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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A I don’t know what to do…

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    • marinabunny
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        Some background info: my rabbit is having urinary issues (frequent urination, urinating outside of the litter box, urine scalding, and the urine is starting to have a bit of an odour to it). She was put on antibiotics for 14 days, but the symptoms persisted

        I am in a very stressful situation. I want to remind everyone that Ive been doing everything I absolutely could for this rabbit and I love her so so much. Ive always kept her best interests at heart… however, I feel like I’ve failed this time. The vet finally got back to me after weeks and quoted $700 for x rays and blood work which easily adds to over $1000 with other tests and if, (hopefully not) she has stones which will need to be surgically removed. I’m shocked. I don’t know what to do at this point and how I’m going to pay such a bill considering im a student (and a minor i guess), without a job. As some of you know I’ve posted before about my family and they’ve helped more then I could ask for, especially with the emergency spay. They’ve contributed $500 in vet bills already this year. I know the health of my pet comes first but I have no idea at this point what to do. I guess I need to prioritize, that’s why I was wondering if there was just one diagnostic test that could be done on my bun which would be sufficient enough to tell what’s wrong? For instance would blood work or a urine sample work or would an x ray absolutely need to be done to diagnose the issue? Because last time when my bun was passing blood clots an x ray was NOT done… the spay simply solved the problem.
        What test would be most effective for a urine-related issue?

        Also since the antibiotic did not work, is a uti then ruled out, is this a much more serious issue?

        Thank you for listening to my ramble. Is there any program out there that is able to provide help with costly vet bills? I will to try to do the most i can for my baby girl. I just really wish vets would care more about the health of the animal rather than the money. I get that they need to keep services running, but at least they can do things like provide help over the phone (they once refused to answer q’s about my bunnys sore hocks bc I needed to come in for a “consultation”


      • Deleted User
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          Oh marinabunny, I am so sorry to hear about your situation – I genuinely feel for you as I’ve been in a simular situation with one of my dog’s, though not the same issue, but a simular result of ‘what do I do’???
          My shih tsu dog Frank went lame. Took him to the vet $$$, got medication $$$, took him back when it didn’t work $$$, took him to the vet ‘hospital’ who charged $700 upfront for them to admit him – and a week later they wanted us to spend (literally) THOUSAND’s to ‘explore’ what ‘may’ be wrong. We bought him home! And carried him outside for a wee and sat his food under his face. We had some prednisone (sorry, not sure how to spell it) tablets that we gave a go, and bugga us – he was walking within the week and is back to being his ‘shih’ (t) tsu self. If we had of been rich, think of the money we may have wasted? But, when we bought him home – we assumed we were going to lose him? It is the most heart wrenching decision you will have to make, and I’m sorry that I can’t help you out, I have no idea about bunnies poor health. One thing I will say – PLEASE make sure your bunny is pain free and comfortable regardless of the end result.
          Again, I’m so sorry marinabunny. I just wanted you to know some (actually most of us) have been in your position and feel your heartache. Take care and I’ll be thinking of you both. Hug’s to you both.


        • BunnyBrigade
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            Oh Marinabunny I’m sorry. (((Vibes for you and your bun))) Do you feel 100% sure of your vet’s diagnosis. Sometimes, if you can afford it. A second opinion may help to bring up other ideas that may be causing the issue. I don’t know much about urine issues, so I can’t help you there. I do know there are some programs that help with bills. The ones I know of are U.S. based so they may not be helpful. I do believe CareCredit is available in Canada. I have it and it really helps with my vet bills. Some vets, also, have monthly payment options that will help you with paying off the full amount a little by little.


          • MK
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              Also, if it is really getting bad, is there a good shelter by you? You could see if they would take Fluffy and then give her to you to permanent foster. That way they would pay for the vet bills. Again, if the best shelter by you can’t do that, relinquishing may be the best solution. At least she would be able to get all of the tests she needs done done. And who knows? Maybe you could adopt her back.


            • MK
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                Also, if it is really getting bad, is there a good shelter by you? You could see if they would take Fluffy and then give her to you to permanent foster. That way they would pay for the vet bills. Again, if the best shelter by you can’t do that, relinquishing may be the best solution. At least she would be able to get all of the tests she needs done done. And who knows? Maybe you could adopt her back.


