Sammy’s Vet Visit – GOOD NEWS!!!!

[Otti]

 So I thought I’d start a new more general thread since the previous one only really mentioned Critical Care issues.

 

Picked up Sammy at the vet a few hours ago and his normal doctor was actually there and was the one to examine him and treat him. I originally was told she was out of the office till next Friday, but apparently not. 

 

Quick Summary: Sammy was diagnosed with some sort of respiratory infection (suspected pasteurella) and a possible abscess last Sunday. He has been on baytril and his sneezing is now almost gone. He is still not eating his hay or pellets though, so he’s on critical care. He is eating some veggies, any treats I give him, and as of yesterday also a lot of his carefresh, so I had to replace it with yellowpage paper and hay.

 

The vet said she took a sample of the suspected abscess tissue with a small syringe and I’ll get results tomorrow about what it is. She said his upper right molars (corresponding to where the bump in his jaw can be felt) had some ‘discoloration’ but that since she didn’t sedate him, she couldn’t get a really good look. She said she didn’t want to sedate him though unless the results came back and she had to ‘lance’ (?) the abscess or his molars.

 

She prescribed Sammy with an appetite stimulant calles Sisiprid (?) or something like that that he takes twice a day like his Baytril. Sammy was not a happy camper having to take his meds when I brought him home, so I developed a new variation of the knee technique which I shall call the knee-cocoon. It involves covering the rabbit that is between your knees with his donut shaped pet bed in order to get a better grip and limit his movement more easily LOL

 

Anyways, hopefully the appetite stimulant will help. The vet said to reduce his Critical Care from 6 tbsps per day to 4, to encourage him to go back on his hay and pellets. He hasn’t lost weight since last Sunday, thankfully.

 

Thanks everyone for all the help and I’ll keep you guys posted!

[Sarita]

Cisapride. It’s really a motility drug more than an appetite stimulate.

Continued vibes to Sammy…let us know what the results are.

[Otti]

Does cisapride make them hyper? Lol I have a very hyper bunny. I hadn’t seen a binky in a few days but he did like 3 in a row today! And he ate almost a full bowl of arugula! yay

[meow1]

awww I’m glad he is feeling better!!

[Beka27]

It sounds like teh vet is doing a good job, and being very comprehensive. Keep at it.

Healing vibes for Sam!

[Otti]

Omg he threw a huge tantrum last night when I put him back in his pen. Trying to climb the walls, jumping on his tent, shaking everything LOL I let him out for another thirty minutes and all he did was jump onto my desk chair and sit there peacefully while I finished watching TV.

I couldn’t get him to eat his critical care this morning but he pooped and peed after I cleaned his litter box. Took the cisapride willingly but for some reason took strong objection to the baytril and had to be knee-cocooned again. LOL Maybe that’s why he wouldn’t eat the Critical care after. If you have access to the webcam link, he’s currently in the middle of his morning hygiene routine LOL

[Otti]

Okay so yesterday Sammy was doing so well with the eating but today not so much. He’s only had maybe 2 tbsps of the critical care but did eat about a cup of arugula. He pooped this morning but his poop was definitely on the small side. He usually poops right before going to sleep so I’ll check that he does.

I had a few feeding questions. He’ll eat kale more willingly than arugula, but it tends to make his pee chalky so I try to limit it. He won’t eat his normal veggies (parsley, cilantro and romaine). He’ll also eat fennel tops really willingly. Any ideas of other veggies to feed him that he might like?

Can I mix the critical care with apple juice? Other appetizing things to mix it with?

Also, he’s taken to obsessively licking the window when he’s out of his pen. Does he like the condensation or something?

The vet is supposed to call me tomorrow morning with the results. Fingers crossed!

[Otti]

A doctor from sammy’s vet office (not one of the rabbit-savvy ones but another since they’re both out) called and said that sammy’s ‘abscess’ sample had too few cells to get a result.

He said that they could take another sample free of charge, but that it might be better to just do surgery and remove the ‘bump’ anyways. I told him that i had been reading about the pen-g option and he said something about how rabbit abscesses are a recurring problem anyways and they’re hard to get rid of.

