More problems with Belle.

[ChandieLee]

I don't know why stuff keeps happening, but here we go:

There is fur missing from around Belle's mouth... and it seems like the skin around theremay be flakey. Belle won't let me get a close enough look. I tried to take pictures, but trying to keep a bun still and take pictures of her mouth is not easy. No one is here to help me with that at the moment. She has been grooming her face obsessively over the past couple of days, but I thought maybe it was due to the fact that she's molting...

I haven't been home all day, so I haven't seen if she's eaten or drank anything yet, but I'm keeping an eye on that now.

 

[Maureen Las]

There is a possibiliity that this could be rabbit syphyllis ..now don't freak out because humans cannot catch it from rabbits and it is extremely treatable and very common.

you should take her to the vet
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=15018&forum_id=10

 

[naturestee]

I actually wonder if it might be a fungal infection. I know that can happen if the skinstays too wet. How well is she able to groom her face? I don't remember how much her tilt is still affecting her.

Syphilis is a possibility too- check her genitals. Although they can have sores in one spot and not the other. Usually syphilis will look like aswelling or an open sore. If that's what it is, it's easily treated with a few penicillin shots.

Poor Belle (and you!) just can't get a break.

 

[ChandieLee]

Belle's tilt isn't actually all that bad, so she's very capable of grooming her face; she actually does it very often.



I checked her genital area (and found that her scent glands were over due for a cleaning :vomit but I didn't find any swelling or sores, but, I did find that there was some very slight pealing of the skin around her genitals.

I read that Rabbit Syphilis was contracted from the rabbit's mother- however, Belle's just about 2 years old... is it normal for signs to show up this late?

 

[naturestee]

My foster mama bun doesn't show any symptoms, but so far two of her babies have. It can go for a long time without symptoms I guess.

Although if all you're seeing is a bit of peeling skin I wouldn't think syphilis. Maybe mites or fleas? Try to get a really good look at her skin in other areas- ears, body, legs, etc and see if there are more spots with peeling/dandruff.

 

[ChandieLee]

She won't let me get a really good look at her- she keeps getting frustrated and kicking at me- I've decided to bring her to the vet tomorrow anyway- she always cooperates with the vet.

I know we don't have fleas- anytime in the past when our dogs or cats had fleas, I'd get eaten alive, which hasn't happened.

One other thing I realized- Belle has been sitting in her carrier for most of the night- the carrier that we use to bring her to the vet. She knows that when she's sick, she gets put into that carrier, and brought to some lady who pokes her and prods her and gives her stuff that she doesn't want- yet in the end she ends up feeling better.... I think Belle may be trying to tell me something.

I'll definitely be calling her vet first thing in the morning.

 

[ChandieLee]

Sorry it took so long for me to update- been having some internet troubles.

I wasn't able to get Belle in on Wednesday like I hoped... which is the day she stopped eating again... so I had been syringe feeding her up until today, when I got her into the vet... and she's been hospitalized again.

Belle's back teeth have become too long and very pointy (there's a word the vet used for that, but unfortunately, I can't remember it.) so, the back of her mouth is all cut up bloody. I've been told that they have to put her under anesthetics and file her back teeth down. And depending on how well this goes, and if Belle starts eating and pooping again, I may not be able to bring her home until Monday.

I remember reading somewhere that using anesthetics on rabbits usually isn't a good idea because alot of rabbits don't make it...? I was wondering whether that was true or not.

 

[naturestee]

Poor girl! Maybe tooth problems were causing her to drool and the wetness around her mouth caused the fur to fall out? I've heard of that before. Can't believe I didn't think of it.

As long as the vet knows how to anesthetise rabbits there really isn't much danger. Of course in any animal it's more complicated if they are ill or older. But the main problem with anesthetising rabbits is mostly about theexperience of the vet.

My bun Loki has molar spurs too. He's actually going in for a dental check next week and he'll probably have to get them ground down again. Does Belle eat much hay or veggies? Those usually help molars to wear down evenly.

 

[ChandieLee]

Maybe she was drooling...hmm. I could see how that would cause the fur to fall out, but would it cause the skin around her mouth to be kinda flakey?

The vet is very rabbit savvy... she's done this with rabbits before, and they've all made it through the anesthesia... but she also told me that there's the off chance that a rabbit may not make it. That's why I'm worried.

Belle really won't eat hay. She more or less just likes to throw it around and make a huge mess, lol. As far as veggies go, she only likes lettuce and sometimes celery. She turns her nose up to everything else.

Belle is my diva, lol.



She went into surgery earlier this morning, maybe about an hourago... atleast, she was supposed to. I'm waiting for a call from her vet to see how everything went. I'll update when I know more.

 

[Maureen Las]

ray:Know you're worried but she probably will be fine.

 

[ChandieLee]

Sorry for the late update; again. