Update – our trip to the emergency vet

[Lani]

So Oreo and I just got home from the emergency vet, where they treated her for presumptive GI Stasis. It has been a very stressful and emotional day for both of us. Basically, when I got up this morning around 9am, I went in to open her cage and give her her morning pellets and she was lying in the corner she usually sleeps in. She didn’t run out to see me and get pellets like she normally does and I immediately thought something was wrong. But since I tend to be a bit over-analytical and her litter box was full from last nights veggies (which she ate eargerly like normally), I didn’t pay it too much attention. About 30 minutes after, she did come out of her cage and peed right next to her litter box which is not like her at all. We haven’t had an accident like that since her first week or so at home. I cleaned her litter box out, no loose poos and other than that accident nothing looked out of the ordinary in her box.

I went back in to check on her a few hours later and Oreo still hadn’t touched her pellets, water and there were no new poos in the box. She also kept sitting in this weird position like she was trying to push her butt in the air and then she’d lie down on her side. I tried to entice her with a banana chip, but she wouldn’t even sniff it. She just kept getting up, hop around a bit, put her butt in the air and then lie down on her side. She did this all over her cage.

I finally decided to call the emergency vet that our rabbit vet referred us to for after hours care. The emergency vet doesn’t specialize in rabbits but they do coordinate with the our rabbit vet so I felt pretty confident about talking to them. They told me to bring her in and when I went to put her in her carrier, she didn’t even bother to fight when I picked her up and it just broke my heart. Her spunk and energy just wasn’t there.

At the vet she was pretty active when they tried to weigh her and examine her on the table but not active the way she was at her yearly exam, wanting to explore and smell everything. This was more of a scrambling to escape type of activity. As soon as she ran back into her carrier she would lie down and look miserable again. The vet said they didn’t want to do an x-ray because of that scrambling activity made them feel like she might hurt her back or get over-stressed during an xray. So they ended up treating her for presumptive stasis and gave her sub q fluids which included LRS 15cc, Metacam .3mg, Famotidine 1mg, Reglan .7, Gas x 1/8 tablet and instructed me to syringe feed 2cc of Critical Care every 4 hours. The good thing was when we got home she did go straight for her water bowl and drank some, which she hadn’t done all day yet.

Our normal vet opens at 8am tomorrow and I am just counting down the hours until I can call and get her in there.  She looks so pathetic and miserable, it’s killing me to see her like this. Any suggestions of other things I can do to help? Should I still put out veggies for her tonight? Should I keep her cage closed so she’s forced to rest or should I leave it open in case she feels like coming out? I have no idea what could’ve caused this. Nothing has changed, no new veggies or hay and we’re transitioning slowly onto Oxbow pellets, and have been for the past month so that hasn’t really changed either. She seemed perfectly fine last night. I know I probably won’t be able to sleep at all tonight, I just want her to get back to her active little self

[jerseygirl]

You did good hon. How long since they treated her? You may just have to wait a bit for the meds and fluids to do their thing.
(((((Oreo))))) Hope she starts to feel some relief soon.

[Sarita]

Hugs to you. Continue with her normal routine for veggies, etc…I know what you mean about losing sleep over your furbaby, I’ve done it so many times.

Vibes to Oreo and please keep us updated.

[Lani]

It’s been about 2 hours since they treated her. Immediately after the fluids she did seem a little better and like I said, when she got home she went straight for the water bowl and drank a bit. I’m sittting in her room and she did come down and sniff the bowl that I usually put her veggies in. Should I put out a few veggies?  If so, are there some that would be better for her than others? Other than that, she’s just lying on her side like a bunny flop, but not in a restful way

[Sarita]

Yes, put a few out but don’t be alarmed if she doesn’t eat any right away – I imagine she’s full due to the fluids and tired due to the whole ordeal. Yes, give it some time, don’t expect that in a few hours she’ll be back to normal – could be a full day or a few days…whatever the deal is, just be vigilant as you are and keep the vet informed. Do, of course, take her to your regular vet tomorrow even if she seems like she’s fully recovered, she still needs to be examined.

