emergency? runny poop & metacam

[babybunsmum]

baby just left a blob of runny poop on the floor and i’m concerned.  her enclosure was littered with normal looking poops from last night & i saw her dropping normal poops around the dog this morning (usual behaviour for her).  i think this runny poo could be from the metacam.

i have been giving her .43 cc of metacam daily since last monday per the vet’s order for her inflamed tear duct.  the vet at ovc did not mention any directions in the case that this happens, however when pinky was spayed not long ago my reg vet cautioned me that metacam could cause runny poo & asked that i watch for it and call in if it happened.

of course my reg vet’s office is closed today.  i’m wondering how serious this situation is and if i should skip her metacam dose tonight?

[Sarita]

I would skip her metacam tonight and call him in the morning – is she eating and acting normal otherwise?

[babybunsmum]

ok… i spoke with a vet clinic that specializes in exotics (rabbitsmba recommended this vet before as well as the emerg vet line i called) and they recommended to not give Baby her metacam dose tonight.  they thought it was a possible cause for runny stool as well.  i’ll call into my vet tomorrow & discuss.

but in the meantime i had also posted my question about metacam on another forum that’s in my area and had gotten a response from some one there.  they questioned the treatment baby got for her runny eyes and now i’m all confused and upset

i suppose i need to talk to my reg vet about the findings from ovc (the specialist) to clear up my concerns.  should i ask for a consultation with my vet to review the report from ovc & discuss my new concerns with the diagnosis & treatment?  or is this some thing i can do over the phone?  i’m not sure how to go about this or what’s fair to expect. 

[babybunsmum]

Posted By Sarita on 06/22/2008 11:48 AM
I would skip her metacam tonight and call him in the morning – is she eating and acting normal otherwise?

thanks sarita… you posted while i was composing my last post.  yes she seems otherwise normal.  i think i’m still freaked by her last vet visit & am hyper-sensitive to anything wrong with her. 

[Sarita]

What questions did the other board have? Did they have recommendations?

How long again was the treatment for Baby – I know it’s not forever.

[JK]

Sorry I’m a little confused.  Did your regular vet ever see Baby? If so, I would think they would consult with you over the phone.  My vet would for my dog and cat. I’m sure you are upset.  I would be too.  I’m curious what did the other forum person say? Good luck to you and especially to little Baby.

[Sarita]

Also I would try to talk to the vet over the phone if you can – save you some money from going in…if needed after the discussion you feel you need to go in then go in at that time.

[babybunsmum]

the ovc vet is going to advise further on the length of treatment and if another antibiotic would be better once the cultures come back. 

i think the other board was surprised they didn’t recommend tooth extraction for the teeth with elongated roots.  in other words treat the cause of the infection instead of just the infection (i assume this would mean extraction).  makes sense.  and so i wonder why ovc would not have suggested it.   maybe they were concerned with her age & the stress of a dental surgery on her?

or were they concerned because of her reaction to anesthetic and weighed against the runny eyes they wouldn’t recommend the risk of surgery?  

also i mentioned to the vet at ovc that finances were an issue for me since i didn’t want them to go nuts with different tests all at once.  i hope that they didn’t change their end recommendation based on what they think i will pay for.  i just didn’t want them gong ahead with tests only to find out i couldn’t pay for it right away.  i’m pretty sure i made it clear that if she needs treatment i can get a quote and save up for it and come in then since she’s not in serious pain right now.

have you had older buns that have had successful dental surgeries?

[JK]

Perhaps they were worried about the risk of surgery because of what happened but I would ask. As far as changing their recommendation based on what you could pay? That is highly unethical and I would hope to god that they would NOT do that. It might cost way more in the long run to go the “cheaper” way so their best recommendation should be given no matter what the cost for the sake of the health of the rabbit. Figure out the finances later. Something can always be arranged.

[Sarita]

I imagine that like most vets they take the safer route first and the tooth extractions would be the last route to take. It is wise to see what the culture says too.

I’ve known alot of rabbits who have had their front teeth extracted but it’s because of malocolussion not because of tooth roots – my vet did not want to do this with Bunbun either – she doesn’t do extractions anyway, I would have had to go to a specialist – my vet didn’t have the tools either to do this.

I’m not sure how long they would be under for dental extractions but I would imagine it could be awhile. I believe your vet is doing the right thing for your Baby since he’s well aware of her medical history.

[babybunsmum]

i sure hope my finances wouldn’t alter their dianosis… now i’m being paranoid because i’m upset.  i was upset last week because of her heart stopping (actually the report says she stoped breathing, turned cyanotic and went into bradycardia) and now i’m upset that it seems to some people that she should have had other treatment recommendations.

at the start of all this all i wanted to know was what to do about her runny poop.    i guess it’s best to find out about her over-all treatment but i’m feeling overwhelmed now.

she was seen by my reg vet who wanted her to be seen by ovc (a referral clinic) instead of playing around with different treatments – which i appreciate.  so i will call my reg vet & ask the tech if i can talk to her to discuss the report from ovc.  then i will ask her about her teeth & if there’s anything that can be done – possibly get a referral to the clinic the others are recommending – and go from there. 

the other clinic that was recommended doesn’t need referrals but i want my reg vet involved in this.  i understand this clinic deals with many rabbits with dental issues so it may be the place for us to go.

[babybunsmum]

that’s valuable input… thanks sarita.  i figured there must be some explanation revlolving around the risk of dental surgery. 

[RabbitPam]

I think taking it step by step is the right course. It seems likely that the runny poopies are from the metacam, and stopping tonight may prove that. If she’s almost done with the dosage it probably won’t be a problem with her treatment. I agree that the vets who knows her personally, and her history, are the best ones to work with you in planning her treatment.

Regarding dental work, I believe there are steps before extraction, based on Spockie’s treatment when he was 7 years old. He’d always had fine teeth, but lately had a lower one grow sharp and at a bad angle, and it was sticking his upper gum. Well, she was experienced with dental work with bunnies, and she did a procedure that basically filed them down to be smooth, shorter and not cause pain. He was asleep during the procedure, (didn’t take long at all) stayed there overnight, and came home fine. She watched the growth from then on, and just as we were thinking it would have to be repeated every 6 months, his teeth just stopped growing! It turned out that an older bunny can finally have them stop, so he was OK from then on, tooth-wise. And once a vet knows about a sensitivity to being under anesthesia, they can make adjustments more suited to her needs.
Baby’s been through a lot this year – she’s been doing very, well so hang in there. She’s a fighter. {{{{{{{{{{{Baby}}}}}}}}}}}

[Sarita]

I agree with Knowltons, they aren’t going to change their diagnosis – the diagnosis is the diagnosis. More likely like most vets he will give you alternatives and costs for different treatments and you will discuss that based on what the best route is to go for Baby and financially too.

Do ask him about the extractions though, I’m sure he will give you the risks and his opinions for why or why not this is something he recommends.

[RabbitPam]

Did Baby poop normally this morning?

[babybunsmum]

yup… normal poops in her litter & a couple scattered about her enclosure.  yay!

i called my vet & am waiting to hear back from her.  actually it sounds like a tech will call me back to book an appointment to meet with the vet which is a little disappointing.  i was hoping to do this over the phone… we’ll see.

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