Concerned about inappetence and small fecals...

[Jenk]

I'd like thoughts on what might cause a bun to decrease her hay consumption.

On 11/10/11, our 4.5-year-old Mini Rex, Emma, started showing signs of gut slowdown: smaller fecals. That day, she and our other pets were boarded at the vet's, as we were treating our house for parasites. The vet examined Emma during her stay, noted that Emma's stomach was distended, and began the usual stasis-treatment protocol: Metoclopramide, Metacam (for a few days') and sub-Q fluids.

I'd consented to let the vet treat Emma while she was boarded, but she (the vet) wound up filing a few of Emma's molars, which I didn't want done if there was no sign of damage to Emma's mouth/tongue. I later learned there were no signs of damage but that some molars on one side were stating to tip toward the tongue, per the vet. (The vet wound up trimming Emma's teeth without my consent because she'd called the wrong phone number we'd given her to use that day; thus, she couldn't reach us for several hours and, so, took my consent for treatment to include trimming Emma's teeth.)

Emma did fine the first two days after returning home from the vet's; since then, her hay consumption has greatly decreased, and, so, she's passing smaller fecals again. I'm fearful that she'll go into full-blown stasis if she doesn't start eating more hay. (No, I've not changed hay types/brands on her.) I've been feeding her some Critical Care during the day to supplement her. If things don't improve, I'll be bringing her to an exotics-only vet I used to see. (I hate putting Emma through the 40-minute one-way drive, but it may prove necessary.)


Thank you,

Jenk

 

[BertNErnie]

wow why did the vet do that she should have left her teeth alone if they wasnt a problem? i think you should ask questions! the vets should only do a procedure without consent if it is vital to the animal in question and is life threatening, her teeth were probably not as she was eating properly and should have waited for some contact with you about wether to do the teeth or not.
hope you get answers!

 

[Jenk]

BertNErnie wrote:

wow why did the vet do that she should have left her teeth alone if they wasnt a problem? i think you should ask questions! the vets should only do a procedure without consent if it is vital to the animal in question and is life threatening, her teeth were probably not as she was eating properly and should have waited for some contact with you about wether to do the teeth or not.
hope you get answers!

The pets were being boarded at the vet's that day, and I gave verbal consent that treatment could be done, if the vet agreed that Emma was in early stasis. My meaning, though, was consent for the brewing stasis symptoms only--not something along the lines of tooth trimming. (Note: This consent was given to the receptionist, who'd asked me about it for the vet.)

When I signed the three release forms for the pets' boarding, I wrote down my husband's cell phone number on them, since that was the only way we'd be reachable until 3 pm that day. The vet, by accident, called our home phone at 12 pm and left a voicemail, explaining that Emma's stomach was distended and she had "moderate" points on one side of her mouth. I didn't get the message until we returned home at 3 pm, by which time the trimming had already taken place.

I agree with you that Emma's teeth shouldn't have been trimmed without our verbal consent; on the other hand, I did give consent for treatment without us being present. It was one big mix-up. If only the vet had called the right phone number, this whole situation wouldn't have occurred.


Jenk