[Lani]

Yes, I absolutely plan on calling the vet first thing in the morning.

Also, a few times during the day today I heard a little bit of stomach gurgling. The vet at the emergency clinic said that’s a good thing but I thought that was a sign of gas?

[Lani]

Well, I just went to try to feed her the critical care and she is no longer letting me pick her up with no issues. She’s doing everything she can to avoid me and running into her hidey boxes to lie down. I feel like trying to “catch” her to feed her is stressing her out, which I don’t want to do. Should I just keep trying even if it’s difficult or should I let her rest and leave her alone? I know she needs to be fed but if she’s getting overly stressed out, isn’t that just as bad?

[Tate]

Mix critical care and apple juice in a saucer and see if she will drink it on her own.

[Lani]

Ok she is moving around a lot better, pretty much like normal – chewing on her willow toys and digging at her blanket. She did poop about 5 minutes ago but it was very very runny and smells *horrible* and ate a few pieces of hay while she was in her box. Her nightime veggies are still out in case she feels like eating them. Should I continue with the critical care even though she’s eaten a little bit and pooped some?

Of course, I will absolutely be taking her to our normal vet no matter what, just wondering if I should continue with the critical care between now and then. Also, she is occaisionally grinding her teeth a bit which I know means she’s in pain. Anything I can do for this?

[LoveChaCha]

OHH NOOOOOOOOO

Oreo bumba!!! *cries*

Chacha sends hugs to her twin sister

[Sarita]

I would continue the critical care. Ask your vet about pain meds.

[Lani]

We just got back from our regular vet, after being there for about 3 hours The vet did xrays to be sure there wasn’t an obstruction and there wasn’t, it’s definitely stasis. She does have a little bit of gas too. So they gave her more fluids and cisapride, which they sent me home with as well. Overall, her activity level is up a bit. She was being active in her carrier while we were at the vet although she seems completely wiped out now that we’re home.  I guess I would be too if I had to go through all of that poking and proding.

She has eaten a few leaves of mint since we got home and she munched on a little hay so I’m really hopeful we’re moving in the right direction. The vet told me to continue with the Critical Care and to give her the cisapride and simethicone every so many hours. She was very hopeful that we should see some poo sometime today and that she should slowly start eating on her own. If Oreo doesn’t, we have to go back tomorrow.

I am absolutely emotionally exhausted. I wish I could just cuddle her and make her better. And I never thought I’d so desperately want her to poop.

[Sarita]

Does the vet have any ideas on why she went into stasis?

[Lani]

We did discuss what could’ve been the cause and she was not completely sure. She did a dental exam and there wasn’t any issues there that could be making it painful for her to eat. The vet said everything else presented normally and there has not been any changes in her food or environment either. She did say that she’s seen bunnies before who react poorly and go into stasis from extreme changes in weather, which we certainly have had, with all of the tornado stuff going on near us. Does this seem plausible?

[Sarita]

Anything is plausible! My rabbit Mango when he was younger had several severe bouts of stasis and was at the vet’s daily for sub-q fluids and care and all that showed up was gas and we have no idea really why he went into stasis. He’s on a pellet free diet now and he’s 8 1/2 now by the way.

My other rabbit Pepe who recently passed away had chronic dental problems and had a few bouts of stasis (blockages) which I imagine where somehow connected and caused his stasis.

I will say that the reglan and sub-q fluids helped with Mango. Both times it took over a week for him to recover – very stressful for me. Even more frustrating because there was reason that the vet or I could see….makes it difficult to correct the problem when you don’t know what the problem is.

Continued vibes and keep us updated.

[Lani]

Thanks for the vibes for her and for putting up with all my questions She is quite interested in eating mint and cilantro and did really well with her afternoon dose of critical care. Maybe she’s realized I’m not trying to trap and hold her down just cause it think its fun lol. There are even a few little poos in her box!