I have an appointment with one of the rabbit-savvy vets tomorrow morning, and i think i’m still going to insist for the new sample to be taken. However, Sammy’ eating is decreasing and i’ worried about his nutrition and digestion so I don’t know if I should just remove the bump and get it over with. I read the pen-g injections can take weeks or months to show results so not sure if a mor drastic immediate option would be better… Thoughts on what I should ask/do tomorrow at the vet’s?

[meow1]

I’m sorry, I don’t have any advice, as I am way new to all this rabbit stuff, but I just want to say good luck and I hope everything is ok with little Sammy!! Please let us know how the appointment goes!

[Otti]

Hey! I had to take him in today as well because he ate some but no poop so far today that I could tell. He seems his normal self and they gave him sub q fluids again to help him rehydrate and go. Still also have the appointment with the real rabbit vet tomorrow. Have some good news though! I ordered oat hay from bb hoping that he might eat it since he hasn’t eaten hay in a week. He was more interested in the oat hay and had half a strand BUT the really awesome thing was that the February gift was the teff hay and I gave him a handful and he actually ate 5 or 6 pieces!!!! I’m totally ordering some and rushing it over asap.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

AWwww {{Sammy}}

Sounds like the hay was a find! It’s a great feeling when you find a kind they like to eat!

Your vets sound very competent-I think your in good hands

[Beka27]

What do you mean kale makes his pee chalky? Are you sure you’re not just seeing normal, dried rabbit pee? In my experience, the few times my guys have peed outside of the litterbox, it does dry chalky, “oxidizes” I guess. Kale could be perfectly fine for him, and if he’ll eat it, I would suggest giving it.

[Otti]

Hey, just got back from a super-emotional trip to the vet.

Sammy’s vet was pretty straight-up with me, saying his first surgery would be expensive and he might need additional surgeries. He said that if he has to have any teeth removed with the abscess, he could either do fine with that, or have ongoing problems eating from it. He said they’re going to combine the surgery with antibiotic therapy. I didn’t bring up Pen-g injections again for two reasons: Sammy is losing weight too fast to opt for a solution that might not give as quick results, and I’d have to inject him at home, and I can barely give him his meds by mouth, so I don’t think I could do that to be honest. I feel I’d hurt him.

The surgery is set for Tuesday and it is EXPENSIVE. I was thinking 300 maybe 400 dollars but it’s 700… Thankfully, my parents are paying for Sammy’s medical care, but it’s making me feel like a poor excuse for a 26 year old that I can’t cover my rabbit’s medical expenses myself. I would get other quotes but honestly, since this vet knows Sammy, I don’t even know if i have the emotional/mental energy to think about alternatives.

The vet also said Sammy lost more weight. He’s under four pounds now. I had the vet tech show me the exact way to force feed him because there’s just not an option anymore to try to let him eat on his own. The vet did also put him on metacam (and simethicone) so maybe the pain-relief will affect his willingness to eat by himself. Fingers crossed. I just brought him home a half hour ago and gave him the two new meds, so I’m giving him a bit of a break before trying the force feeding again.

My dad said to take him into the vet and have them take care of him for a few days if it starts getting too much for me to deal with. As some of you know, I’m not a U.S. citizen and my whole family is abroad (in Italy) so aside from friends here I don’t have the support of my family in this situation aside from financially.

Beka, Sammy’s pee is always a little chalky but after he eats kale or spinach, it becomes a little more concentrated in chalkiness in spot. It doesn’t look as thick as sludge, but more chalky than normal. I wouldn’t want to give him sludge on top of all the other stuff he has going on. Since I skipped yesterday though, I’ll give him some kale today.

Anyways, thanks everyone for the help and advice. I’ll continue to keep you posted.

[meow1]

hey, don’t feel bad about getting help with finances for your pet! Heck, I’m 28 and my parents have helped me with vet bills when something major has to happen! It does suck that it will be so expensive, but if you and Sammy are comfortable with & trust this vet, then go with it. I would say to try another vet only if you doubt the care Sammy with receive and don’t trust him/her.

Maybe I missed it, but how old is Sammy?

