It’s exhausting being a bunny parent sometimes

[Shan&Chibi]

There’s a “Too long didn’t read” at the bottom
I have a 5 year old free roam house bunny named Chibi and he is my absolute world. 
I’m not a well person both physically and mentally and Chibi has helped so much in that he’s given me a will to live. I know I wouldn’t still be here without him because every time I’ve felt at breaking point, I’ve looked at his little face and known I can’t and won’t leave him. I’m forever in his debt for being there for me.

Since May/June Chibi has been unwell in some way, shape or form. 

First, one of his hocks just seemed to explode which needed to be stitched up and then he had a month of having both his back feet bandaged. The vet had no clue what happened but his hock was all bloody and there was a cut of some description going on but she had never seen anything like it. 
That brought on the month of changing dressings multiple times a day, checking his wound, panicking he’d figure out how to chew off the bandages/undo the vet wrap and get to his feet (again),  figuring out how to keep his feet from getting wet every time he went to the bathroom, researching other means of protecting his feet to stop him chewing at the wound, changing his bandages and baby socks multiple times a day and sometimes after 10 minutes of doing it the first time, stressing that he’d get the bandage off while I was asleep and he’d open his wound again, panicking about paying for all of this, not sleeping with the stress and worrying about him in general. 
That eventually passed and after a month of stress he seemed to get better.

Then he got diagnosed with bronco pneumonia about a month after the hock incident, and I’ve been dealing with that since. 
Fortunately the pneumonia is under control but then he started to grind his teeth. He’s been checked, double checked and checked again and his mouth looks totally fine. However there’s a slight smell and his chin has been wet sometimes.But there’s nothing in his mouth to visibly cause a problem and his x-rays were good too.
He’s on Baytril 4 times a day. Chibi has started to wise up to it now so runs off and I’ve got to try and catch him first. From getting him and giving him the meds, it’s all done in 10 mins tops, but it’s still stressful.
He’s been to the vets at least 10 times in the last 7/8 months.  
Chibi is slightly improving on the Baytril but he’s not eating comfortably. I’ve seen him gag on his veggies and I’ve watched him eat his pellets and he’s not comfortable. He’s holding his head up higher than normal with some mouthfuls so I watch him like a hawk and it’s  exhausting.
He’s not eating hay and I’ve tried everything to get him to eat it. He’s got about 6 or 7 different varieties, he’s got hay feeders all over the bedroom (7 to be exact) with different types of holes and the like to see if he prefers to grab the hay easily and shove his head in there or have some resistance to tug on while he eats. He still won’t eat it. 
His poops are there but they’re at least half the size they should be. 
He’s not eating as much of his veggies at the moment so I’m stressed about that. He’s not eating hay so I’m stressed about that. He’s grinding his teeth so I’m stressed about that. He’s not eating comfortably so I’m stressed about that. 

Chibi is such a good boy, he really is. I cannot fault him one bit for how he’s been with all of this crap happening to him lately. 

I however am struggling. 
It’s exhausting watching Chibi like a hawk and being on constant alert just in case he starts choking (he hasn’t ever but I’m terrified he will one day). I am so tired with clock watching and working myself up to have to grab him to medicate him. He’s currently in his cosy bed under the radiator as I write this, and I know I should get him to medicate him but I don’t want to disturb him. So I put it off which moves the medication times later and later and I get stressed with the time ticking away and I am just not coping. 

It’s been so extremely exhausting and that’s just with Chibi, not on top of life’s general stresses and mental/physical health stress too.

If I could cry I would, but I’m too exhausted with Chibi’s health problems to do so. 

TLDR:
My rabbit has been ill and in and out of the vets for the last 7/8 months. It’s been 7/8 months of multiple vet trips, x-rays and medications, medicating and clock watching and near enough constant stress and I’m drained and that’s on top of mental and physical health problems. I hope I’m not alone.  

[Bam]

I’m so very sorry things have been so stressful for you and Chibi. You are doing a wonderful job with him. My bunny had had a bad cold with lung involvement once, but he got well with meds. I hope Chibi will get well too.