I am thinking about tomorrow because I am supposed to be in a neighboring city an hour away, for work. I’m usually gone from 830a – 6p which feels like a long time for me to not be able to check in on her. If she keeps eating and taking her meds/critical care well, would I be able to leave her alone for this long? I know things can change so quickly and even if she seems ok doesn’t necessarily mean things actually are ok. I’m going to talk to my boss later this evening and see about going in later and coming home earlier but I’d welcome any thoughts on leaving her alone while I’m at work.

Thanks again for all your help!

EDIT: I just looked over at her and caught her doing a few little head binkies!!! I’m so excited to see a little personality back!

[Jenna, Chubs & Comet]

I’m glad she’s better! (((Continued Healing Vibes))) Is there a neighbor or friend that can check in on her for you at least once while you’re away? If she is binkying and eating, and pooping a little I would think it’s okay to leave for those few hours but I know it probably feels stressful! Totally up to you Hope she gets all better!

[KatnipCrzy]

You have already talked to your vet- but I just wanted to mention to anyone else that might have the same question- continue to try to give your bunny the Critical Care- it is important to get their gut moving by keeping “food” in their system. They don’t feel good so they are not going to want to be picked up or even syringe fed- and might not want to even swallow, which causes a feeding to take over 45 minutes possibly. But unless otherwise directed by your vet or you really truly fear your rabbit will have a heart attack or other serious injury- keep trying to feed as directed. It is no fun at all- I have had to do it. But you also create quite a bond when nursing a sick pet back to health too.

[Lani]

This is the third time I’ve had to type this so please bear with me. The more I re-hash what happend the more upset I am getting. Basically, I thought we were doing well tonight. Oreo was eating and pooping much better and was out playing and letting me pet her and massage her belly.

She has a group of boxes that I put together to make her a house/maze. She also loves to climb on top of the boxes and she had jumped up there like normal. I looked away then looked back and she was suddenly looking horrible. She was all scrunched up and she looked like the pictures I’ve seen of bunnies with head tilt. It was so shocking and disturbing and frankly, horribly disfigured that I almost completely freaked out. It was so obvious she was in pain and she was pawing at the air. I had no idea what to do but my first instinct was to get her off the boxes and on the ground. But when I moved slightly toward her, she freaked and tried to hop to the next box, which is the same level and right next to each other so it should’ve been an easy thing. She hopped like she was drunk and everything happened so fast. She ended up falling right off the box, almost like she had passed out and fell. 

She did hop right up after the fall and cowered in the corner, shaking horribly like a siezure. She just glared at me and the slightest movement from me gave her an even more panicked look. So I tried to just sit still and not cry and not look like a predator. She did run into her cage and hid in there and thumped several times.

A few minutes later she came out and lay down in the middle of the bedroom floor. I sat still, not knowing how she’d react, and just watched her. She seemed alert but not in pain and she lay there for about 10 minutes. Then she got up and started moving around the room almost like nothing was wrong and nothing had happened, except that when I would try to move toward her she would get very stiff and scared looking. After more time of letting her hop around, I mustered up the courage to give her the cisapride, critical care and simethicone but she looked so completely drained after that. I have very seriously debating a trip to the emergency vet tonight but I truly don’t think she’d get through that car ride without a very dangerous level of stress, at least not now. She seems to be ok as long as she is left to herself and she is in the condo for the night now.

To be honest, I had to get out of that room. I feel like I should be sitting with her, watching her, but I need a break. It kinda feels like keeping vigil for someone and I’m so drained, I needed to step away. I am so emotionally overwhelmed with worry and stress over her. I don’t want to sound insensitive to people who have dealt with head tilt but seeing that body form so suddenly from her just shocked and disgusted me. I can’t get that picture out of my head and I feel a little nauseous from the whole ordeal I literally thought I was watching my bunny die and I am still terrified that I might go check in on her and she will just be dead. I’m so scared for her.

Needless to say, we’ll be going back to the vet in the morning. I don’t forsee myself getting any sleep tonight, if nothing else because when I close my eyes I keep picturing her in so much pain and just falling off those boxes and I start crying all over again 

[Sarita]

Please keep us updated.