              • Stickerbunny
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                  If you’ve already spent a lot of money at the vet this year, discuss the possibility of a payment arrangement with them if she needs such high cost care. Some vets are willing to do that. My grandmother was able to pay $50 a month when she adopted a pregnant dog that ended up needing emergency care when she couldn’t give birth properly (the dog the original owners had let her mate with was about 10x her size and the pups were just too large).

                  You can also ask around and see if there are any local programs that would be willing to help with the cost of vet care.

                  And if you have a job, or your family would be willing to co-sign, look into care credit. That way you could pay up front with it and then pay it back more slowly. A regular credit card works too.

                  And, you could always call around to other rabbit savvy vets in the area and see what they think. See if your vet would be willing to share her records with another vet for a consult, that way you wouldn’t have to pay for another set of tests.


                • marinabunny
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                    AndHenry- thank you for your kind words, you always make me feel so much better!
                    MK- I get where you’re coming from, but I feel like there is a big risk of me not getting her back. I also heard some shelters euthanize the animals, I just don’t want to take the risk of handing her over :/
                    BunnyBrigade & Stickerbunny- Carecredit is a credit card right? Idk how my mom would feel about that, she probably wouldn’t want me getting one as our credit cards are already so stacked up and another one would just add to it. How does it work? do they charge interest?

                    And I am going to ask the vet about payment plans. The thing is, im kind of stuck with this vet. All of the other ones around my area are not that knowledgeable about rabbits. The one near my house asked if my rabbit was vomiting when I first took her in, and the one 10 mins away warned me that they treat mostly cats and dogs, and they can only treat simple problems in rabbits. The vet that I got my rabbit spayed from charged reasonable prices and was only 20-30 mins away, but she moved to this new location which is the one that I went to that charged $700 and is almost an hour away! The old office where she worked at has no more rabbit doctors, she was the only one. I have also looked into programs, but 80% of them are US based or are not for rabbits. Also a lot of them will only help with absolute emergencies, and for many of them there is a wait-list.

                    I just really don’t know what to do:/ I could try using some money from my education savings but there is only so much of that I could use. My only other option was to go back to the vet, get 1 test done, and hopefully find the problem from there. But I probably HAVE to get an x ray done to properly diagnose the issue. Has anyone else had experience with this? If so, what worked best to diagnose the problem? Also I have bought romaine lettuce, cilantro, and bok choy. Do any of these contain excessive calcium and/or should not be given at this point?    – Thank you all for being so kind & understanding and not judging me <3


                  • Stickerbunny
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                      Care credit is a credit card that is designed for use for medical expenses. They offer no interest for some things (promotional rates for purchases of $200 or more, no interest if paid within the time frame), but it varies by you, so you’d have to look into it. The trick with a credit card for vet care though is that you only use it in extreme emergencies and then you pay it off ASAP and don’t use it again until an emergency. That way, you don’t have a maxed out credit card hanging over your head and you aren’t pulling up a huge interest debt using it all the time. It’s just there for when you really don’t have $500-$1000 sitting on hand. Bunny surgeries can be very expensive. And most people don’t keep that sort of cash in their account.

                      http://www.carecredit.com/howcarecreditworks.html

                      I have no experience with urinary tract issues, my bun has only had respiratory issues. If you discuss your money concerns with the vet, what test do they recommend you do if you can’t do them all?


                    • LoveMyMoMo
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                        I see that you’re in Canada, I can’t find any sort of credit card or pet insurance in Canada, but today I did come across
                        Petcard.ca
                        It is not a card, as one would think, but a way of financing vet bills. The site has a list of vets that allow this and they can pay for some or all of the bill – including the deposit, and you finance the payments over 6 months, 1,2,3,6 years (your choice) – the payment would automatically come out of a chequing account every month.

                        I haven’t used this so cannot say if it is worth it, but might be something you’d like to look into.


                      • LBJ10
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                          If you’re pretty sure that it is stones, then an x-ray would be the way to go. Seeing the stones (if they are even there) is not 100% guaranteed though. An x-ray is really the only way to tell if they are there or not.

                          It could still be a UTI. Did you just try one antibiotic? It might not hurt to see if another one would work better.


                        • Beka27
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                            I’m also thinking that trying a second antibiotic first should be the next logical step. Ask about a culture and sensitivity test. Whatever she has may be resistant to the first antibiotic, but may be eliminated with a different type.


