Rabbit on verge of death!

[Ciel]

This is the scariest thing that has ever happened to me and Fudge, my little 3 year old Netherland dwarf.

I went on holiday for 10 days and left my Fudge with my in laws. I wrote an extremely detailed bunny care sheet and asked for daily updates. All was well during the holiday (as the carer told me). However, I returned at midnight last night and saw an emaciated form of what Fudge once was… When I came in, she limped to her food bowl and nibbled on her food. I saw diarrhoea on her soft rugs. My heart sank. I immediately called the small animal hospital an hours drive away, booked Fudge in and took her there.

The vet saw her immediately the results were terrible.

Fudge’s breathing rate was extremely slow, her temperature was 34 degrees Celsius (typical is 38), she had lost almost half her body weight (1.8kg to 1kg), her blood glucose level was low, as was her heart rate. She was on the verge of death. She was put on a drip and places into an incubator. Vet said the prognosis was extremely bad and that over the next few hours she would most likely pass away; so we had a talk about euthanasia.

However, I was adamant to give Fudge at least 24 hours.

10 hours later now. Her glucose level is back to normal, as is her temperature and respiratory. Her heart rate is still low, but getting there (currently at 200 – should be 250+). She is still on the drip and has been syringe fed critical care (which I’m told that she loves). If she gets better, they’ll start doing tests and checks to see how this came about.

So my question is: HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!

I’ve been thinking about this all night. Fudge is an indoor rabbit and was kept indoors at the in-laws. The in-laws does have a dog, but apart from a small fright a few days ago (where the dog nudged fudge after being nudged by Fudge – they were quickly separated) nothing has happened between them. Could it have been the change of environment?

The bag of hay I left with the in-laws is nearly empty, so during the first days she must have been eating. She also drank a lot of water. She had exercise time in the hallway…. The diarrhoea was still damp when I touched it, so it must have been from a few hours before…

What went wrong?

P.s. fudge has surgery about a month ago and has since made a full recovery with regard to mood, weight and behaviour. She is still on sulfatrim and baytril twice a day.

[Azerane]

It’s really tough to say what the cause is. It seems rather sudden to have lost that much weight in only 10 days. The diarrhea could be explained by getting treated with inappropriate foods, perhaps too many leafy greens like lettuce or something, but unless they were feeding that exclusively, I wouldn’t expect such a drop in weight. Perhaps there is something else going on, maybe internal parasites or another underlying issue. I’m very sorry to hear that you are going through this though, wishing your little bun all the best. At the very least, Fudge sounds like he’s a fighter. Sending many healing vibes his way.

I can’t believe someone caring for your pet would even let that happen and say everything was ok.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

That’s horrible, I hope Fudge will make a full recovery! Did the vet find a cause yet? It’s really odd that her feces were so soft, did she eat things that were not allowed?

[Ciel]

Posted By Azerane on 7/09/2016 4:35 AM 
It’s really tough to say what the cause is. It seems rather sudden to have lost that much weight in only 10 days. The diarrhea could be explained by getting treated with inappropriate foods, perhaps too many leafy greens like lettuce or something, but unless they were feeding that exclusively, I wouldn’t expect such a drop in weight. Perhaps there is something else going on, maybe internal parasites or another underlying issue. I’m very sorry to hear that you are going through this though, wishing your little bun all the best. At the very least, Fudge sounds like he’s a fighter. Sending many healing vibes his way. 

I can’t believe someone caring for your pet would even let that happen and say everything was ok. 

I can only trust what the carer has told me:

Fudge has only been eating her hay and pellets (she has been eating all her pellets).

She hasn’t been given access to any leafy vegetables, as I told him not to give any to her because it might upset her stomach (she has a diet comprised of the pellets and hay only).

The household does have a foster child though…. I don’t know. I don’t want to play by suspicion and blame at the moment…

To be honest, I don’t really blame the carer that much. Sure, he could have been much more observant and immediately taken her to the hospital when he noticed weight loss and diarrhea, but for all I know, Fudge could have been losing weight slowly over the past few days and hiding any issues which might have, then over the last few hours before I returned she took a quick turn for the worse. 

Oh, there was also an incident a few days ago when Fudge jumped over her 1 metre high pen and landed on the laminated floor on the other side. She could have eaten any number of things in that time to give her an upset stomach… 

[Ciel]

Posted By Ellie from The Netherlands on 7/09/2016 4:43 AM

That’s horrible, I hope Fudge will make a full recovery! Did the vet find a cause yet? It’s really odd that her feces were so soft, did she eat things that were not allowed?

Not yet – the vet is waiting for her to stabilise before they staring doing anything to disruptive to her – makes sense.

