Another update on Daisy. Warning: graphic pictures.

[RetroSquid]

So, Daisy had her surgery to remove an abscess on her mandible. It was first thought to be a dental abscess, but during the procedure, they discovered that there was no tooth root involved.

When I first picked her up from the vets, I was shaking and pretty much cried the whole drive home. She looked so poorly and sore.

The first week, we were gently cleaning the wound and syringing manuka honey into it.

The second week, when she was more comfortable, we had to step up the cleaning. It was heartbreaking to hold her down, while using a qtip to scrape pus out of the wound while her scared eye looked right into mine.

Everything we were doing to her with the cleaning, and forcing 10 syringes of painkillers and antibiotics into her daily. Our relationship was gone. Our 9yo bun who has loved and trusted us for 8 years of her life was suddenly just so terrified of us.

During one particular cleaning episode last week, around the bottom of the wound cracked a little and she frantically bit me to get me to stop cleaning, so we backed off a little for a couple of days to give her a break, but at this point, she had really slowed down with her eating. Wouldn’t eat hay anymore and would only eat soft fruit.

At this point, we started to research at-home euthanasia options as honestly, it felt like she was on a steep decline and we might be past the point of no return.

During yet another follow up appointment, the vet remarked that it was the best looking wound of this type she had seen in a long time, and we had done a great job at cleaning it, so it felt like we were doing something right.

The cracked bit at the bottom that was causing her so much discomfort was also a suture that had started to reject. So the vet cleaned her up and removed a couple of the sutures and since then, Daisy’s lust for life has returned so quickly. Also, she’s down from 10 syringes of meds per day, to 4, two of which she genuinely likes, so really, only one we have to force into her, an antibiotic.

Warning, some of these pictures are really grim.

3 days post surgery.

7 days post surgery.

14 days post surgery.

https://streamable.com/atnw8d 23 days post surgery.

I’m not long back from another check-up at the vets. they’re incredibly happy with her progress. She’s started gaining weight again and isn’t far from her pre-surgery weight, she is very almost our Daisy again. They think we will have one more appointment next week and then they’re planning on discharging her!
She hassles the kids for their lunch. She chases the cats, and she runs laps around the living room when we get up in the morning. She even does little 180° binkies in the morning while waiting for a handful of pellets.

Her turnaround from where she was a week ago to now has been phenomenal.

We haven’t had the final bill, yet. But tallying it all together, it seems that we’re somewhere around the £2,700 mark so far… Not a small sum of money at all… We have insurance so that will take some of the sting out of it, and, it’s Daisy. We had to try. 🙂

[DanaNM]

Omg she looks so much better in that last video!!!

I’m sooooo happy to hear that she’s turned a corner and is doing well! I’m constantly amazed by the resilience of rabbits. They really are amazing creatures. <3

Way to go Daisy and way to go YOU!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[LBJ10]

OMG, the progress looks amazing! I’m so glad she is doing better now. I know it was scary to have that done. And then to doubt yourself about your decision, that must have been awful 🙁  It looks like it will all be worth it in the end. She sounds so happy now.

[Bam]

It’s such wonderful news! So good to see her munching away in that last video 🥰

 

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