An “SOS” box…what do you think?

[jerseygirl]

I was thinking it would be good to have a place on the website that brought the members attention straight to posts regarding urgent health concerns.  I’ve seen Lion_Lops appeal to help Rye (((((((vibes for you both)))))))))))) and i’m touched at how many have rallied to help out.  What a shame if any future SOS posts was not noticed amoung all the other.  Not likely i know –  but it could happen!

So i thought a box on the home page or another topic folder to host these SOS posts would help.  What do you think???? 

[bunnytowne]

sounds like a good idea  as long as is used for immediate emergencies while trying to get to the vet  we woulnd’t miss anyone that way

[Beka27]

i think the site gets enough traffic that emergency posts don’t go overlooked. if you are concerned about a post and no one on here can help, you can also email the leaders and they usually can respond pretty quickly.

[RabbitPam]

It’s a good idea, but Beka is right. My understanding is that the site is monitered by the leaders each day, so that every post needing an answer gets one. Maybe those reading this could start to use “SOS:” in their subject line as a red flag. So far it seems that everyone in trouble starts with “HELP!!!”

[Lion_Lop_Lover]

Thanks Jerseygirl – he’s doing better this morning

[Sarita]

It is suggested at the top that you call your vet immediately in case of emergency. That is truly the best thing to do if you can rather than waiting around for a response.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Jerseygirl, while I think the idea has real merit, I agree with Beka, Rabbitpam and Sarita. I hate to add an SOS folder because really you should be calling your vet first and hauling your bunny in before you post here. I find that a lot of folks do just the opposite sometimes and it is a concern. I think that also if we add an SOS folder, with it comes some “liability” and assumptions that we know how to deal with and home-treat medical emergencies which we do not (and advise against) and a rabbit will potentially suffer because someone is waiting for a response rather than what they should be doing: calling a rabbit savvy vet for various reasons i.e. avoiding a vet bill they cannot pay.

Lion_Lop by no means is this any dig on you, I am making a broad-based generalization. I realize you do not have a savvy vet near to you but could you call one or have a vet nearby call one for a consult? Just a couple of ideas for (god forbid) this ever happens to you again.

As said, all of us community leaders monitor all folders/discussions/topics and generally speaking, there are 2 CL’s that are “assigned” to each day. I admit I do not always add a post to announce my presence in a particular discusssion because the wonderful members here have provided awesome and thoughful information and advice (as intended by the function of this site) that would echo my own. Of course you are always free to e-mail all of us as well. Bear in mind that some of us do have regular day jobs, and we volunteer to be here. It is a work of passion for us. So we may not get back to you the instant you send something.

Well I hope this lends a bit of insight, and my best to all of you and your furballs! : )

[BinkyBunny]

It’s so funny that you mentioned this because I was actually working on it, and as I was creating the new group, a glitch happened, and I couldn’t get it going, and then I started thinking more about what Scarlet, Beka, Sarita and Rabbitpam have already mentioned. I started getting concerned that people might use it to substitute racing to the vet. I understand though when it’s a weekend and you’re not sure what to do, or where to go that having quick access is important. It is true that, in general, the board is patrolled by a moderator/forum leader at least once a day.

There are so many posts to go through that it is a wise idea to do what has been done like posting “HELP!”  We have some great members like knowltons and Beka who email leaders to get our immediate attention. (THANK YOU!)

Also, I know as forum leaders, we will look at a ton of posts, but for time sake, will only respond to a percentage of the total viewed. It is getting very busy though that  I am considering adding another Forum Leader soon.

[bunnytowne]

thats true  some may come here instead of a vet fortunately I have a vet open mon-sat down the street. I know others may not have vet near for 3 hours ride and it is difficult for them  and i would be afraid too many post would start going there and not be true emergency and not go to vet you are right   I remember walking 1 whole hour from the closest bus stop to get a bun to a vet. I didn’t know would be that long a walk. phew. I called a frient to come get me to get home aahhaaha. gee I was tired and hurting imagine how the bun felt. yes things can be tough for some out there

[jerseygirl]

Hey again! I agree with everything said also! Vet first is definately way to go. I understand the liability issue too. It seems any posts in the Help catergory are more appeals for support and validation of concerns. You can get into a real state when a litttle creature that’s so dependant on you becomes ill. Recently, I had to take Jersey off to the vet and I spent a few hours debating whether I was over-reacting or not. My hesitation resulted in my having to fork over an after hours fee by the time I finally did decide to take her in.