I’ve been told she only ate hay and pellets – though at one point she did expect her pen. She might have gobbled up something at some point…

Also, with the dog in the hallway, Fudge might have licked something dirty? Though the vet said dogs don’t usually spread anything to rabbits…

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

The waiting must be excruciating All the best to you and your bun!

[Ciel]

I just had a call from the hospital. Fudge has gotten worse.

Her blood glucose level, temperature and circulation has dropped again, and she’s looking quite pale. She also has some blood in her stool.

The vet did say that she’s passing hard poo now, which is a good sign – apparently, most rabbits who have diarrhoea don’t make it through, so she’s a little fighter!

The vet thinks that there is a cut or damage to her intestines from the passage of the hard poo, as the intestines might have been quite tender from the diarrhoea. As such, the body is trying to repair the damage, so the glucose level is dropping and so is the circulation because of the lack of energy – this explains the poor temperature and circulation.

[meridiian]

How awful this happened.

Gotten worse? Oh no, this is so dramatic for you and poor Fudge!

She clearly is a little fighter. Healing vibes ((( ))) and … pull through little Fudge!

Best wishes and please keep us posted.

xx

[Hazel]

Diarrhea, internal bleeding, kinda sounds to me like she was poisoned. Did they have anything like rat poison or roach traps around that she could have gotten into when she escaped? Or household cleaners, things like that? I don’t know if the vet could do some test to see if that’s the case, or do something to flush her system? I don’t think that would explain this incredible weight loss, though. Did they tell you she kept eating the entire time? Do they know how long the diarrhea had been going on?

Poor bun, sending lots of healing vibes.

[Brambino]

This is really awful, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Pull through little Fudge!! ((((Vibes)))))

[Ciel]

Posted By Hazel on 7/09/2016 8:05 AM

Diarrhea, internal bleeding, kinda sounds to me like she was poisoned. Did they have anything like rat poison or roach traps around that she could have gotten into when she escaped? Or household cleaners, things like that? I don’t know if the vet could do some test to see if that’s the case, or do something to flush her system? I don’t think that would explain this incredible weight loss, though. Did they tell you she kept eating the entire time? Do they know how long the diarrhea had been going on?

Poor bun, sending lots of healing vibes.

There was no poison or household cleaners when she escaped – there was quite a lot of dust and a box with plastic on it though… I’m not sure if she chewed through it or not.  She regularly chews and eats shoes and the paint off the skirting boards though, so I’m not sure how much of an issue that would be for her. 

Fudge kept eating the entire time, but I don’t think has ate her hay much at all nearing the time when I found her – I say this because when we took her to the hospital, the vet said that her abdomen was mostly empty, expect for a small paste (which would have been her pellets, which she has been eating throughout). 

I don’t know how long the diarrhea went on, but from the wetness of the patches on her rug and in her cage, I’d say she experienced it about 4 hours prior to my return. 

[LBJ10]

Have they tested for coccidia? You mentioned there was a dog. Could your bunny have come into contact with dog poop or something contaminated by dog poop? The weight loss, blood, diarrhea, and low glucose all point to coccidia or another parasite.

[Mikey]

Seconding what LBJ said. During their nudging, the dog could have easily passed something to your rabbit, too. Was it just nudging, or was there more to the story the carer might be trying to hide?

[Ciel]

Posted By LBJ10 on 7/09/2016 2:07 PM

Have they tested for coccidia? You mentioned there was a dog. Could your bunny have come into contact with dog poop or something contaminated by dog poop? The weight loss, blood, diarrhea, and low glucose all point to coccidia or another parasite.

Can coccidia spread from a dog to a rabbit? At the hospital, we talked about the rabbit coming into contact with the dog, and the vet said it probably wasn’t anything to be concerned about, since it’s very unlikely the dog can spread anything to the rabbit.

[Ciel]

Posted By Mikey on 7/09/2016 2:59 PM

Seconding what LBJ said. During their nudging, the dog could have easily passed something to your rabbit, too. Was it just nudging, or was there more to the story the carer might be trying to hide?

I don’t know. 

[Ciel]

Fudge passed away 4 hours ago at the hospital.

She passed away in the company of a nurse, who was hand feeding her at the time. Fudge quickly stopped breathing and her heart beat stopped. After 10 minutes of CPR, they stopped at my request (I entered the hospital 5 minutes into CPR).

They showed me my little baby one last time. She looked so beautiful and peaceful.