[Dee]

I hope Oreo is doing better today- what a frightening ordeal. I’ve felt the same way about having to leave the room- it was so scary checking on Bun when he was sick, I started to dread it. But I knew I had to… it’s just awful, I know. It sounds like Oreo was on the right track, eating and pooping, but that spell last night sounds terrifying.
I will be watching for an update and keeping you and Oreo in my prayers. {{{{{{healing vibes for Oreo}}}}}}

[Sam and Lady's Human]

Oh Lani! You must be so stressed! ”””Sends Good Vibes”””’

[Lani]

Got back from the vet, poor girl must be so tired of the car rides and being man handled by strangers. I explained to the vet what happened last night, how much pain she seemed to be in and how she was still acting very skittish and not eating/pooping the way she had been prior to that weird episode. So they basically started all over, did a full exam starting from scratch so to speak, to be sure nothing got over looked yesterday. Thankfully, since she had pooped some last night, they were able to do a fecal exam on the pills I brought in – something they weren’t able to do yesterday. Everything looked normal though, no issues other than her gut is still quiet.

So the vet came up with basically two ideas of what happened, one more likely than the other. The less likely option was that she did in fact have a small seizure. He said this is unlikely because she did have her wits about her enough to try to hop away from me, which indicates no seizure. The only thing is that since she appeared to go limp for a couple of seconds when she fell off the box, they can’t be sure if she was fully consious for the entire ordeal, which would mean a seizure. Again, he said this is unlikely but still terrifying for me to think about.  The more likely option is that something was going on in her gut, probably gas, that caused her an excrutiating amount of pain, so much so that she scrunched up and got a little woozy and lost her balance. Either way, he said both of those things can make her feel so vulnerable that she had to cower for a while and act skittish around me

So they gave her more sub q fluids and gave me metacam to give her to help any possible pain, in addition to the critical care, cisapride and simethicone that she’s already getting. I’m staying home from work today to keep an eye on her and get some rest myself. I didn’t get much sleep last night after that whole ordeal.

On a sweeter note, the vet techs jokingly told me to not come back until she was healthy enough that they could play with her. They were all fawning over her cuteness and I already know, she would normally be eating that up and using it to get treats. They gave her the office “cutest bunny of the day” award.

I am so grateful to be able to come here and vent about what is going on to people who understand how much she means to me.

[Sarita]

Sounds like your vet is very thorough. Continued vibes to Oreo.

[Tate]

Oh no! Poor baby! So hard to just watch and not be able to do anything.
I could be sooo much worse though, just remember that! Really, Oreo may not even remember the whole ordeal.
I am not sure about how it is in rabbits, but my cat used to have seizures. If this is what it is, it should be totally manageable! It was not a death sentence for my cat, he just needed medication daily and he was good. You would never even know something was wrong with him.
If it’s gas and tummy trouble, can’t that be fairly controlled with diet? I know, so hard to look at the bright side of things, but it could be worse.
You are such a good bunny momma! Oreo is probably so scared but you will bond with her so much more after going through these experiences! I know I did with Velvateen. Oreo is soo lucky to have you.

[bunnnnnnie!]

Sending healing vibes for the sweet bun.  Get better soon!!!!!! 

[Lani]

Yes, the vet has truly been wonderful through everything…and I have the not so wonderful bills to prove it lol. But thats ok. The thing we do for love

Tate, you are very right, things could be worse and the important thing is she is here and we working towards the right track. And I really hope we are bonding, I did feel that way last night, before things went downhill. She kept coming up to me for pets and nose bumps so I’m looking forward to more of those. She just is not happy with me bothering her all the time for her meds/feeding but she’ll just have to get over it.
 

I do wonder about the fur around her mouth, it’s getting pretty dirty from all the critical care and medicine. She’ll let me wipe it with a dry towel while she’s still in her bunny burrito from getting meds but that’s not getting it clean enough and mats are starting to form. I tried a slightly damp towel but she got maaaad about that one and squirmed out and bit me. Any thoughts about cleaning this up?