I assume you have read up on how to do a “bunny Heinrich”, in case Chibi actually should choke. Here is an article on the bunny Heimlich: http://www.vgr1.com/choking/

[Shan&Chibi]

Posted By bam on 12/26/2018 9:31 AM
I’m so very sorry things have been so stressful for you and Chibi. You are doing a wonderful job with him. My bunny had had a bad cold with lung involvement once, but he got well with meds. I hope Chibi will get well too.

I assume you have read up on how to do a “bunny Heinrich”, in case Chibi actually should choke. Here is an article on the bunny Heimlich: http://www.vgr1.com/choking/

Oh no! Glad your little one got better with the meds!
I can only hope for the same outcome for my little guy.

Ah thank you, I’ve read, re-read and re-re-read how to do the Heimlich maneuver just in case! I hope I’ll never need to use it but it’s always worth knowing!
Thank you for the link x

[DanaNM]

I’m so sorry you are going through this with your little one. It is SO exhausting and stressful caring for a rabbit that is poorly. I’ve had two buns that were vet sick… and it is just draining. One had a cecal imbalance and would oscillate between soft unformed poos and extreme gas. The other had some terrible dental issues, that we think were linked to something more serious… as his molars were just progressively rotting and becoming loose (in a 1 year old rabbit…). It’s hard for non-rabbit owners to understand what it’s like caring for a sick bunny.

Regarding the current issue of him not eating well, are you supplementing with Critical Care? Some buns like it enough to lick it off a plate. It can help ease the stress of watching him constantly to feed him CC when he gets his meds, then you can relax a bit in-between feedings, instead of watching like a hawk to make sure he eats. It’s important to take breaks when you can.

My poorly bun also loved his Baytril… the vet mixed it up in a sweet fruity flavor… so you might ask the vet about that. Since he’s been on so many meds, he also might benefit from a pro-biotic. Bene-bac is loved by most bunnies and is a common one to try.

Anyway, hope you get some rest and your little one improves soon. You are doing an amazing job with him, no small feat!

Hang in there <3 And come on Chibi, help your human out!

((((Chibi))))

. . . 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.  

[Shan&Chibi]

Posted By DanaNM on 12/26/2018 11:06 AM 

I’m so sorry you are going through this with your little one. It is SO exhausting and stressful caring for a rabbit that is poorly. I’ve had two buns that were vet sick… and it is just draining. One had a cecal imbalance and would oscillate between soft unformed poos and extreme gas. The other had some terrible dental issues, that we think were linked to something more serious… as his molars were just progressively rotting and becoming loose (in a 1 year old rabbit…). It’s hard for non-rabbit owners to understand what it’s like caring for a sick bunny. 

Regarding the current issue of him not eating well, are you supplementing with Critical Care? Some buns like it enough to lick it off a plate. It can help ease the stress of watching him constantly to feed him CC when he gets his meds, then you can relax a bit in-between feedings, instead of watching like a hawk to make sure he eats. It’s important to take breaks when you can. 

My poorly bun also loved his Baytril… the vet mixed it up in a sweet fruity flavor… so you might ask the vet about that. Since he’s been on so many meds, he also might benefit from a pro-biotic. Bene-bac is loved by most bunnies and is a common one to try. 

Anyway, hope you get some rest and your little one improves soon. You are doing an amazing job with him, no small feat! 

Hang in there <3 And come on Chibi, help your human out! 

((((Chibi)))) 

Oh bless, that must of been so tough! and so young for a bunn to be struggling so much with dental problems, poor thing. 
People without rabbits definitely think you’re crazy for worrying so much. I’ve always said that it feels as though our smaller pets aren’t as important and that’s so totally untrue (and I include hamsters/guinea pigs etc in that too). 
I think it’s especially hard with bunnies because they’re so fragile and delicate in some ways, that you haven’t got too much room for error, y’know?
Like, I work in a cat rescue and if one of them is off their food for 24hrs it’s not too much of a panic and the same with dogs, but in bunnies it’s a cause for serious concern and it’s all hands on deck preparing for the stasis. It’s so stressful!