Prehaps the ‘sos’ label is a bit too dramatic! Maybe it all needs more thought. That green faced message icon would certainly be a good indicator!
Anyway, looks like we all can have good faith that our dilemmas will be picked up because yes – the site is very busy!!!!!!!!!

Lion_lop, glad to her Rye is recovering

ps: Big Thank You to community leaders also : )

[RabbitPam]

I don’t think “SOS” is too dramatic at all. How many of us have had a concern, waited a while, found it to be worse, now it’s after hours or the weekend, and wished we had trusted our first impulse? And would all the slaves whose bunnies only get sick on Friday nights raise their hands?

BB, Scarlet Rose, all CL’s – you guys do a fabulous job. As for a new leader, I think I vote for Beka and Markusdark. (Can’t decide…)

[Sarita]

I think everyone on this board does a great job trying to help – there are tons of experience rabbit owners on here that are so willing to share their experiences and I know I’ve learned alot.

I do think that one of the problems is that when someone’s rabbit isn’t eating or peeing or pooping that is assumed to one be one thing when it could be so many things and that is why a vet is best. Most all symptoms are the same and no one on the board can diagnose since we are not vets – heck even your vet won’t diagnose unless they’ve seen the rabbit. After all your rabbit doesn’t just go into stasis without an underlying reason.

Now once you get a diagnosis then I think it’s great to post it to see what type of experience and recommendations that others have as Scarlet Rose and Binky Bunny suggested.

Thank you to the Board Leaders too for doing a great job!

[Beka27]

i think that if you are very familiar with rabbits, you know (usually) what to look for. someone just starting out with a new bunny, they might not know their rabbit that well, or rabbits in general. they wonder: what is normal, what is a symptom of something else, etc. i can understand their wanting to post to figure out what to do, but i think upon the first real suggestion of “ya gotta get to a vet… PRONTO!” that should be their next stop. often times a member can post “what to do?” and then the next ten replies are all “vet, vet, vet.”

personally, i would not even WANT to recommend them doing something without a vet’s advice first… imagine if it didn’t work and the bun passed away… liability issues aside… geez, to have THAT on your conscience…

[Sarita]

LOL – that’s true Beka – lots of suggestions for the vet on this board :~)

I learned alot and scared myself with Dana Krempel’s article on GI Stasis – I think this article is a must read for all rabbit owners. I’ve learned alot more since then too but this article was basically my bunny health bible in the beginning.

[Beka27]

can you post the link Sarita? i *think* i’ve read it, but i’d like to again.

[Sarita]

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

This is the article Beka – it freaked me out when I read it but I printed it out and read it frequently. 

This is were I learned about what I call the stasis cocktail – sub-q’s and gut motility drugs and talked to my first vet about this and he had worked on rabbits before but learned alot about rabbits with the first rabbit group I worked with and with my rabbit Bunbun – he wanted to learn too.  He did know alot but like any vet he was always learning new things.

[BinkyBunny]

jerseygirl – Funny line in your signature! “..as everyone took their seats at the BB meeting, I was invited to start. “Hi, my name’s is Kate – and I’m a Bunaholic”…” HAHAHA!

[RabbitPam]

jerseygirl, that’s a great line! I hadn’t noticed it until BB pointed it out.

Since I don’t have a bunny at the moment, does that make me a serious Bunaholic, or am I On the Wagon? LOL

[Scarlet_Rose]

Thanks everyone for your candid comments, we try very hard to make this board a nice, friendly and very informational place to gather. Jerseygirl, I had to LOL myself. Rabbitpam, I think you’re on the wagon and we’re trying to drag you off. LOL

Hi, Kate.

Hello everyone, I’m Scarlet and I am also a bunaholic.

[MooBunnay]

Hahaha bun-aholic! I totally agree with that one…I think everyone at my work is planning some kind of “intervention” because they think my bunny obsession is a bit odd.

Something I’ve been thinking of doing for a bit (I think I better get started!) is putting together a few emergency responses with first the link to the vets, and then information for various emergencies such as stasis, or cuts, or other things that people can print out and use for reference while they track down a vet, or while they are on the way to the vet.

[jerseygirl]

Ohh, he he! MooBunnay, I understand the condition. An intervention huh?! What could they possibly do to get thru to you???!!! And why it is more acceptable for people to be dog or cat obsessive? We gotta get thru to em – Bunnies are just as worthy!