                          • marinabunny
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                              Ok the vet recommended bloodwork and a urinanalysis the most. I have a few questions though:

                              -if the issue were stones would they be able to tell by just bloodwork+urinanalysis alone?
                              -what is the difference between a urinanalysis and culture & sensitivity test? Do you have to get a urinanalysis first to get a culture?
                              -could you see stones through an ultrasound, because one vet is charging only $81 which includes an ultrasound (of course I will look up reviews on the vet first)


                            • manic_muncher
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                                They might be able to tell there are stones present through the urinalysis, but it wouldn’t really give a clear idea of what you are dealing with, only that there were crystals. An ultrasound would show stones.


                              • LBJ10
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                                  Yes, actually “seeing” the stones would be most helpful. Like manic said, urinalysis would only show that something (stones) was there (not necessarily what-how big? how many?).

                                  A culture is where they take a sample and try to grow bacteria in a dish. Then they test the bacteria to see what it is and what it is susceptible to. As I mentioned before, it could still be a UTI. The bacteria may have not been sensitive to the antibiotic you used.


                                • marinabunny
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                                    Omg you wouldn’t believe what I found today while cleaning Fluffy’s water bottle! So I was cleaning her water bottle and I usually just tap my finger on the end of the cap where the bunny is supposed to drink, but I randomly decided to put my finger in the cap and guess what I found- black dye! Yes this black dye or ink thing was rubbing off on my fingers when I would touch it. No wonder she stopped using that bottle a few days ago… I am sure this can cause poisoning or other serious issues right?

                                    This is the water bottle by Hartz company:
                                    http://hi.atgimg.com/img/p400/13677/10491.jpg

                                    Don’t buy this bottle or if you do have it, I’d advise you to check it out. The dye from the cap was actually coming off on my fingers, imagine how bad that would be to ingest, and my little ones been using this for a year. From now on im sticking to water bowls! Anyway, I know this was off topic but I’m wondering if this could possibly be the reason for my bunny’s sudden urinary issues, and many other issues she had earlier this year. Can a dye like this cause infections or affect the kidney/bladder function in anyway?


                                  • JackRabbit
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                                      Are you sure it is dye? Have you ever stuck your finger up into your bathroom sink faucet or kitchen faucet (unscrew the aerator if there’s one on there)?

                                      If you’re talking about black up in the spout, is the spout lined with plastic or vinyl or is it metal?


                                    • manic_muncher
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                                        I don’t know if the dye alone would cause a UTI.. but if it had a bad taste, I bet she hasn’t been drinking as much water as she should, which certainly could cause one. Hmm… that would really make me consider the urinalysis and culture. Those shouldn’t be too expensive to do, and with an increase of drinking water and proper antibiotic… well you just might be able to knock this problem out! Oh I hope it could be this simple for you!


                                      • marinabunny
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                                          Ok so the least expensive place was around $280-350 for a urinanalysis, culture, and blood work. But atleast that’s better than what all the other vets were charging, I think I can manage it somehow. Also one of the vets we called suggested that we don’t do blood work, she said bunnies usually don’t need bloodwork and they don’t recommend it- what’s up with that?

                                          JackRabbit- the black wasn’t in the spout, the spout is metal. The black was on the other part of the cap that gets screwed onto the bottle. That had a rubber lining in it which was deteriorating and the black colouring was coming off on my fingers when I’d touch it. I am sure it is not supposed to do that- if it is specifically made for small animals it’s supposed to be animal-safe.


                                        • JackRabbit
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                                            Rubber does deteriorate over time. Do you take the rubber washer out when you wash the bottle? Just wondering if it’s the same stuff that can accumulate inside faucets and sprayer hoses. I tried finding replacement washers for our bottles but couldn’t find any that fit. Some manufacturers sell replacement washers. That’s alot of hassle for a washer so I’m just going to replace our bottles every year or so.


                                          • marinabunny
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                                              JR- no I don’t take the rubber out when washing the bottle, I still think that black inky/dye thing can’t be too good for the bunny though.

                                              So since baytril did not work the last time and its usually given for UTI’s, has anyone here had experience with other antibiotics that worked for a UTI?
                                              Also im kind of scared about the blood work (probably b/c I hate needles!), will it hurt her and where do they usually take it out from?

                                              Poor Fluffy’s bottom is so irritated that she has started pulling out her fur down there! Would it be a good idea to ask them to just shave off the fur?? Sorry for asking so many questions!


                                            • jerseygirl
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                                                Another antibiotic that may be used is trimethoprim-sulphadioxine (i think that’s bactrim?). Also Dexatrim might be used. Or a vet may use something from same the family as baytril, just a newer version.