I must admit I’d not thought of giving CC also! Good thinking!! As Chibs is being medicated 4x a day I should be able to get a fair bit down him to help him out. 

I’ve been seeing a lot about pro-biotics, so next time we’re at the vet I’ll definitely be asking about that! I’m fortunate that Chibi doesn’t mind the Baytril either so it’s not that stressful giving him that, and I am SO greatful! He fights me all the way trying to syringe anything else, the monkey! 

I had a good cry yesterday and I feel better today and ready to face another week of Baytril.
I felt awful getting so upset because Chibi doesn’t know and it’s not like it’s his fault  but I felt like a bad bunny mum for getting worked up. Completely natural of course but I still felt awful. 

Thank you for your reply and I hope you and your bunns are doing well! 

[Rhubarbcrumble]

Hi

I’m so sorry Chibi has been poorly for that long, I hope that he’s having a better day today. I hope you are too, you must be so exhausted. I can’t imagine how tough it’s been with him poorly for this long, you are doing amazingly well.

I have two bunnies with recurrent health issues and it’s very hard to deal with sometimes. They are part of our family and I would do anything for them but it would be so nice to just be able to play with them for an evening without obsessively symptom spotting. Xx

[Shan&Chibi]

Posted By Rhubarbcrumble on 12/28/2018 3:27 PM

Hi

I’m so sorry Chibi has been poorly for that long, I hope that he’s having a better day today. I hope you are too, you must be so exhausted. I can’t imagine how tough it’s been with him poorly for this long, you are doing amazingly well.

I have two bunnies with recurrent health issues and it’s very hard to deal with sometimes. They are part of our family and I would do anything for them but it would be so nice to just be able to play with them for an evening without obsessively symptom spotting. Xx

Exactly that! I’ve felt like I haven;t truly enjoyed having Chibi for the longest time now because I’m just on edge and just watching him like a hawk. I don’t want to look back when he’s gone and regret wasting this time by worrying etc, but it’s s hard to switch off!

Really sorry to hear your bunnies haven’t been too well either. Really hope you’re coping okay and wishing a speedy recovery for your fur babies! xx

[Rhubarbcrumble]

Hi Shan
How is Chibi doing? X

[DarthVadar]

You should get a bunny parent of the year award. There is no way anyone else could help Chibi better than you are right now.
Nope, you’re not alone. My bunny Cocoa had mites (both ear and fur) for about a year. I treated her just like you’re supposed to, but she eventually got too worn out. Its so stressful; sometimes a bunny has good days and you think they are improving, and sometimes they have bad days and you worry if thats it.

[Shan&Chibi]

Hi ya!

Well we’ve solved one problem of him grinding his teeth nearly constantly! He’s on Bisolvon powder for his bronco-pneumonia and my mum came up with the idea of splitting his dose up to morning and evening rather than all in the evening and that’s done the trick!

He’s still not eating comfortably though so I booked him in for the vets tomorrow morning. Just really hoping it’s a dental issue that’s fixable rather than something that isn’t good news!
Thanks for checking in! Means a lot xx

[Rhubarbcrumble]

Hi
That’s a coincidence, Brabham is on Bisolvon for his sinus problem! His dose is twice a day too.
It’s excellent he has stopped grinding his teeth, it sounds like a good idea to have his teeth checked too, they can he the cause of all sorts of niggles.
How is the pneumonia treatment going? Is he on any anti inflammatories as well?
Xx

[Shan&Chibi]

Posted By DarthVadar on 12/31/2018 10:12 PM

You should get a bunny parent of the year award. There is no way anyone else could help Chibi better than you are right now.
Nope, you’re not alone. My bunny Cocoa had mites (both ear and fur) for about a year. I treated her just like you’re supposed to, but she eventually got too worn out. Its so stressful; sometimes a bunny has good days and you think they are improving, and sometimes they have bad days and you worry if thats it.

Aw bless ya, that’s super sweet of you to say! 

Bless your little bunny Cocoa. Horrible seeing your fur baby unwell, eh. Chibi is currently at the vets and we’ll be picking him up in about an hour so I’m hoping it’s good news! 

[Author]

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