First Aid Kits for Bunnies

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Carasblanco

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Hi Everyone, I was wondering if anyone knows of an OTC remedy for difficulty in breathing that can be given to you bunny before you get her to the vet? Like an antihistimine or steroid spray (OTC) that humans would use. In February I had a rabbitthat I woke up to very early in the morning, to his breathing with an open mouth, and by the time I got him to the vet he died soon after.He was fine with no symptoms the nite before,and I am just trying to think of ways to protect/help my other buns if this happens again(we still don't know what happened to our boy, but speculate he had a hidden infection that spread to his lungs before obvious). Many thanks, if anyone has any ideas!
 
I'll let Haley answer this one, she's dealt with major breathing issues with Max, and others have had experience as well.

But for something coming on that suddenly, I'm not sure it wasa respiratory problem, it could have been a heart issue or other things.

Treatment really is a crap shoot.

There is a way to do CPR on pets, I was just reading that the other day, I'll see if I can find it.

So sorry for your loss. :(



sas

 
Here it is, check it out. (They don't specify rabbits, but the principles are the same).

http://members.aol.com/henryhbk/acpr.html

sas

PS: I've heard that you can give a bunny Benadryl, but that'sjust for allergies, I doubt it will helpan infection-related problem, and it might causea lot of harm if it's a heart or other issue.

If the nasalpassages seem plugged with snot, I believeyou can suction it out with a dropper (?), and treatment with a streamer (or nebulizer) may help.
 
Thanks for your reply Pipp. Iwill add the Bendryl to my first aid kit, and will get a steamer or nebulizer. He did havesomething coming out of his nose, and wascoughing upsomething brownish too about every20 minutes. He was less than a year old and I don't think it was his heart, I think it was a hidden infection, and he must not have been well but I didn't see it until he woke me with his coughing andopen mouth breathing that nite.Another one of my buns bit him about 2 weeks previous to this , butit didn't seem serious at all, and I didn't take him to the vet, but I thinkthat must be what happened, he got an infection that then spread to his lungs after a couple weeks. The thing is tho he seemed fine,was eating, playingand binkying, but that nite got the sudden (seemingly) respiratory problem. I just feelthatif I had been able to attend to him somehow withsomethingto help his breathing until I got him to the vet that he might have been saved. I also think I should have taken him to theemergency vet instead of waiting formy vet to open in the morning, but my last emergency vet visit with myfirst bun was horrible, and hedied there, with a blockage, while I was waiting there for 5 hours just to have him seen(not their fault, they just had a lot of emergencies that terrible nite) Its so hard when we lose are babies andare so helpless it seems... but thanks so much for your info, and kind words.Cara
 
Carasblanco wrote:
... Iwill add the Bendryl to my first aid kit, and will get a steamer or nebulizer. He did havesomething coming out of his nose, and wascoughing upsomething brownish too about every20 minutes. He was less than a year old and I don't think it was his heart, I think it was a hidden infection, and he must not have been well but I didn't see it until he woke me with his coughing andopen mouth breathing that nite.Another one of my buns bit him about 2 weeks previous to this , butit didn't seem serious at all, and I didn't take him to the vet, but I thinkthat must be what happened, he got an infection that then spread to his lungs after a couple weeks. The thing is tho he seemed fine,was eating, playingand binkying, but that nite got the sudden (seemingly) respiratory problem. I just feelthatif I had been able to attend to him somehow withsomethingto help his breathing until I got him to the vet that he might have been saved. I also think I should have taken him to theemergency vet instead of waiting formy vet to open in the morning, but my last emergency vet visit with myfirst bun was horrible, and hedied there, with a blockage, while I was waiting there for 5 hours just to have him seen(not their fault, they just had a lot of emergencies that terrible nite)...

I'm not recommending Benedryl for a first aid kit at all, although maybe for a 'second aid' kit once it's clear what the problem is. The heart and lungs are connected so as far as I know coughing up fluid fromthe lungs can still be a sign of heart problems, although somebody can correct me if I'm wrong.

Where was the bite? You might be right about the infection.It really sounds like clearing his airway may have bought him a few more minutes, but it honestly was unlikely to have saved his life. Infections can't be treated with immediate results, and once toxins are coursing through the body, I would assume thatmultiple organ failure is well underway.

And it was a gamble, but I would have made the same choice re: the vets. I've seen many non-bunny-savvy ER vets do more harmthan good. Your previous experience re: having to wait would seal that decision.

I think the only thing to do in this case istowrite a note to Mother Nature asking her to please re-design bunnies to show symptoms of illnessbefore they're critical. :(

:sosad

sas :hug2:
 
Thanks so much for your reply Pipp, that all makes a lot of sense.I'm thinking in terms now of some sort of early (earlier anyway)warning signs of ill health -maybe thru monitoring their temperature, or weight (by the ounce), and getting a stethoscope to check forinternal sounds. Will be looking intothat, and preventative care more closely to see whatcan be done. I know all too well, as I'm sure many of us do, that the reality is that its just too late when they showtheir illness esp. if repiratory. Thanks again, you really are so helpful!! xx Cara


 
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