                                                Blood can be taken from various spots. Usually the jugular vein in their dewlap area. Or ear, front leg or back leg.

                                                Refresh my memory, did you have a urinalysis done before and it came back negative?

                                                Edit to add:

                                                Has this come on a lot more since her spay? I was just reading on medirabbit that some incontinence can be due to the change in estrogen in recently spayed rabbits. If you’re having bloodwork done, they can check out her levels.

                                                Re her fur and skin; try using a barrier cream to her protect the skin. Bag balm, sulfa silverdene cream, or a diaper rash cream.


                                              • jerseygirl
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                                                  http://bunniesinneed.net/

                                                  There’s also facebook page for this group.


                                                • Eepster
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                                                    Did the vet test for diabetes yet? That’s a pretty cheap and easy test to run. Of course if your bunny does have diabetes, The cost of insulin ends up being expensive in the long run, but the cost is spread out.

                                                    I wouldn’t get her bottom shaved, the fur is protecting her skin from the urine.


                                                  • marinabunny
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                                                      We got bloodwork and a urinalysis done today. The results for the bloodwork will come on Tuesday. The urinalysis came back normal for the most part except I think she said there was a lot of calcium? She also said that we could get a culture done but based on the urinalysis it is likely that very little or no bacteria will grow… so we are keeping that on hold till we get the results for the bloodwork back. If the bloodwork comes back normal then the next step is x-rays which will hopefully show if there are stones.

                                                      The vet also wrote on the summary “she has increased gas palpated in her abdomen, and her stomach has a doughy consistency”. I’ve even noticed that her tummy seems to have gotten bigger… I just have this gut feeling that this is going to turn out to be bladder stones :/ The poor thing already had to undergo surgery for her uterine issue less than 5 months ago

                                                      Please pray for me!


                                                    • Sindri
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                                                        (((((((Vibes for you and your bunny))))))


                                                      • Deleted User
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                                                          Still have you BOTH in my thoughts marinabunny…….


                                                        • jerseygirl
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                                                            Rabbits do naturally pass alot of calcium in their pee. Its how they get rid of what they dont use. That said, perhaps a bladder flush might give some relief if there’s a build up of sludge.
                                                            {{{Fluffy}}}


                                                          • LBJ10
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                                                              I agree, calcium in the urine doesn’t mean much in rabbits. They will all have calcium in their urine if they are eating stuff with calcium in it. That’s how their bodies get rid of the excess.

                                                              Diabetes is virtually unheard of in rabbits, so I’m thinking it probably isn’t that.


                                                            • marinabunny
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                                                                I think she said calcium carbonate? Although I’m not 100% sure. LBJ- the vet did mention diabetes that there could be a possibility and if there is, it will show up in the bloodwork. But right now I’m thinking its most likely bladder sludge or bladder stones. If it has to be any of the two, I’m hoping its the first one. I really don’t want Fluffy going through surgery again


                                                              • jerseygirl
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                                                                  Maybe ask the vet if she thinks something like Polycitra would be useful? I think it’s just added to the drinking water.

                                                                  It helps with making the pee more acidic. Alkaline urine can cause problems for some rabbits as it aids bacterial growth, bladder crystals, stone formation etc

                                                                  Have you had a chance to look into that Bunnies In Need group I linked above? They’re Canada-based and could possibly help if Fluffy needs X-rays and/or surgery.


                                                                • marinabunny
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                                                                    Jerseygirl- It says the first step is to register on their forum and I did yesterday. I’m supposed to get a confirmation email with a username and password, but haven’t got anything yet :/


                                                                  • marinabunny
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                                                                      Also, when I was calling around to ask about x-rays, most places were saying that the cost depends on how many sets I’m getting. What do they mean by sets and how many sets should I/am I supposed to get?


                                                                    • jerseygirl
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                                                                        Posted By marinabunny on 8/04/2014 1:48 PM
                                                                        Jerseygirl- It says the first step is to register on their forum and I did yesterday. I’m supposed to get a confirmation email with a username and password, but haven’t got anything yet :/

                                                                        Good luck!
                                                                        Don’t forget there’s a Facebook page. You could prompt admins there if you don’t hear anything back via email.