[kralspace]

Oh Lani,

I’m so sorry to hear about Oreo, but it sounds like you have a good vet and she’s got a great bunny mom. I don’t think she could be in better hands.

I hope you do find out what’s wrong, but if she did have a seizure, it’s not necessarily the worst news you could hear. A single seizure by itself could be caused by a lot of things that can either be cured, fixed or was a one time event. (like an extremely high fever can cause a convulsion but that doesn’t mean you would have convulsions the rest of your life, it was caused that time by the fever)

Seizures are probably one of the the scariest things you can witness, my son began having them 10 years ago at the age of 14. He says he isn’t even aware that he is having one, he thinks he just gets lightheaded and faints. Right after any of the seizures he can seem quite ‘awake’ and responsive, but he’s not, he’s very disoriented, confused and tries to stumble around. (if we’d let him)

Hopefully, if Oreo did have one (and chances are just as good that it wasn’t), there are good meds to control them. This may sound awful, but Michael says the seizures are much harder on those watching them than on him, because he’s not even aware of it going on.

lots and lots of healing vibes for Oreo and some Rescue Remedy for you!
Kathy

[Lani]

Our day progressed pretty slowly. She seems to have gone back to square one with not wanting to eat on her own and barely pooping. She will eat her veggies, mostly cilantro or mint (her favorites), if I stick it under her nose. She won’t get up to get the veggies but if i stick a few under her nose she seems to suddenly remember that she used to like eating them and will go for it.

I am very concerned about the mats under her chin. Her meds, and especially the critical care, dribble down her chin a bit and the fur is getting all dirty. I spent some time during her last dose to try to work out the mats but everything is so oily that I’ll work some hairs lose and they’ll get stuck to others. Would washing with lukewarm water help? I know bathing can be dangerous for bunnies so I’m not sure. Maybe baby powder would soak up some of the oil? My friend who is studying to be a vet suggested using a brand new stiff bristle toothbrush to try to brush the mats out so I do plan to try that but if anyone has stuff they’ve tried before that would be great.

[KatnipCrzy]

I has the same thing with Scroeder after his force feeding and constant meds- the matted hair and meds/CC on his chin. I tried to wipe his chin with a warm damp washcloth after feeding or giving meds but that did not work 100%. So I just did that while he was not feeling well and then a couple of days after he was back to normal I used the HairBuster (comb) and combed out the mats- OK, it actually removed some hair with the clumps- but I did not want his skin to get unhealthy underneath. And he was not pleased with the combing- but it was a small area on his chin only and he forgot about it as soon as I was done.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Oh my goodness Lani-you’ve been through it lately!!! {{{{Oreo}}}} Sounds like you have a fantastic vet which is fabulous! I like the toothbrush idea a lot-when she’s feeling better though. Another thought-maybe if you wet her front paws-she’d do her face grooming to dry them and that might clean up her chin

[Lani]

Thanks for the advice on her chin. I think I will just try to keep it as clean as possible while she’s feeling sick and then worry about really working them out when she’s better.

I just spoke with the vet and they said if she isn’t more willing to eat on her own and isn’t pooping more consistently then we have to go back tomorrow.

I know this sounds dramatic and it’s just my stress talking, but I’m kind of starting to feel like we’re never going to get past this. Like I said, I know it’s just the stress talking and I’m certainly not giving up but it’s hard not to feel that way a little. My bond with Oreo seems to have completely gone out the window. Last night she was hopping around and came up to me and gave me a nose bump, which usually means she wants pets. So I gently tried to pet her, which she tolerated for all of about 10 seconds before biting my face.   She just always seems either really angry or really depressed. When I try to interact with her she’s either boxing, lunging and biting at me or she just hops away and sits facing the corner. She wasn’t even this aggressive when I adopted her. I’m worried that once she gets better, our relationship won’t be what it was.
 