[Otti]

He’s only 9 months. Was hoping he had a few more months of complete healthiness in him LOL

[Otti]

Ugh I’m at my second syringe of critical care of the day and it takes me 20 minutes just to get through one because he always breaks free! He so does NOT like it. I am getting a bit better at it. I don’t think I’m going to get through more than 1 tbsp today and his pen is a mess… going to do yet another load of towels.

[KatnipCrzy]

It is amazing how much Critical Care they are SUPPOSED to get per day.  When Griffin my 9 lb English Lop was not eating and gassy- the vet calculated his CC intake and he needed a pouch a day!!!  Fortunately by the next day he was eating normally and loved the Critical Care so I finished it.  But I have had to syringe feed my other bunny, Schroeder- and clearly he can’t read the back of the bag because he does not want to eat anywhere near 1/2 pouch no matter how many times I feed it during the day- it is a messy struggle.  Hoping not to have to do that again anytime soon.  I was in tears because he won’t swallow it all- and he was frustrated because his belly hurts and I am messing with him.

Good luck with Sammy and just keep up the good nursing care- it can be difficult and they usually are not at all appreciative but it can make all the difference in the world.

[Otti]

It’s funny because he fights me like he thinks I’m killing him, but as soon as I let him out of the towel or down on the floor, he sits down peacefully, looks at me and starts cleaning himself lol Sometimes he even licks my hand mid feeding to try – I think – to convince me to let him down LOL

[LittlePuffyTail]

(((((Vibes for Sammy)))))) Poor little bun.

Your parents are wonderful for helping you with him. My Mom had to help me foot the bill when my cat was hospitalized for a week. It’s horrible how hefty those vet bills can be.

Are they going to test the abscess tissue after they remove it?

It will be hard emotionally for you but we are all here to help you with that! Chin up! You gotta stay positive for Sammy!

[Otti]

Thanks for the vibes and encouragement LittlePuffyTail. I think they are going to test the abscess but I’ll make sure tomorrow when I bring him in.

I have a question for you guys. My mom suggested that I should leave Sammy at the vet after his operation for at least a few days, if not up to this weekend. She’s concerned, as I am, that I won’t be able to force feed him since i’d have to hold his face and he’s going to have sutures in it from the operation.

On the other hand, I’m also worried that he won’t recuperate as fast or as well at the vet’s as he would in the comfort of his own home and with me around for comfort as well.

I’m trying to weight the pros and cons and will also have to ask about cost tomorrow and keep that in mind as well. Any opinions? Have any of you guys had rabbits at the vet for more than just one day and how did they do? Have any of you force fed critical care to a rabbit who had just had surgery on his/her face or jaw?

[Sarita]

Well, what you might consider is picking him up and dropping him off each day for care. I would imagine they don’t have a technician who works overnight.

[Otti]

Okay thanks that’s a useful option to consider and it’s good to know before talking to the vet.

[GrumpyBun]

That sounds like a goo plan to me.

Sorry I’m late onto this thread – many vibes for you and Sammy. Get well soon little man!

[Otti]

Thanks guys! Just spoke with the vet and he agreed that the best plan for Sammy is for him to be home with me at night and at the vet’s office during the day so he can be fed.

The vet couldn’t give me too clear of an idea of how his recovery would be because it depends on how far the infection goes and if any teeth roots are affected… So keep your fingers crossed that it’s the best case scenario!

[Sarita]

I would just keep him in his pen when you get him home so you don’t have to chase him down and you can monitor him. I never liked leaving my rabbits at the vet overnight because there is usually no one there unless it’s an emergency clinic.

When is his procedure?

[Otti]

Yes, I will make sure to keep him in his pen. His surgery is tomorrow morning. I just cleaned his whole pen so i’m ready!

[Otti]

 Just wanted to share, he ate a whole bunch of parsely today (more than shown in the picture), which he hasn’t eaten in a week! I think the metacam is working. He also had a couple leaves of kale, chewed on his straw mat, ate some of his hay cube, drank much more water than usual (with apple juice) and very very begrudgingly was force fed a few times.

[peppypoo]

YAY go Sammy! A stronger bunny means faster surgery recovery…I’m rooting for you little guy! Don’t give your mummy too much trouble 

[Otti]

Yeah he seems better! What’s weird is his abscess seems smaller to the touch too! Is that even possible? Could it just be the baytril or maybe was it just not an abscess at all? I’m going to leave a note with the vet tomorrow letting him know of these changes and I guess the xrays will clear things up either way….