                                                                      • marinabunny
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                                                                          So almost $700 later…. STILL nothing. The urinalysis came back normal, blood came back normal, and the xrays came back normal (for the most part). Based on the xrays the vet said there was no sludge and she does not suspect stones. On the xray a little white dot showed up but she said she doesnt think its a stone because it was kind of away from the bladder area and its not normally what a stone looks like. However they are going to send the xrays somewhere else to get a second opinion. Also on the xray near the front of the spine she said it didnt look normal so they are going to get a second opinion on that as well, it could indicate arthritis but my bunny’s only 4 so is that even possible?

                                                                          If it isn’t an infection, it isnt sludge, and it isnt stones, then what could this be??? It’s making me so frustrated because she pees like crazy and we can’t find an answer after all these tests!!! I could go back and do a culture but thats another $100 and based on the last visit, the vet said it probably wouldn’t be that b/c the urinalysis was normal.

                                                                          My mom has this theory that after the uterus is removed the urine gets more “direct”, which causes frequent urination (that’s what happened with my aunt, im not sure if this applies to animals). Has anyone ever noticed their bun peeing more after they were spayed? The vet also said that when they spay rabbits they leave a stump behind and an infection can occur in that stump.

                                                                          I’m just at a loss. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? I’m getting really tired of having to wash her blankets every single day


                                                                        • JackRabbit
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                                                                            Has the vet ruled out any connection to her previous uterine issues?

                                                                            I may have missed something (sorry if I did), but when you say your having to wash her blankets eveyday, are you sure it’s not just her peeing on the blankets because they’re soft? The urine scald makes me think not, but if she pees on the soft blanket and sits in it then maybe?

                                                                            My lops drink a ton of water and seem to pee quite a bit (their two litter boxes are so heavy and full of pee and poop every night. I hear people say they clean out the litterbox every few days, some once a week — I have 2 xl cat litterboxes for the lops and after two days you would’t even be able to see the litter!

                                                                            I can imagine how frustrated and helpless you must feel as much as you’ve been through and still don’t have answers. Sure hope you and your vet figure it all out soon.


                                                                          • LBJ10
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                                                                              Since she was older when she was spayed, it could have caused some incontinence. That is the only thing I can think of. Sorry you didn’t get the answers you were hoping for.
                                                                              Yes, arthritis can start developing as young as 4 years old, although I think it is more common when you get closer to 6 years old. Arthritis can make it difficult for them to posture properly when peeing. Have you noticed how she looks when she is peeing?


                                                                            • marinabunny
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                                                                                JR- she was peeing even before I used those blankets and had urine scald (her scald is getting better though)

                                                                                The thing is, she’s not only peeing a lot but she’s drinking a lot too. I heard that UTI’s happen when the bunny doesn’t drink a lot but Fluffy drinks tons. So maybe there is a reason why she is drinking so much?

                                                                                Here is a picture of what she sometimes sits like, I don’t know if this is abnormal:

                                                                                 

                                                                                She sits on her hind feet a lot. Sometimes her hind feet will even be touching her front paws.


                                                                              • marinabunny
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                                                                                • JackRabbit
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                                                                                    That’s normal bunny sitting. My two holland lops drink a ton of water and pee alot too. Kieko’s weight is between theirs and she doesn’t drink anywhere near what they do. As much as they drink and pee, I made sure their kidney function was ok when they had bloodwork done recently and all three were fine. They will empty one 24 oz bottle as well as over half of another 24 oz bottle every day! They eat tons of hay too so I’m guessing that’s why they drink so much.

                                                                                    Has the amount she drinks or the amount she pees changed, or is it just where she’s going?


                                                                                  • LongEaredLions
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                                                                                      Nothing from me but more ((((vibes)))
                                                                                      You two are in my thoughts.


                                                                                    • Beka27
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                                                                                        Oh gosh… I really hope you can get this figured out! How sure are you of her age? Could she be older than you were told?


                                                                                      • marinabunny
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                                                                                          The vet called today and after getting a second opinion they STILL don’t know what that “white dot” on her x-ray is. They want to get an ultrasound done now for another almost $600. They also found spinal irregularities and said that we could get her started on meds. In the midst of all this testing, her health has declined. She has stopped eating hay, won’t drink much water and her poops are getting very small/irregular. She has also been sitting around a lot and is becoming inactive. In her last visit, it was discovered that she had a lower molar malocclusion which might be the reason why shes not eating much hay- her teeth may need to be filed at some point. I’ve used up $1000 so far from my education savings and now I’m completely at a loss. It hurts so much to see Fluffy this way, especially when I have no idea what to do

                                                                                           

                                                                                          I would appreciate it if you could please check my other thread out: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tab…fault.aspx


                                                                                        • jerseygirl
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                                                                                            Hang in there. I really hope that BIN group can come through for you.
                                                                                            {{{Fluffy}}}

                                                                                            Is she on a pain med now?