[Tate]

Lani- I have been through this!! Oreo will get through this, it’s just going to take a little bit more time for her to recover. Remember, she’s going through a lot of stress and she doesn’t know what’s going on! She doesn’t know if your going to pet her or give her medicine or take her back to the vet! Think about how hard it is for US to recover from even just a cold when we’re stressed out– think how she feels!
Your bond with her will be strengthened. She’s probably hurting a little right now and just doesn’t want to be touched. Sometimes you just need to be there with her.. not touching her or anything. When V broke his leg and was in a cast, I wasn’t allowed to pick him up at all for weeks. I was so worried that I would miss crucial time to bond with him, but after everything was said and done, V and I were (and still are!) closer than ever. Oreo will look to you for comfort in her own time. She just needs to get over this little part herself.
You are doing amazingly well in this situation. Everything will get better.

[Sarita]

I don’t think she’s being aggression – I think she doesn’t feel well. Remember that rabbits don’t have the capacity to be mean – their aggression behavior is due to fear or in Oreo’s case, she’s not feeling well – you know how cranky you are when you don’t feel well.

[jerseygirl]

Everyone has offered such great advice.
Sending {{{Vibes}}} for your Oreo. I hope you can get to the bottom of what’s causing the trouble.

[Lani]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. I know I have to be patient but it never has been one of my strong points heh. I know that she must be just as stressed out and confused as I am. Anyway, like I said, it’s just the stress talking and even just putting those feelings out there helped me get over them. So thanks for letting me vent.

Sarita, I must have missed the memo on the whole unable to be mean thing but this is wonderful to know! Although I know her behavior is because of the stress/pain of not feeling well, knowing this certainly helps make it clearer. Thanks!

No update on her progress, not much has changed

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Ohhh hun!! She’s learned that when you are near she gets yucky medicine and her tummy ALREADY feels bad. Especially if the meds aren’t making her feel a lot better, she’s going to be miffed at the process. Like Sarita said-they don’t have intent. She’s simply learned Mommy=bad taste and sometimes prodding.
But they do forgive-trust me

[Lani]

Here is a bizarre question. Can bunnies fart? Because I’m pretty sure Oreo is farting right now If it is, I hope it makes her feel better!

[TaraMichele]

actually yes lol any animal with digestive systems have to so could be a good thing!!

[Lani]

Well I know rabbits can’t vomit and for some reason I thought they also couldn’t fart but who knows where I got that idea lol. Anyway, as long as it’s making her feel better that’s all I care about!

[TaraMichele]

i know its harder for rabbit to “pass gas” lol but all vegetarian animals actually excrete more than carnivores hopefully this is a major step!! oreo has definitely been in my thoughts you’re doing a great job

[Lani]

Ohhh ok that makes sense. That must have been what I read and I just mis-remembered. Thanks!

[Lani]

We went to the vet again today since she is not making the kind of progress that they want to see from her at this point. She will have a couple good hours where she’ll eat a bit and poop a little but then the rest of the day she’s back at square one, no food or poop and very lethargic. I also noticed last night when I was cleaning her up after the meds, that she shows a tiny bit of tenderness when I touch the side of her jaw. So the vet said this all sounds like a dental issue, even though they’ve checked her teeth twice already. He wanted to get a better look at her very back molars. So they sedated her to get a more thorough exam of those back teeth and found a couple of teeny tiny spurs. Apparently their size is not something that would normally cause issues but she just could be hyper sensitive to them. So they went ahead and filed them down while they had her sedated. He also added cyproheptadine to stimulate her appetite. He said to give her through the weekend to see if this makes a difference in her appetite and behavior, provided of course that she doesn’t go a full day without eating or pooping.

I am so desperate for this to have been the issue and for things to turn around. If it doesn’t make an improvement, then the vet wants to do scull xrays and possibly bloodwork. I was already a mess at the vet’s while they had her sedated, even though it wasn’t for too long, I can’t imagine how I’d be through anything further. And I just keep thinking how much more stressed and confused and upset she must be. My poor baby

[LoveChaCha]

Chacha had to get skull xrays done and she was not sedated. She was put into a bunny burrito for it and she did not struggle.