He just left a normal amount of normal looking poop in his litter box and started eating his hay. Gave him more greens and now he’s eating those too!

[Otti]

Okay nevermind his abscess feels the same but he is
eating and pooping more normally

[FluffyBunny]

Glad to hear that he’s feeling a little better!

I’m a bit late with this, but from my experience with it, I don’t think I’d recommend using Penicillin on its own if any abscess is keeping him from eating. It takes at least a couple of weeks for most bunnies to see results, and it isn’t effective at all for some abscesses. If you do give Penicillin, don’t worry about giving the shots at home – when it’s done right, they can barely feel it going in.

[jerseygirl]

That’s a relief. Better he’s eating better before surgery. Hopefully having him under they can discern what is causing the trouble. He does seem young to be developing teeth troubles…I’m wondering if maybe he’s got a foreign body stuck there somewhere? Like a hay splinter or whatever.

Metacam has anti-inflammatory properties so it’s quite possible there was some reduction if it’s a swelling. It could also have swelled again after he used those teeth to eat.
(((Sammy))) Hope it all goes well.

[Otti]

Thanks for vibes everyone! I just dropped Sammy off at the vet and they let me go to the back and set his cage up with his bed, hay, greens, water etc. I’m definitely going to be taking him there during the day until he can eat on his own more or less.

I’ll let you guys know how it went once the vet gives me a call post-surgery. I was encouraged when the metacam made the swelling decrease significantly, because the ‘abscess’ at that point was really tiny, so hopefully most of it is just inflammation. We’ll have a better idea after the xrays, but I did make sure to ask whether the vet was planning on doing a culture on the abscess.

I’ll update soon!

[Otti]

OMG! Best news ever guys!!!

The vet said that none of Sammy’s jaw bone or teeth were involved in the infection. He only had a minor infection in the tissue, most likely cause by being poked by something sharp like hay. He took out the affected tissue and did an antibiotic implant, and he said Sammy should get back to eating normal much more quickly than he had initially thought.

He’ll force-feed him today if he doesn’t eat on his own, and if he still isn’t eating on his own tomorrow, I’ll bring him in again. But I’m just SO happy that no teeth or bone were involved!!!

yay!

[Sarita]

That’s great news :~)

[Elrohwen]

That’s fantastic news! Yay for Sammy!

[LittlePuffyTail]

THAT’S GREAT NEWS!!! I’m so glad for you both! Wishing Sammy a very speedy and uneventful recovery.

[GrumpyBun]

That’s brilliant – so pleased for you! I am also wishing Sammy a very speedy and uneventful recovery.

[Otti]

Thanks everyone for all the help and advice! I can’t wait to hear from the vet how he did with eating today. Hopefully he won’t need to be force-fed much longer

[jerseygirl]

Awesome!

[Otti]

He’s home and ate kale on his own already! The vet also said that he ate hay by himself there but they also gave him some critical care. He seemed to think it unecessary for me to bring him back tomorrow, so I guess I’ll decide based on how tonight and tomorrow
morning go. He’s still a bit annoyed and giving me the stink eye but he’ll get over it. A small part of his face is shaved and he had a few stitches that will need to come out in two weeks but otherwise he’s good!

[Otti]

We have hay eating at home too!!! He just pooped and went for the parsley! Sorry for the play by play but I know you guys will understand! Lol

[peppypoo]

That’s terrific news! Don’t worry about giving us the play by play, I love to read good news…I think many of us know how each little step is a great triumph when we’re worried to death about our babies

[Otti]

Went home during lunch and got him to eat a bunch of kale. He also ate hay on his own. He’s not excited about his parsely and cilantro again yet, and I’m worried about feeding him this much kale cause calcium-rich veggies sometimes make his pee a bit chalkier than normal. I think since it’s the only veggie he’ll really eat very willingly, it offsets the negative effect of his pee getting a bit chalky from it.

[meow1]

That is awesome news! Like Peppypoo said, don’t worry about the play-by-play. You are right-we understand! My husband gets on to me being on here and wonders if you all think I’m crazy! I said no cause they are just as crazy as me (about our baby buns)!!