                                                                                          • Roberta
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                                                                                              Keeping the vibes coming…. Will she take water if you syringe feed it ?


                                                                                            • LongEaredLions
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                                                                                                ((((((((((((LOTS of vibes for you two)))))))))))))


                                                                                              • marinabunny
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                                                                                                  Thanks for the vibes. Fluffy is not on pain meds, should she be on them?


                                                                                                • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                    Ask the vet about this. It might be worthwhile. If there’s an improvement while she’s on pain meds, it will help narrow down what might be going on. For instance, if related to mobility.

                                                                                                    Also, if she’s experiencing dental pain, it could help relieve that.

                                                                                                    I contributed a little to the appeal. Wish it could be more.
                                                                                                    How is she doing?
                                                                                                    {{{Fluffy}}}


                                                                                                  • marinabunny
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                                                                                                      Hey, Fluffy seems to be doing a lot better. She’s eating good and hasn’t been grinding her teeth anymore. She’s also hopping around fine so I’m not sure if its arthritis. However, her poop/pee could be better. She is still urinating a lot although not as much as she was before… her poo is small but again not as small as it was when I last posted. Overall her health has improved so I’m wondering if I should just not get the ultrasound done and take the x-rays to another vet and ask them what they think. It would save me $600 and they might be able to figure out what the problem is. That being said I might post the x-rays on here, maybe someone with experience could tell me what it is?

                                                                                                      Also someone suggested that my bunny could have megacolon… a condition common in white bunnies that causes the poo to be irregular all the time and results in the bunny being thin. Does anyone have experience with this and knows if it also causes urinary issues?


                                                                                                    • LBJ10
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                                                                                                        Pain medication isn’t expensive. If it were me, I would give it a try. It certainly couldn’t hurt anything. And who knows, maybe it will help.

                                                                                                        You can certainly take the x-rays for a second opinion. I don’t really know much about megacolon, but I would think that wouldn’t be it. Doesn’t it cause large cow patty-like poos?


                                                                                                      • JackRabbit
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                                                                                                          Our vet mentioned that with Moshi one time because his poops varied from huge to small. She suggested increasing his pellets (which shocked me!), but it worked! I think we had reduced his pellets too quickly initially. His poops returned to all one size. He never had any urinary issues though. He and Marlee both drink alot of water, but their bloodwork is fine. Don’t know all that much about it, but I din’t see the connection between megacolon and your bunny’s urinary issues?


                                                                                                        • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                            If she has a malocclusion, she possibly has some spurs forming. This could contribute to irregular shape poos and weight loss.

                                                                                                            Is the white spot in X-ray vivid white in comparison to the bones?
                                                                                                            This might be a long shot but I’m wondering if your vet could contact rabbit specialist Dr Frances Harcourt-Brown to look over them???
                                                                                                            http://www.crablanevets.co.uk/


                                                                                                          • marinabunny
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                                                                                                              JackRabbit- do your bunnies get urine scald? Because Fluffy does drink a lot of water so it’s not like her pee comes out of nowhere. Her urinalysis and bloodwork even came back normal. It’s just the scalding that accompanies the excessive peeing that worries me.

                                                                                                              I am going to post those X-rays, I’ve just been so busy lately.


                                                                                                            • JackRabbit
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                                                                                                                Never have had urine scald. Sometimes I think mine have so much fur down there that the urine couldn’t get to their skin in it wanted to. I have a heckuva time trying to get through it all to find their scent glands to see if they need cleaning . . . I wonder if mine are just fastidious groomers because the lops’ scent glands are always super clean. Also, we got a new litterbox for the play area and I’ve been paying a closer eye when they’re in it to see how they take to it. They all seem to “hover” over the litter when the pee — Marlee is the shortest and fluffiest so it’s hardest to see with her, but Moshi definitely lifts his rear end, and Kieko looks like an old woman trying to use a public toilet — she spreads her legs and visibly squats. I’ve always wondered if Marlee would have a problem with wetness because, along with all the fur there, her heels almost touch and her toes point outward more than Moshi or Kieko’s, but she’s always the dryest of the three.

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