I think Rorschach has a blockage.. again.

[angie-la]

 so Rorschach is once again not eating or drinking and when he peed a little bit just trickled out.. I tried to get him to take some critical care but I seriously just chased him around for 30 minutes with no results. How am I supposed to get him to take it? I even put him in a carrier and took him to the bathroom but he wouldn’t get out of the carrier and I couldn’t reach in and get the syringe in his mouth. I even put some on my hand to try and smear on his mouth but it’s just not working. any tips please? I really don’t want to spend another $100 to take him to the vet just to get him to take his meds, but if I can’t figure this out soon I will have no other choice. 

[Sarita]

Has the vet checked his teeth? I cannot remember if you mentioned that before.

What size syringe are you using to feed him?

[RabbitPam]

I discovered that Sammy did not like the C Care either, and it was important that I give it to her too. I just caught her between my legs on the floor of her house, and kept syringing it into and around her face. Do it from the side, not from the front. It is easier to get some in and they will chew it more than if it’s directly under their nose. Don’t do too much at once, but try to give several squirts. If it’s too runny, try making it a bit thicker. He will have to wipe it off his face and paws, so some gets eaten that way too.

You can mash a bit of banana into it for flavoring, or mix a drop of unsweetened apple juice in the water or mix a bit of unsweetened pumpkin from a can. You want to flavor it just a bit with a favorite taste.
My vet said some bunnies who like the taste prefer to eat it in a firm form, so you can use less water and roll it into a ball or cookie shape and just set it in the dish. If he likes the taste but not the fight with you, he’ll eat it if you back off. (Sammy clearly did not like the taste – typical my luck.)

[Huckleberry]

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[angie-la]

just to update everyone..

I took rorschach to the vet, and they did x rays and bloodwork. the x ray didn’t show much, but the bloodwork showed that his liver enzymes are off the charts (the normal number should be about 70, she said. his was 600). so either he has a liver infection, which can be treated with antibiotics, or a bigger problem that would require surgery ASAP (she explained their liver has three valves, and sometimes one will flip upside down). the ultra sound to see if we need surgery is 500, and the surgery itself is $3-5 thousand.. so we’re treating him with antibiotics for now and crossing my fingers it will work. if he needs the surgery, I’ll find a way to get the money.. but I just don’t want him to go through all that.

I’m kind of beating myself up right now and wondering if I did something neglectful that caused a liver infection. the vet said with bunnies, sometimes things just happen (especially if this was the problem with his valve turning upside down). Thank you for your good thoughts and I’ll keep everyone updated.

[Sarita]

HEALING vibes for Rorschach.

[jerseygirl]

Don’t beat yourself up!!! Not your fault at all.

{{{{{Rorschach}}}}}

[Kels]

Sending all my love and positive vibes to Rorschach. <3

[melbunny]

Hope he feels better soon!

[angie-la]

well, Rorschach has been at the hospital all day but the vet called me and said he looks better. Starting to eat, poop, drink, and is definitely being difficult to handle. So it seems the antibiotics are working and he will not need surgery.. thank goodness! I’ll be able to pick him up at 8 PM. Thank you for all your vibes and good thoughts!

[piperknitsRN]

Posted By angie-la on 12/13/2011 05:47 PM
well, Rorschach has been at the hospital all day but the vet called me and said he looks better. Starting to eat, poop, drink, and is definitely being difficult to handle. So it seems the antibiotics are working and he will not need surgery.. thank goodness! I’ll be able to pick him up at 8 PM. Thank you for all your vibes and good thoughts!

Continued healing thoughts for Rorschach!  I hope he continues to do well!

 

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m glad he is going home with you. (((Get well)))))

[RabbitPam]

Yea! Glad to hear the anti-bios are all he needed.

You might want to consider getting pet insurance (VPI has it for rabbits) for him once he is well. I doubt it will cover a pre-existing condition, but if he’s fine now and nothing presents itself for a few months, they should cover any new developments. If that happens, it would be very helpful financially. It’s $12/month. You can go to their site and read the fine print about conditions and how long he has to be well before he’s covered, etc.

I have it for those really big vet emergencies, and it just paid me back 70% of a minor GI issue Sammy had. Right now it was a financial gift to my budget.

[angie-la]

So funny that you mentioned that, RabbitPam, because I was planning on calling them today after work! I’ve been googling pet insurance plans that cover rabbits.

update: Rorschach’s doing much better, and I have found a way to sneak his meds into his lettuce/banana. =D

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