[Otti]

Yeah I know, I try to keep the rabbit-stuff as on the DL as possible with non-rabbit aficionados as it can come off as kooky for someone to talk endlessly about the frequency/shape of her rabbit’s droppings and every piece of kale he eats LOL

Quick question, do you guys think it’s okay to let Sammy out of his pen tonight? He already seemed antsy from being kept in there yesterday but I wanted to be on the safe side. I might also just call his vet this afternoon to double-check.

[Sarita]

I would let him out if that’s what he wants. Try to keep everything as routine as possible for him.

[Otti]

Okay, he’ll be happy to hear that lol

[RabbitPam]

I also wouldn’t worry about the kale at this point. A few days of eating what he wants instead of not eating as much is better for him. You can introduce other, less strident greens today and see if he goes for it.

[Otti]

Yeah, Sammy took another fun trip to the vet this morning because he started refusing his greens again and only ate a little bit of hay. His poop started getting smaller and less frequent since yesterday during the day, so when he produced the same sad looking poop this morning, it was off to the vet for him!

I tried to force feed him last night, since I was getting pretty good at it, but he must have benefited from the break and he was fighting me like a lion, or more like a raging bull LOL

At the vet, he still fights, but I think he’s so scared that he’s much more meek. The vet tech’s and vet always look at me like I’m crazy when I say I can’t force feed him. I don’t think they get it. He doesn’t just sit there and let me roll him up neatly in a towel when he’s home lol I can barely get his baytril and metacam in him.

Anyways, will let you guys know how it goes and what the vet says.

[Otti]

Just had to share. Sammy ate pellets for the first time in 2 weeks today! And yesterday the vet said his incision already looked amazing! Woo hoo!!!

[LoveChaCha]

Did he enjoy the pellets?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Any Sammy update?

[Otti]

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of recent updates. I was trying to get my life back to normal this weekend after a few very Sammy-centric weeks. My apartment was definitely not to its usual standard of cleanliness and tidiness LOL

I’m happy to report that Sammy is back to normal! In fact, I think he knows he’s lost weight, because he’s not just eating normally, he’s pretty much inhaling anything that I put in front of him. I have to refill his veggie bowl four times a day instead of the usual two, and he’s a hay eating monster (pretty much all he does now all day lol). He’s also eating his normal amount of pellets, begging for treats like a crazy rabbit, and producing an amount of poop sufficient for at least two rabbits I think lol

He has a re-check appointment on Thursday and he’ll either get his stitches out then, or next week. He’s currently only on the Baytril twice a day, and the metacam once every other day.

All there is left to do is hope that he has no reoccurence of the infection, but the vet said he was very confident this should be a one-time thing for him, because none of the bone/teeth were affected.

Thanks so much for all the help and support both from me and from Sammy!

[GrumpyBun]

Yay! Very pleased to hear it (about Sammy that is, not the lack of tidiness – always makes me grumpy having untidiness around)

[LittlePuffyTail]

Glad to hear it. You’ll have a little tubby bunny in no time! Olivia feels that there is nothing wrong with a little extra caboose in the back!

[Sarita]

Great news!

[Otti]

Just a quick update. Came back from Sammy’s post-surgery re-check appointment and the vet said that he’s just amazed at how quickly and well Sammy is recuperating. He gaineda quarter of a pound and is back over 4 pounds (at 4 pounds 1 ounce for now) and the vet said his incision site looks great and the inside of his mouth is back to looking completely normal.  He’s getting his stitches out on the 14/15.

He just went on and on about how fantastic he’s doing, but it’s all music to my ears

I did get some huge foot flicks when I brought Sammy back home though, the highest foot flicks I have ever seen I hope he’ll be over it by when I get back from work lol

[lashkay]

Your good news is uplifting and wonderful to hear! So glad Sammy is pretty much back to normal and doing so well. I’m a sucker for a happy ending…lol

[GrumpyBun]

That’s really good to hear – yay!

[Otti]

Thanks everyone! Sammy is getting his stitches out tomorrow morning and is only on his baytril at this point. Hopefully this is the last he’ll have to go to the vet in a long while!

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