Had to take Chase to the ER vet.

[Amy27]

Chase had a huge bladder stone removed 3 months ago and it is back and just as big. My biggest concern right now is how am I going to prevent this. We can't do this every 3 months. It is about $1000 plus the pain the poor bun is in.

The stone was cultured and came back as calcium. Her diet has been changed, she is getting only purified water, increased exercise, better treats, better litte, and added water bowls in addition to the 2 water bottles the bunnies have. What am I or the vet missing.

I want to make sure that this time around additional testing is done to see why it came back. I don't think it is due to her diet and not being able to pass the calcium. Could it be an infection? Or kidney problems?

I trust my vet but this time I want to make sure I am knowledgable enough to make sure the tests are being done to prevent this.

Does anyone have any ideas of things I need to make sure are done?

Thanks to everyone here. You guys have been so helpful through all of this.

 

[polly]

I wish I could be helpful to you but I have never come across this. I think you are right to ask for additional testing it does seem as if its come back really quickly.

I hope your bun is ok though

 

[Amy27]

Thanks Polly. I am really a mess. I can't believe this is happening. I feel so bad for Chase. She looks so sad and is so uncomfortable. I think the pain meds they gave her didn't do much.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Disappointed to hear that the red urine was actualized as a bladder stone
Perhaps PM Randy?
Hugs to you and Chase... This is really tough on you guys.:hug:

 

[Haley]

Im so sorry to hear it really was blood. Your poor little girl!

Did the vet do a blood panel? I wonder if it could be a bigger problem like kidney or bladder disease.

Heres a good article on bladder stones/sludge: Veterinary Partner

And theres more info in our library here: Urinary Problems

Also, be sure to check out this thread: Luna's Kidney Stones. There is a whole lot of good info there- including a very comprehensive and informative post by Randy. Luna's stones are in her kidneys but the treatments/advice would be very similar.

I hope Chase is well soon. Did you have the surgery done today then? Im so sorry you guys have to go through this

 

[ra7751]

This sounds like one of those that is like a jigsaw puzzle....you have a lot of pieces that need to fit together to come up with a diagnosis.

Medically, get a full CBC with a titer for EC. I would be very interested in seeing what his values are overall. EC spores in the kidneys will cause a reduction in their efficiency and will result in a concentrated urine.

I am also interested in "Purified Water"....is this a purchased water or is it filtered in your home. The reason I ask, I would think about having it tested for mineral content.

And some rabbits, like people (and as I have mentioned previously from personal experience)are prone to sludge and/or stone formation. In the meantime....lots of water. Keep the kidneys and bladder flushed out. I suspect this would be a time that supplemental fluidsmight be of value.

As Haley mentioned, I think Luna's thread might give you some valuable information.

Randy

 

[Maureen Las]

I am so sorry that this is another stone ..poor Chase and you

 

[jcl_24]

I'm sorry to hear about this. I just read your earlier post and wondered what the trouble was, then saw this update. Poor sweet Chase. I know it must be a worrying time for you.

Wishing Chase a speedy recovery from this :rose:

Jo xx

 

[Amy27]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Sorry it took me so long to get back. Chase had the bladder stone removed yesterday and it was a crazy day. She is not bouncing back as quickly this time.

This time around I had the vet to the CBC with EC titer, a urine sample and she took a sample of the bladder. All the results should be back in 10 days.

I asked her about the things you guys mentioned or I read in the links. She said I could give sub q injections but she wants to wait until her stitches are out. She also said it can be hard to give the injections because you have to do it slowly. She told me it would take about 15 min to give one injection. She recommended once a week. I want to do it every other day. She said I could try cranberries but only fresh ones because dry ones cause constipation. I asked about urine tests once a week so we can see when it changes and has a lot of minerals in it. She said we could do that but even if we see the minerals there isn't anything we can do to stop the stone from forming.

I am really frustrated because she hasn't come up with anything to help Chase. These are all ideas I have gotten from here. I am making an appointment for Chase to see another rabbit specialist. She is suppose to be really good. I will wait until the test results are back so I can take them also.