I’m having her cremated. She stay over he favourite spot in the hallway – I’ll have to get a shelf…

Thanks everyone. The little time I had with her was my honour and pleasure – she was lovely in every single way, the little pee monster.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

That’s horrible, I’m so sorry for your loss

[Mikey]

Im so sorry for your loss (((((binky free little Fudge)))))

[Azerane]

Oh no I’m so very sorry for your loss. Binky free, Fudge.

[flemishwhite]

I’ve lost animals before …beloved dogs..a Beagle and two Basset Hounds, a cat…19 years old!!!, an my really loved Bunny at 11 1/2 years old.  I miss her every day.  My two Flemish baby rabbits (10 months old) don’t have the interaction that Bunny did.  The Flemish are still very young and I’d like to think that as the years go by, they’ll be the close loving rabbits that Bunny was. 

……………………………..

For Australian readers….My cat was bought in Whyalla, South Australia as a kitten and she cost $2 Australian dollars. In 1992, I paid $800 to have her shipped from Adelaide, South Australia to Los Angeles. When she arrived, I was still living in a motel room. I picked her up at Los Angeles cargo and brought her back to my hotel room.  She did a quick run around the hotel room, ate some food, drank water, and then jumped in my  bed and borrowed herself under the covers (bed clothes) and slept about 8 hours like dead.       

[meridiian]

Oh, no! 

This is so sad. I’m so sorry for your loss. 

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” — Anatole France

Your little friend will always be with you in your heart. She knows you loved her.

Binky free, little Fudge. xx

[Ciel]

I can’t help but think that if I did go abroad and leave my bunny with her carer in that change of environment that she would still be alive.

[Bam]

Please don’t blame yourself. You don’t know what caused this. It is very, very sad but you tried everything you could. Just remember her fondly. You loved her and she loved you. That is a beautiful thing.

Binky free, sweet Fudge.

[Brambino]

Its normal to feel guilty but you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. There is absolutely nothing more you could have done for little Fudge. You gave her the best possible life and tried everything to save her. Treasure the memories and the great times you had with her. Binky free little Fudge Xx

[LBJ10]

The others are right. You don’t know what really caused this. You did the best you could under the circumstances and there’s no way of knowing if the same thing would have happened if you had not been gone.

When I mentioned coccidia before, I was thinking more along the lines of your bunny eating something from the yard that had been contaminated. And even then, there are lots of other animals outside that could contaminate plants. To be clear, licking typically does not result in something being passed from dog to rabbit. I hope that helps. We don’t know if that is what was wrong or not, but I didn’t want you to think the dog licking the rabbit was a likely cause.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m so very sorry for your loss. I’m very sad reading this. It’s so very hard to lose a bunny, especially so suddenly. (((Hugs))))

((((Binky Free))))

[Ciel]

Thank you everyone for all your kind words and advice. I had Fudge individually cremated – she now sits on my bookshelf on her favourite blanket, surrounded by her favourite toys and a small dollop of hay.

Loved forever.

[flemishwhite]

I weeped when Bunny died. It happened so fast.  She was 11 1/2 years old.  She should have lived much longer. Where I live, almost no one has air conditioning, but in September of 2015 we had unusual warming.  The air temperature was 90 degrees F.  Bunny didn’t have much of an appetite,  no surprise due to the hot temperatures.  There was a miscommunication with my wife.  She said Bunny wasn’t eating much. Actually she wasn’t really eating. She had GI Statis.  I think the onset this was made worse because she was shedding.  I think she was licking her lose hair, particularly because in the heat, licking may have been a heat response. 

Actually, this went on for about three days.  Maybe she was eating some.  Finally , on a Monday night, up unit this time she acted perfectly normal…bunnies are masters at hiding pain and discomfort,…all of a sudden her front legs were paralyzed..this was at midnight.  We took her to a 24 hour emergency animal clinic.  It was basically too late.  Necrosis had set in.  Necrosis occurs when an animal is starving and the body has no longer fat to metabolize, no more fat in the liver to metabolize, and begins to metabolize nerve tissue.   At this stage, necrosis is irreversible.  She was given pain killers to make her comfortable and she died hours later in our arms. 

…………………………

From this experience and reading posts here, bunnies are not tolerant of heat.  We’ve had some 80 degree days here already and we have a floor fan for our two Flemish babies.  They lay in the fan draft.  They really enjoy the air.  (They live mostly in their pen, but the pen door is open 24/7. They are free to roam if they want.)

[kirsten90]

This made me cry. So sorry for your loss, you did the best you could she couldnt have asked for more!

[meridiian]

You wrote: “she now sits on my bookshelf on her favourite blanket, surrounded by her favourite toys and a small dollop of hay. ”

A beautiful tribute!

Her spirit will always be around, near you, looking over you.

xx

[Author]

Messages