Kidney Problems….

[cinders]

Hi,

My baby is 8.5 years old and is suffering from kidney failure. She’s never had any problems all her life and has always had a good appetite and is very active. A couple months ago she slowly stopped eating her pellets but I wasn’t too concerned because she was eating plenty of hay and veggies still. She lost some weight and started running around the house even more. I thought this was normal because she was a bit chunky before so I attributed the extra energy to her feeling better from the weight loss. She started licking everything, pillows, carpet, floor, clothing, skin, etc. and was always begging for food.

Last Friday she took a bite of her treat and dropped the rest. This has NEVER happened before so we got really concerned. I had also noticed that she didn’t eat much hay the night before and just that day she seemed to have trouble eating celery, which she loves too. I thought it might be a problem with her teeth since everything else seemed fine.The vet couldn’t see her that day or Saturday so we made an appointment for the following weekend and continued to monitor her.

On Saturday she took a treat and held it in her mouth for awhile and then dropped it. I noticed that her pee was also very clear like water. On Sunday she seemed tired. I called the vet again and arranged to have a friend bring her in on Monday since I had to work. The vet couldn’t find anything wrong with from physical examination but her temperature was on the low side and they were concerned and wanted to hospitalize her and run some tests. We decided to have the tests run and take her home to see if she perked up at all. They gave her a dose of subcutaneous fluids under the skin and took a blood and urine sample.

When we brought her home she ate some hay and pellets and seemed okay. She took some veggies and played around, still seemed a bit tired but not worse. The next morning she was running around and begging for food again so I thought she was fine and I put her back in her cage to leave for work. Just before I left I took a peak at her again and she was just sitting there again. I figured I was just being paranoid and then I left.

As we were sitting on the bus I just didn’t feel good about leaving her and a half hour later I turned to my boyfriend and told him I was going to go home and take her to the vet again. Something just didn’t feel right.

When the vet opened I called to see if they had the test results yet and the told me her BUN and creatinine levels were really high and that was a sign of kidney damage/failure but because of her age they suspected failure. We brought her in right away and they took her temperature and she was at 37.2 and her body was going in to shock from the toxins. We had her admitted and they administered IV. We transferred her to urgent care overnight because our vet doesn’t have 24 hour care. In the morning I went to pick her up to take back to the vet and she was still very alert and perky.

She spent all Tuesday and Wednesday at the vet and we took her home Wednesday night. When we took her home she didn’t seem like my baby at all….she was lethargic and not alert and they told me they had given her some Torbugesic to ease the pain because she was a bit bloated from the syringe feeding……that night she wouldn’t eat any veggies or anything at all…..we thought she wouldn’t make it until the next morning….

It’s now Friday and she has perked up a bit. She’s nibbling on her favorite vegetables herself but she still won’t eat any pellets. she took a small piece of hay. I can see she’s uncomfortable….she’s not running around much at all, thought last night she came up to us to grab some parsley like she usually does. Every time we syringe feed her she seems to not feel well after. I can feel that she is getting stronger because she pushes back on the syringe. 

We are giving her Torbugesic at home when she seems to be in pain and Cisapride for motility (they said for 3 days). Before we took her home on Wednesday they gave her another does of subcutaneous fluids. I asked about giving her simethicone for the gas in her belly but was told by my vet that it doesn’t really do anything for gas in bunnies. The best thing is to get her running around….she is definitely not in the mood for that….

The vet said that kidney failure is not treatable but that hopefully we can reach a point where she is comfortable and managing and that some buns do. I just don’t know how long we should keep trying. We don’t want to give up on her too soon without letting her have a fighting change but at the same time, it breaks my heart to see her like this…..

I’ve never really posted on here before but I kind of wanted to share our experiences in case someone is noticing something similar in their bun……

[Sarita]

I’m sorry to hear about your baby.

I’ve only experienced this once with one of my rabbits. He may have been around the same age as yours is now. Once we discovered it he did go quickly which is what I know you aren’t wanting to hear. I was giving him sub-q fluids at home which helped – he was being treated for sludge. I noticed as you did that he just wasn’t right and it is hard to explain that. My vet believed that giving the sub-q fluids at home did help keep him alive and feeling well for a short time.

I understand your concern with how long you should keep treating knowing her quality of life and chances are not high but wanting to give a fighting chance – I’ve had to deal with that alot (and am currently dealing with it with a senior rabbit I have). This is how I look at this issue (and I always consult with my vet for reassurance on this as well) – I never want my rabbit to get to a point where the bad days are more than the good days – I just never want to wait to the last minute – I guess it’s a blessing for our rabbits that we can give them the option of going in peace and being whole. That is not to say you are near this situation yet but I honestly would tell you to have a very frank discussion with your vet on this issue – they deal with this all the time and they have your rabbit’s best interest at heart and they are human beings as well so they can really be both objective and subjective :~)

I would enjoy the time you have with her know and you will make the right decision when it’s time even though it hurt’s terribly. Hugs to you.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’m really sorry to hear about your bunny. Kidney failure is hard because unless there is a cause you can treat, you can only manage comfort.

I love that you felt something was wrong and took her back to the vet. What a good ‘gut’ you have and thank goodness you listened-that really shows how in tune you are with her. That’s something she needs now, and you did an amazing job.

I’m not sure what I could offer in terms of help in making any decision. You must realize that in hindsight you can always look back and say ‘shoulda’ but don’t ever do that to yourself because you are going to make decisions based on the information you have at the time, and that’s all you can do. So listen to that wonderful, tuned in gut feeling you have and don’t look back and criticize any decision you make. You are doing the best you can with the information you have and your gut instinct.

I’m sending lots of {{{Vibes}}} and *hugs* to you in this difficult time.

[cinders]

Thanks for your kind words. My baby had a seizure today and passed away in my arms just an hour or so after I posted my first message…..I had a bad feeling about it today too and that was why I felt the need to write about it….I feel like she was saying goodbye with what little energy she has left by showing us she appreciated what we were doing for her by hopping to us for some veggies…..At least I got to hold her and pray for her and she is no longer in pain.

[manic_muncher]

I’m so sorry for your loss. I know it was hard saying goodbye, but I’m sure your presence in her final moments helped ease her bridge crossing.

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