This dosage will kill her!!!(vet made a mistake)

[Aida]

Hi guys. I got bromocriptine, and here is the email my vet sent along with instructions:


""If we use 2.5 mg tablets, they will need to be compounded. You can crush and mix with flavoring agent. Add 1.5 ml liquid to make concentration of 1.67 mg/ml. The dose is 0.3 mg/kg daily. At this concentration Matilda would receive 0.5 ml daily (1 tablet would last 3 days). You would need 10 tablets per month. I would recommend crushing and mixing as needed, not all tablets at once. Shelf life and stability are unknown. We can call in prescription for 10 tablets to start if you'd like. Please let a member of my staff know which pharmacy you prefer. Thank you! ""

Thank god I decided to double check the calculations myself. The answer I got was a dose of 0.05ml, so that means the dosage she sent me is 10 times what it's supposed to be. My poor little Matilda... I didn't give it to her yet, but what if? I don't even want to think about it...

I asked the pharmacist to double-check too, as I got worried, and she said my answer was correct. Did she just make a error in sending me the information? The care guide says that the dose is 3mg/kg, NOT 0.3mg/kg.

 

[Aida]

My calculations: 2.5mg mixed with 1.5ml of liquid
2.5mg/1.5ml=1.67mg/ml
So that is the concenctration. If matilda needs 0.3mg/kg, and she is about 300g, then it is 0.3mg/kg x 0.3kg=0.09mg
Our concentration is 1.67mg/ml, and we need 0.09mg.
0.09mg/1.67mg/ml=0.05ml, not 0.5ml.

 

[victoria]

I'm pretty sure the recommended dose is actually 3 mg/kg daily. I usually give my rats half a tablet per day and adjust it if they're doing poorly (need a bit more) or have side effects (trial and error to find a lower effective dose). 1/2 tablet per day is safe for most rats (unless they're sensitive to Bromo) so I think what they told you to give is ok

 

[Aida]

Thanks Victoria. That's the first thing I suspected too, that she just sent me the wrong dose, moved it over a zero in haste or something. I know it owuldn't make much sense with 0.05ml, because that means ONE tablet would last me a month. Still, that is what the math says-- it's just a lesson to always check your doses, people make mistakes!

 

[victoria]

I agree, everyone should check their doses. It's good to ask questions, it's up to us to advocate for our critters.

 

[lilspaz68]

If your girly weighs 300 grams, and the concentration is 1.67 mg/ml her dose would be .54 cc

How much does she weigh?

You might want to just try the half a pill dissolved in a wee bit of water then added to something tasty instead. I have given 1.25 mg of bromo to tiny girls and big fat boys, with similar effects. The problem with oral solutions is you end up with spillage and wastage, as you can only suck up so much liquid from the bottom of a bottle.

 

[Aida]

Oh, sorry, yes she weighs 300g- actually 298g.

I did as the vet said, mixing it with watered-down applesauce.