Re: Bunaholic – Hi Scarlet and welcome Don’t get me started on Bunny-isms. (words adapted to ‘bunnarize’ them). I’ve been sick for 5 days and my heads a little crazy so I could be coming up with miles of them. There’s been some great ones here on the forum. We could all co-write a dictionary. A Lagomorphus Lexicon.

[babybunsmum]

this has been an interesting read!  i also would like to thank all the CLs for their hard work & dedication as well as many of the members who regularily post with their support and experience.  it really is a great forum.

i think even without a seperate forum for emergencies that these posts are well-attended to.  i’m definitely one who would post on the board when some thing’s wrong with one of my buns and need to be told “goto vet” simply because i panick when anything goes wrong.  plus, after having my share of bad blows from vets & doctors, i’m afraid to hear bad news from them.  hearing from others some diagnostic possibilities seems to get me into a head-space of feeling ‘armed & ready’.  because of this i’m also quick to share my experiences with others.  it’s good to be reminded about liabilities and that one should always add a disclaimer of “goto your vet for a diagnosis because this is only one of many possibilities.”

all that said i do know enough not to just sit & wait for a response in an emergency situation.  but i thought i’d share with you all how my head works because there may just be others out there like me

 

[Scarlet_Rose]

BBM thank you for your honesty and being brave enough to tell us.    I think we all experinece the same thing sometimes and just need a shoulder to lean on once in a while and have them tell us what we need to do. 

[Binkles]

I-…er…okay..*goes all brave-like*

I think on the contrary, actually.

I think we should have something more of a ‘This-Isn’t-An-Emergency-But-I-Sure-Could-Use-Some-Help-And/Or-Opinions-Within-The-Next-Few-Hours’ box…or forum at least. =X

Because as everyone has been saying, the forum leaders do a pretty good job of checking up regularly for emergencies and addressing them.
However it is my experience at least that at the same time, the not-quite-emergencies tend to get few and slow (or no to late) replies by the forum leaders -and even by the other knowledgeable members. This seems to happen especially when a question is burried in a pre-existing thread and the owner doesn’t want to create a whole new thread about it. (That would just call for a lot of spam. >>)

A non-emergency doesn’t mean that it’s any less important or critical to get answers. =/ As we all know, a non-situation can turn into a BAD situation FAST if delt with improperly.

And this is not to speak for everyone, of course. It’s just a pattern that I personally have seen.

Also, I think the tendency to post here before or in lu of a vet consultation is mainly due to the fact that there are SO many varying opinions on how to go about things, even on BinkyBunny -and sometimes (if not most of the time), the information that a vet alone will give you may be DEAD wrong and have bad consequences. Me? I know for a FACT that there are TONS of experienced bunny owners on here, and while opinions may be varied on some issues, at least you can get a general gist of the right direction to go in. OR make a choice based on the levels of expertise various forum members have (or don’t have).

And then, of course, there’s the 2:00 in the morning/ weekend emergency (or not-quite emergency) situation where a rabbit-savvy vet is just inaccessible.

To sum it all up, I think the way most people feel is that this place is a 24hour emergency hotline where you can not only get the opinion of one expert, but many.

[BinkyBunny]

Thank you for your input! I know it’s not always easy to share an opposing point of view. You’ve made some good points, and I must admit, that the last few months some of the forum leaders, including myself, have had some very busy things going in our lives, but we are getting back on track and back to the board, as well as I am looking to add to the team very soon – which should also help with getting questions answered.

[RabbitPam]

Actually, Binkles brings up a frequent scenario, which is that the owner doesn’t think it is an emergency, and the forum replies heighten the alert and gets them to go to the vet after all. People here are particularly helpful in recognizing early signs of a more serious problem, so that works well.

BB, you’ve addressed this seemingly unsolvable problem before – the time zone issue. One person’s 3AM post is another’s 10AM break at the office. It just makes it more important that folks have in their heads to get good advice here, but call the vet if there’s any doubt.

I do want to throw out there that I’ve never met a vet who wasn’t willing to hear the problem over the phone first (or their technician) and advise accordingly. Most will not ask you to bring in for an emergency if it can be treated at home without an unscheduled appointment. They may want you to follow up with an appt. a day or two later if it isn’t better, but calling is a next step (barring after hours and weekends, of course.)

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