Making Critical Care too thick?

[MimzMum]

I finally heard from my vet today, she cautioned me about not making the Critical Care too thick so that it wouldn’t solidify in Mimzy’s intestinal tract if he’s not drinking enough water, which he is still not back up to his pre-dental levels, although he is peeing a lot.

Since he is taking other random nourishment (hand fed hay and greens) can I dilute the Critical Care to a liquid consistency so it doesn’t dry him out? Since he’s just had stasis a week ago, I don’t want to go that route again and he did have minimal poos today so far.

How would I tell if he gets some of this stuck inside him, will he display the same symptoms as any other blockage? Or is it possible it will pass through just fine as long as he drinks more water today? Yesterday I’d made him a pellet slurry, with applesauce and a bit of banana-which I’m worried about now since he’s never had applesauce before although he does eat apple slices-and I wonder if he’s a little stuffed and that’s why he’s not eating a lot of hay today? I did get that slurry as wet as I could and didn’t feed it until I was sure it wasn’t still puffing up.

I’m putting out his crock again, just in case he’d like to lap his water instead of pulling from the bottle.

And here’s something else I noticed the night he had his dental…his right ear, the side where he has the bad tooth, the outside of the flap turned deep red while I was washing his shoulder area to get the Pen-G off of him…could he have scratched this so bad during these long months of tooth pain that the skin is bruised? You can’t tell when his fur is dry, the skin looks normal color…but that night while his ear was getting wet from the washcloth it was turning dark red. It seemed the wetter it got, the redder it got. (I was washing it too to make sure I hadn’t gotten Pen-g on the skin, I thought it was being irritated by the medicine.)

[Sarita]

I’ve never heard this MM. Too thick anyway you wouldn’t be able to syringe feed since it would not go through the syringe.

I guess I understand a bit of what she is trying to say – it’s the same with pellets which seemed to cause Pepe’s blockage.

Really whatever it takes to get him to eat is the MOST important. Don’t be too concerned at this point about what or how you get him to eat as long as it’s not Chow Mein. I have to imagine the reason for his stasis anyway was the dental problems at that point, that’s pretty typical. My mouth hurts, I don’t eat.

I think you caused his ear to get rid because you kept washing it and that is irritating.

[Sarita]

Also try not to make anything too complicated and stressful. You have good instincts so it will come to you what you need to do.

[MimzMum]

Ah, I know. I’m a bit of a mess right now, little sleep, lots of stress. But yeah, I just wanted to be sure I didn’t cork him up with the pellets or the CC because we just came off that ride, don’t need to do it again. >.<
It’s so cute, he wouldn’t eat the CC off the paper plate (he kept grabbing it with his teeth and pushing it away) but he would lick a bit of it off my finger. ^_^ Only a little bit though, I think he was surprised (as was I) by the distinctly licorice type smell the CC has. Very unusual, but not unpleasant to me, since I love licorice. I don’t think it’s going to become a favorite flavor for Mimzy though…lol.
Darn, I didn’t mean to irritate his ear. Poor guy, but he was sitting so nice for me while I washed him off, I thought he was enjoying himself. *rolls eyes* Shows what I know.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’ve never heard this either-but a lot of the point of critical care is getting fluids into them-I think I make it too weak acutally because it clogs the syringe and drives me batty I think if it’s coming out of the syringe your probably totally fine

I have no idea why they make CC in licorice flavor! That’s the regular kind too! They make a strawberry banana-don’t know why that would be the afterthought when your dreaming up bunny flavors…

“Ahh the critical casre formula is complete and we will flavor it like black licorice because that’s what bugs bunny always eats”
“um sir-I think bugs is always eating a ‘
‘licorice-he always eats licorice-it’s a well known fact that rabbits love candy’
‘sigh’

[MimzMum]

Wow, I wish I’d gotten the strawberry banana kind then! He loves those flavors!

It may be moot. This evening he developed VERY bad gas and I had to give him more Baby Mylicon. No symptoms, I just kept feeling his tummy since he hadn’t pooped significantly and all of a sudden there it was! I have to wonder if it was from the CC or the pellet slurry…either way I’ll just push the hay and maybe some greens for now. His little tummy was like a balloon, literally. After the simethicone and some gentle massage it was back to normal in about an hour. But I got very scared. Gas just always reminds me of my dog’s bloat, so that’s not a thought you want on a Sunday night at 9PM when the vet is closed and thirty miles away in the snow.

Does anyone else’s bun get gas from Critical Care? Just wondering. or pellets? Maybe what I mixed in with them? I tried to keep the applesauce and banana minimal. 0_o But he snarfed about a tablespoon of the slurry…I’d thought it was a good sign.

He is eating hay on his own and drinking water tonight, but I’m going to stay up and make sure he eats now that he’s just had another dose of his chloramphenicol. He wasn’t too happy about that. I have to keep him eating, he’s only put out tiny little poos today and I can count how many on one hand.

[Sarita]

How do you know he has gas? My rabbit’s stomachs always rumble when I start syringe feeding them but it’s not gas.

[MimzMum]

No, Sarita, no rumbling…his tummy was tight, not doughy like it should be. He had another episode of it about 8 this morning, I found him all hunched over and I could barely get him to let me give him some simethicone. It seems to be coming on 8 hours or so after the chloramphenicol is administered.
I reposted about this in Q&A. We’re adding Reglan now, but I need more advice.

[Sarita]

I imagine that the combo of drugs is causing an upset stomach.

[Sarita]

Are you still syringe feeding him?

[MimzMum]

He was taking the Critical Care and pellets slurry without syringe feeding. (I think the smell of the CC was too strong for him. He’s turned his nose up at it since then.) Plus he’s having a little bit of green leaf lettuce and a few carrot slivers right now, so he’s also been eating those at least.
Hubby’s getting better veggies today, this is the last of my greens for now.

[Sarita]

Oh that’s good that he’s eating! When was his dental done again? Was it Friday?

[MimzMum]

Yes, Friday. Geez it sure seems longer than just that…lol.

[BinkyBunny]

I know that Rucy’s stomach would get a bit upset if it was empty when i would administer meds. So I tried to make sure that i gave meds after I gave her critical care (unless she ate on her own). That did seem to help. I know with his decreased appetite that this may be harder to achieve but if you are able this may help.

Regarding the critical care – no wonder you’re a nervous wreck – between worrying if it should not be too “watery” and now in this thread being told by your vet that it shouldn’t be too thick it —geesh—seems you are doomed if you do and doomed if you don’t.   I also have never heard of critical care causing a problem as normally, even when it’s thick, it has more fluid then even pellets, but I do understand that as the critical care soaks up the water, it can thicken quite a bit. So when I make mine, I normally stir it up, but then I wait a couple of minutes. It’s kind of like how oatmeal reacts (thickens as moistures soaks in), and then I can add more water if it’s too thick. I have been told that the consistency of pea soup is good as better to err on the side of having more fluid intake is better. But again, sounds like your vet has definite opinions about this and she may have more reason than we fully know about so it may be best to get consult her and confirm the details.

I’m heading over to your other post about Mimz.now to get further updates on what is going on)

[Lintini]

Glad to hear he’s eating! {{{{vibes}}}}

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