*Sending more vibes*

[Lani]

Sorry I don’t think I was clear on that one. I’m not worried about the idea of xrays, I’m worried about the implication that we wouldn’t have figured out what’s wrong by then. The idea of blood work does worry me though.

Thanks for the vibes!

[BinkyBunny]

Oh, I am so sorry Lani. We had to do that with Rucy before, when there was something going on but it couldn’t be detected with the regular exam with a scope. Don’t be surprised if her mouth is a bit sore. Rucy would get her spurs trimmed and was sent home with pain meds for a couple of days to help. Rucy was an older bunny and she recovered very quickly from the stress of her spur trims. I bet your gal will recover just fine from it. Sometimes it harder on us!

I also hope that this was the answer. I would imagine if they saw an infected tooth that they would have seen that while they had her sedated.

Healing vibes! And hugs for you.

[TaraMichele]

Im so sorry to hear all you’ve gone through and I really hope you found the cause! I dont think a she could have a better mommy! definitely keeping you and oreo in my thoughts!

[littlemissflip]

I just wanted to say that I’m so sorry you and Oreo are going through this, and I am sending healthy bunny vibes your way! I hope Oreo recovers quickly and fully!

[Lani]

BB, the vet did mention that her teeth seemed fine besides those tiny spurs. No apparent infections and nothing indicating an abscess, which is why he decided to hold off on scull xrays until after we see if the removal of those spurs helps.

She did seem more interested in food last night and started producing more poops. Obviously not like her usual self but at least a little better, so I’m cautiously hopeful.

I really can’t tell you guys how much the vibes and comments help. I’ve tried talking about this to my boyfriend or my friends. They’re very compassionate but none of them have ever dealt with bunnies so sometimes they just don’t “get” it, if that makes sense. So I’m so incredibly grateful for all of you who do get it!

[Sarita]

Even slight spurs can cause discomfort so hopefully the filing helps. I think sometimes we and our vets don’t realize how sensitive their mouths can be.

Continued vibes and keep us updated.

[LoveChaCha]

Glad to hear she is improving.. I hope Oreo feels better! Sister Chacha says “Get Well.. don’t worry ze slave too much. She love you!”

[TaraMichele]

 Hope things are going well! 

[Lani]

She is doing better and has been much more interested in food and pooping much more almost to what I’d consider normal. She does seem to have forgotten that there is a litter box in her condo and will only go in the one thats out in her room. I guess I’ll have to re-train her to use the one in her condo. But that’s a minor annoyance, I’m just glad she’s actually pooping! Anyway, I’m supposed to speak with the vet Monday morning to figure out where we go from here/if we need a follow up

I have thought of a two things that hopefully you guys can help with or provide some input on. First, although she’s eating more like normal, I still haven’t seen her drink water. Since she’s not getting any pellets right now, she’s getting more greens which are all served wet and of course the critical care has water in it. But shouldnt she be drinking? She is peeing, although it’s very clear and not like the usual yellowish. I put fresh, cool water in the bowl several times a day so it will seem more appealing but she just isn’t drinking it.

The other concern I have is how we get her off the medicines, especially the cipro and the cisapride. I’m concerned that we’ll take her off of them and her appetite and poops will decrease again. How do they safely get her off the medication without completely going backwards?

It’s so wonderful to see some life back in my girl She’s currently flopped next to me and demanding pets

[LoveChaCha]

I can only help with one question..

I notice that Chacha does not drink a lot of water when she has greens. rabbit pee changes color. i’ve even seen chacha have white pee (but with no lumps or clumps.. which is a cause for concern) on rare occasions.

(Continued vibes)

[RabbitPam]

I would keep doing what you’re doing with the changes of water because she may eventually realize that it’s appealing and once she does she may start drinking it again.

