe the vet suggested for any of my cats was too much and had to reduce the dose.
Click to expand...

How do you know it's too much? Bronx started at .5ml, I lowered it to .4ml. He never seemed loopy, but just lowered it since I heard bupe can make constipation worse...
 
Bronx's dad said:
How do you know it's too much? Bronx started at .5ml, I lowered it to .4ml. He never seemed loopy, but just lowered it since I heard bupe can make constipation worse...
Click to expand...
Yes, OIC= opioid induced constipation.

Bupe is dosed by weight × duration.

My cat has been dosed anywhere from:
Small dose: .1 ml
to .3ml

Frequency ranges:
from every 6, 8, 12 hours.

Are you dosing just to take the edge off, or for serious pain control? That influences dose size and frequency.

Note: this is not dosing advice, posted based on my cat's experience.
 
Bronx's dad said:
How do you know it's too much? Bronx started at .5ml, I lowered it to .4ml. He never seemed loopy, but just lowered it since I heard bupe can make constipation worse...
Click to expand...
When Radar has had too much bupe he has a glazed over look in his eye and stares blankly into space without actually seeing. He is also slightly tipsy causing humans to worry that he might fall off the table and get hurt.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top