Rose needs help!!

[BunnyLiz]

Im not home, ill be home late tonight if possible but my mom called and told me that Rose didnt eat her morning salad.  She didnt notice till late afternoon because she wasnt home.  I told her to give her the afternoon pellet meal, change the litterbox so we can track that, give fresh water, and offer a small really wet salad, and offer a papaya tablet.  Did i miss anything?  She ate most of the pellets (she always always finishes all pellets and all salads quickly) and toke a few dandilion greens hand fed.  Toke the papaya tablet too.  Filled her litter box with her favorite hay and my mom said she munched a bit on that too but Rose absolutley loves hay so its wierd that she didnt eat all of it because its a treat hay that she only gets a small handful of each day.  Im not there so i obviously dont know how her body language is and my mom doesnt know that stuff.  Im thinking give a dose of gas meds?  I have some in my bun aid kit at home but i dont remember dosage.  So i need some help with how much to give her.  She is 9-10 pounds, cant remember which.  I have it in my files at home, but the file cabinet is locked and i have the key with me so thats not helpful.  Any help and vibes would be great!!

[Beka27]

She can give .5 cc to start. There is no risk of overdosing on simethecone, so it won’t hurt to give it. It’s good that she is eating something tho. When Meadow has had gas-like episodes in the past, she would not eat anything, no pellets, no papaya tablet, nothing. It can be given every 2-3 hours with no problem, so she might want to give another dose before she goes to bed. Will your mom feel comfortable giving it to her?

[BunnyLiz]

Thank you Beka!! Hopefully my mom will be ok with giving it to her, wont hurt to ask her. But she is a tiny bit afraid of Rose lol. Ill probably have to call and talk her though it.

[BunnyLiz]

Whats the best way to give meds? Can you trance them and do it that way? that would be easy

[Beka27]

Wow, she’s ten pounds?! I’m an experienced rabbit person and I have to admit, I’d be a bit hesitant about giving meds until I got used to her size too. ;o) My biggest rabbit is just over 5.

For medicating the way I find easiest is to restrain on a high countertop or tabletop and kind of hunch over them in an awkward football hold, if that makes any sense. Others do it on the floor with the bun wedged betw/ their legs. If she’s still feeling kind of okay, I’m not sure how well she’ll take being medicated. When Mead needs gas drops, she’s usually so out of it, she barely puts up a fight. If Mike is home, we’ve put her on the coffee table before and he lays over her gently with his chest and I hold her head and lift up the side of her mouth with my left hand, put meds in with my right.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Any update? {{Rose}}

[BunnyLiz]

Rose seems fine now. Ate a acceptable amount of hay, all her evening salad and another half of a papaya tablet. An okay amount of poos scattered in her cage, why would they be in the box?! Poos are her business and she will put them where she pleases! Her WSP are all swelled to, so she peed. Her behavior seems normal too, lots of thumping. So I think we are in the clear! yay!

Lol yea she is a big girl. As much as i hate to admit it, i was scared of her for a few weeks after bringing her home. She wasnt, and still isnt, a sweet lovey bunny so i was a bit scared to handle her. The first time i heard her thump i was afraid. Hammer was all i ever knew and he was cute little and sweet, his thumps were dainty and seemed like a joke. But Rose’s thumps mean business lol. On top of her size, her foster mom warned me that she has her own mind and will speak out, that she had a temper and attitude. So i was anxious for a while!!

[BunnyLiz]

Something is wrong!!! I had to leve this morning and just left Roses salad in her cage without thinking, i just got home and she wont even take hand fed veggies. She didnt eat it and its almost one now. She didnt eat much hay, if any and wont eat pellets either. Looks like her head may be a tiny bit tilted and she is leaning on things for support it looks like. Im on my way to the vet asap.

[Beka27]

Okay. Let us know immediately what the vet says.

(((((ROSE)))))

 

I emailed the other leaders so they can come by when you get back and update.

[BunnyLiz]

Okay im breathing again, i was freaked out all the way up there. She has a bad respitory infection, belly was completely empty and she is dehydrated. They put her on an IV to give her a bunch of fluids and a penicillin shot and critical care. She has one shot of penicillin a day for 4 more days and critical care every few hours until she is eating on her own. If she isnt eating on her own by Tuesday morning they want her back in there. Im happy with my vet, the exotic expert was not there but they still toke me. And i asked about emergency visits and they do those everyday at any hour. All i have to do is call the emergency hotline. Stinks that my vet is so far away but im happy that they will always take me. Its penicillin thats poisonous to rabbits if given orally right? They didnt seem to know anything about that, but i seem to remember that. So if im right, wipe the shot area after, just to make sure she wont be licking any excess off? Hammer went with her to the vet, both for moral support and in case it was something he might have caught too. He really helped her out, he snuggled and rested his head on her, seemed protective and supportive. She liked having him too, she was leaning into him most of the time. Ill change her litterbox often to make sure she starts going and keeps it steady.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

{{{{Rose}}}

Awww your vet is awesome-an emergency hotline! Fantastic Keep us posted! *hugs*

[KatnipCrzy]

aww… sounds like Hammer was comforting his lady.  Sounds like you got a great vet even though they are not the primary exotic doc.  You are right Penicillin injections are fine (and commonly used) but it is not OK orally- so it is a great idea to wipe the area afterwards.  And it sounds like the vet had all the stuff they needed to treat Rose- Critical Care, etc.