Another thing that hit me really hard was she said that Chase's bladder won't take much more of this. So what am I suppose to give up? I am not sure what she meant by that and was so taken back by the comment I didn't know what to say. She said her bladder is very thick.

ra7751 Usually I use filter water in the home. Once in a while I will use bottled water. Is one better then the other? I have looked into getting my water tested and I think Sears does it for free so I will try to take a sample up there. If I take a sample should I take my regular water or after it has gone through the filtration or both?

I don't think Chase drinks much. I have tried flavored water, pedialyte and blending his favorite greens until they are liquified and she won't touch any of it. I am not sure how else to increase her water intake except through a syringe.

Thanks everyone.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Glad to hear you've got someone more rabbit-savvy lined up.
I hope Chase's recovery begins to improve!

It is only a small thing, but if you were to soak her veggies in water, they will absorb more to some degree...
You can get frozen cranberries in the grocery store, I presume?

 

[Sabine]

I am so sorry to hear that the red urine turned to be much more serious than i would have thought. I have no useful advice not having had to deal with illness yet but i hope she recovers really soon.

 

[Maureen Las]

How is Chase??

 

[Amy27]

NorthernAutumn I have been soaking the greens for 30 minutes. I have been doing that for a couple months now. I do think that has helped Chase increase her water intake because she loves her greens. Do you think they will absorb more if I let them soak longer?

I am not sure about the cranberries. I am glad you mentioned the frozen section I wouldn't have thought to look there. I have never bought cranberries before because I hate them.

Angieluv Chase is doing good but not as well as last time. She is eating and pooping but not much drinking or urinating which the vet said could happen because right now it is painful. I have been giving her greens soaked in water so I know she is getting some water intake. She is still sitting around not moving. She was grinding her teeth today so I just got back from the vet with a stronger pain med and hopefully that will help her.

Sabine thanks for thinking about Chase.

 

[Amy27]

That is Chase stone that was removed. Sorry it isn't the best picture. It is a lot different then the last one but I don't have that one since they sent it off to be analyzed.

Here is my poor Chasers not feeling well before surgery.

 

[naturestee]

Poor Chase.

Has your vet ever tested her for urinary tract infections? I don't know the whole history, but I haven't seen any mention of antibiotics being given. It seems to be a pretty common cause for stone formation.

Cranberries are great. The acidity may or may not affect rabbit urine depending on which article you're reading, but it has been shown to have mild antibacterial properties for the urinary tract. It won't treat an existing infection but it may help prevent one. And it's high in antioxidants to keep your bunny from rusting! (dumb science nerd joke) You can usually find them in the freezer year-round. I just feed them straight from the freezer and my buns like them quite a bit. They're lower in sugar than most fruits too so you don't have to getworried about too much sugar.

She doesn't have much time, but pm Treasured Friend about how her vet treated her bun's bladder stone. It was huge, bigger around than my thumb! That was last summer and as far as I know the bun has been doing well since with dietary changes + cranberries.

I hope the better pain meds help Chase feel more comfortable. What is she getting?

 

[Amy27]

naturestee The vet has never tested Chase for a urinary tract infection. Last time the stone was removed she did give her antibotics after the surgery that she was on for 10 days I think. This time she didn't give her any antibotics just the pain meds.

She is taking Metacam and then today they added Buprenex for two days and then she will go back to just getting Metacam.

I will PM Treasured Friend.

Thanks

 

[naturestee]

Do you remember what the antibiotic was? Was it just a basic Baytril or something?

Buprenex is great stuff. Don't be surprised if she's woozy. Dora could barely sit up straight while she was on it.

How long will she be on Metacam for? It can be rough on the kidneys. Randy, thoughts on Metacam + urinary tract issues?

 

[Amy27]

It was Enrofloxacin.

Thanks for letting me know that about the buprenex. I would have been concerned if she was falling over.

She is on Metacam for 5 days. That is kind of scary it can be rough on the kidneys. I don't want anything else working against us right now.

 

[Amy27]

Chase is still grinding her teeth and it has been about an hour since I gave her the buprenex. Could she still be having that much pain? Should I be concerned?

 

[naturestee]

5 days shouldn't be too bad. From what I know Metacam is mainly a problem when used for longer times.

Chase may not be as woozy as Dora was- she was on it for landing on her head so hard it caused a seizure. But after about two days she had better balance without buprenex than with it. Don't be surprized if Chase just hunkers down and enjoys the high. This is a controlled medication for a reason.