Weaning off meds are excellent questions, and I would write down what you just asked and ask it just that way – to the vet. She is speaking with you tomorrow and no one knows better than the vet the effect on your bunny. When you ask, take notes so you have her answer in writing as well. It’s very helpful for both of you to know what schedule you are on with the meds so you can report if there is a reversion to the former problem or any other effects. This way you both know what is happening and can make the necessary adjustments.
{{{{{{{Healing vibes}}}}}}}}}}}

[kralspace]

Lani, I’m so glad to hear encouraging news about Ms Oreo, that is so great. Sending lots more Happy BunnyMom vibes and it sounds like you better get to petting!

[Sarita]

Ask the vet tomorrow about the meds since you need to take those as directed from the vet. Cipro is an antibiotic and cisapride is a gut motility drug FYI.

I wouldn’t worry so much about drinking water – some rabbits just drink more water than others. Mine drink very little but the majority of their meals is veggies and little or no pellets.

[KatnipCrzy]

I am so glad that you have a vet that is working to find out what was/is wrong. I know it can be frustrating and scary and I am glad that the support here are helped you thru such an emotionally draining time.

As for the meds- the cyproheptadine- something like that can be easily restarted if stopped- you would see the change in eating that indicated to restart the medication. As for the cisapride- that will depend on the vets experience in how long after a rabbit improves that the med should be given. And I suspect also since it is for gut motility what you are noticing for “output” may affect that decision also.

I hope Oreo continues to improve and when you stop the meds as directed you will not notice any change in her bahavior and hopefully she will be back to normal!!!

[Lani]

Just wanted to update you guys on what the vet said when I spoke to him this morning. He shared my concerns about the progress reversing if we stop the meds too soon so he wants to keep Oreo on the medicine for a few more days and if she continues to improve/doesn’t reverse her progress then we’ll take her off of them on Thursday.

You all have been so wonderful. I know I’ve said it before but I really mean it. This is the first time I’ve cared for a sick animal all on my own and the only way I didn’t completely loose my marbles is because of knowing there was a community here to support me. Thank you all for everything!

[jerseygirl]

You did so great by your baby bun! I’m glad you’ve been posting and I’ve been reading the input by the others. It’s been invaluable to me also as it helps me get a handle on what’s going on with my own rabbits from time to time. It’s amazing that little molar spurs can cause such trouble! I had wanted to mention that scary face you saw Oreo making. Perhaps it was something had gotten caught on the spur at that time. I’ve seen my rabbit do that action of pawing the air when she’s had trouble with something she was eating. (I have been a bit concerned about her teeth, so again, it’s been really helpful to me reading this and other members experiences on this recently).

Hope Thursday comes around quickly and that Oreo is her “old” happy, healthy self!

[LoveChaCha]

Yay Lani and Oreo!!

I understand.. I don’t know what I would do without binkybunny. I remember when Chacha first began shaking her head. I was super scared :'(

**Continued Vibes**

[Dee]

It made my day to hear that Oreo is doing better! I’ve been following your posts, as many others on Binky Bunny have been doing, and praying that Oreo would get well soon. You have both been through a lot- I know how draining it is to not know from day to day how things will go. You’ve done a great job caring for her- I bet you’ll be walking on air when you can finally stop giving her the meds! I remember counting the days/doses until BunBun’s course of meds was done. Especially when they’re getting back to normal and seem all happy and content, it’s such an awful feeling to have to creep up and grab them to give them more meds… I used to feel guilty even though I knew it was the right thing to do. But it’s all so worth it- afterward it’s just great to be able to go back to normal and simply enjoy hanging out with your bunny- I’m so glad you’re almost there .

[Lani]

jerseygirl, you might be right something getting stuck during that weird episode, I hadn’t thought about that but that would make sense since right before it happened she was eating hay and playing like normal. It was obvious she was in extreme agony. I doubt I’ll ever be sure what it was or what happened, but here’s to hoping it never happens again!

Dee, that is EXACTLY how I feel. I’m practically counting down the hours until her last dose of meds Thursday night. And I do feel so awful having to corner her to give her medicine, especially when she’s playing or lounging. I can tell she’s confused with me because sometimes she gets really excited when I come sit with her and sometimes just poking my head in her room will send her running into her hidey box. I can’t wait for when she doesn’t have to associate me with the “torture” 
 

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