Keep us updated and I hope she feels better soon.

[Beka27]

Thank goodness you were able to get in. I didn’t even think earlier today that it was Sunday (my days have been mixed up all week…)

[BunnyLiz]

Yea, i was super grateful for speeding actually. We made it there less then 10 minutes from the cut off point, when it would have been considered an emergency and racked up the bill a lot more. And thanks for the hugs KK!!

Rose is due for another critical care dose soon so ill let you guys know how she does with that and if she poos any after that.

[BunnyLiz]

Its not looking good guys.  I gave her the critical care but she didnt swallow it really.  It just ran back out of her mouth.  Im thinking some might have gone down but really not sure.  No sign of poops yet either.  She isnt reacting to anything i do.  Ive been holding her off and on (more on then off) and she doesnt seem to mind at all.  Doesnt really seem to notice for that matter.  I can lay her on her side, in loaf position etc and she doest fight it.  So i guess ill just keep holding her, and hope for her to turn this around.  She is kind of lifeless (i hate to say it but best i can think of to describe it),  she hasnt even moved out of her litterbox on her own, she just lays in it and doesnt move.

[BunnyLiz]

Would it hurt to force feed a little water? Im thinking it would only help, but does the critical care already have enough? If it does i wont give any water, dont want to stress her any more then needed.

[BunnyLiz]

O great!! Just perfect, a thunderstorm. Rose is terrified of those!!

[BunnyLiz]

Nope i just checked the weather. Its a tornado warning, even better then a thunderstorm!!

[Scarlet_Rose]

BunnyLiz – Call your vet now for a consult, this is not good that your bun is listless – a small number of rabbits are (like me) allergic to penicillin and go into anaphylactic shock and ask what the symptoms are.  Listlessness can be one of them.

Have you tried a tummy massage and getting some pedialyte in her – if not you may need to do sub-Q fluids.  Have you tried different consistencies of critical care?

FYI - You are correct that it can kill a rabbit if given orally but injections are O.K.

[Scarlet_Rose]

BunnyLiz – Which vet did you take your rabbit to? Dr. Labondie & Guerrera are the best but are in Denver & Broomfiled respectively.

Here is a listing of rabbit savvy vets:

http://www.coloradohrs.com/vet.asp?whichvets=2#emlist

Here is a listing of Emergency Vets:

Possible Emergency Rabbit Veterinarians (Evenings & Weekends)
Boulder: Call to see if vet on duty knows rabbits Boulder Emergency Vet Clinic 1658 30th St Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 440-7722	Denver:   *Alameda East Veterinary Hospital Alameda East Veterinary Hospital – 24 hr ER 9770 E. Alameda Av. Denver, CO 80247 303-366-2639

First and foremost call the vet, you can give the Colorado HRS a call as well:

I copied this from their emergency web page (http://www.coloradohrs.com/emergency.asp)

Domestic (“Pet”) Rabbits
If your rabbit gets sick when the regular rabbit veterinarians are closed, and you can’t find an emergency vet who knows rabbits, don’t despair!  You can call the Colorado HRS 24-hour Health Line.

BUNNYLIZ – Please e-mail me privately with your location information (if you are comfortable with it)- I may be able to put you in touch with the right people to help you.

 

Call the numbers in the order listed. If you don’t reach a human, leave a message at each number, including your phone number – spoken slowly, twice. Wait 10 minutes and repeat the calls. Hopefully, someone at one of the numbers will either answer your call or get back to you quickly.

These people are volunteers and have jobs and families of their own. They attempt to be available 24-7, but can’t always guarantee this.

Please be considerate of our volunteers. If you are not a member of the Colorado House Rabbit Society, a donation to the organization would be greatly appreciated.

If you have taken your rabbit to a veterinarian and need help with nursing tasks, we can explain how to give a pill, etc. Again, call our 24-hour Health Line. We can also provide nursing care for $15 per day, if you are unable to provide it yourself. For more information concerning non-emergency medical care, you may find our medical articles of interest.

One case where you definitely should call us for advice is if your rabbit has head-tilt which has progressed to the point where the rabbit is tumbling. We have developed nursing techniques which will help both you and your rabbit.

[MooBunnay]

I am so sorry to hear about what is going on with Rose. If there is a tornado warning I know you may not be able to get out to the vet if they aren’t letting people get out on the roads. Just try to comfort Rose as much as possible, it sounds like you really need to get her to a vet as soon as you are able too. I’ll keep you and Rose in my prayers and I hope that you she is doing better soon.

[BinkyBunny]

Oh, No! What a rollercoaster ride. I agree to consult with your vet and/or the 24 hour hotline. When a rabbit gets lethargic, it’s an emergency. I’m sending healing vibes!!!

Keep us updated!

[BunnyLiz]

Thanks Scarlet, but im in Kentucky. I dont think its shock from the penicillin thankfully, i looked it up and she only seems listless and none of the other signs. All the same I did call my vets emergency line, which turns out to be absolutely no help. Its a personal number to one of the vets but got voice mail. All it said was leave a message and ill get back real soon. Called a few times but got the same thing and havent heard back. She had 5 teeny tiny poos, no pee yet. She was on the couch with me and moved a little, revealing the little poos. Never been so happy to see some poops in my entire life!! There was one dosage of critical care recently that i think she ate at least half of. And ive been giving her a little syringe of pedialyte pretty often. About every half hour. Being at school tomorrow is going to be so hard, worrying about her, wish i could skip! But i convinced an aunt to stop by half way through my school day and give her some pedialyte and Critical care, hopefully that will be enough because i cant get her to stay all day with her. But there is no way im sleeping tonight, I cant even bear leaving the room without her.

[BinkyBunny]

I think all of us who have been through bunny illness, understand the “Poop Celebration”. LOL

Oh, I also meant to mention that it is normal when feeding critical care to get half of it all over them and you. A vet tech once told me to make it a little more soupy/watery to help with hydration. I also feed in very small increments, just enough to go in their mouth give her time to eat a bit, then a little more, etc. Even with that it will still sort of get all over the place. I have about 1/4 more in the feeding syringe because I know at least that will be all over the place.

If she is the same in the am, could your Aunt take her to the vet for you?

[jerseygirl]

Liz, I’m sorry things had worsened. I thought she was all thru it from your previous post way back at start of thread. So healing vibes from me to your Rose. You really know your stuff too with the penicillin! I think it’s a good move to have Hammer nearby too. It should comfort her and they’ll likely form a closer bond. Must be worrisome seeing your feisty Rose this way.
Hope she improves overnight. ((((Rose))))

[BunnyLiz]

Only fellow bunny people can understand a poop celebration haha. Ive fed CC (im gonna start calling Critical care CC, its easier!) to my rats before so i was expecting a mess but not this messy. She doesnt really eat it, its hard to describe. I have to almost tickle a certain spot in her mouth to make her kind of mouth at the food and then some goes down. But if i cant get her to do that, or bite the syringe, then it just sits in her mouth mostly until i wipe it off. If she isnt doing any better by morning i dont know what ill do. My aunt cant take her to the vet, and my mom wont let me skip to take her. If she is worse Im definitely skipping anyway, but hopefully it wont come to that.
Jersey, I really thought she was over it too, and it was just a random thing. Guess the lesson is dont dismiss any signs and always head to the vet asap, even when your unsure that something is even wrong. And yea its real scary seeing her this way, ive never even seen her lay down completely, always loafed or flopped, and now all she is doing is laying flat as a pancake.

[BunnyLiz]

Rose didnt make it.  I just felt like she wasnt going to be any better by morning, and was calling around when she jumped up and ran to my lap.  Thanks for your help all the same though

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

OH NO!! Bunnyliz!! *Big HUGS* I’m so sorry!!

She had such a good home and a good life with you. It shows how much she loved you that she came to you to pass, and she died in your loving arms. I don’t think anybunny could ask for more in life or more comfort in their last hours then you gave her.

Binky free Rose

[KatnipCrzy]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss….hugs to you and Hammer.

[Sarita]

I’m so sorry – hugs to you and Hammer from me too.

[kralspace]

omg, I’m so sorry BunnyLiz. You and Rose tried so hard. Our prayers and bunny hugs to you and Hammer

binkie free Rose

[Beka27]

Oh Liz. I am so sorry. I really wish this would have turned out differently. You did everything you could to give her a wonderful home, she was loved and very well taken care of by you. I am sure she was comforted by your presence in her last moments. Hugs to you and Hammer.

Binky Free Rose.

[bunnyluvr]

I am so sorry she is gone. You did your best for her. Let Hammer help you thru this hard time, look at his fuzzy face and you will smile . Binky free beautiful Rose!

[KitD]

Oh no! I’m so sorry for your loss. It is such a helpless feeling, but try to take comfort in that she knew you were there trying everything we poor humans can do. {{BunnyLiz and Hammer}}

Binky hardy and whole, Rose!!

[LilynJestersMama]

Aww, I am so sorry to hear about Rose…..she was right where she needed to be, in your arms. Wishing you strength during this sad time. Thinking of you and Hammer.

[jerseygirl]

Edit:  I transferred my post to the Support section.  Seemed more fitting there….  Binky Free Rose!

[MimzMum]

OMG, Liz, no, not Rose! ;_; I had been popping in and out of this thread when you first put it up, but I thought all had been settled with her. I am so, so sorry this has happened. ((((((((((((((BunnyLiz))))))))))))))))

I’ll go light a candle for her. I am so sorry, dear.

[BinkyBunny]

There is now a thread started about this in the support forum  https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/forumid/16/postid/102241/view/topic/Default.aspx

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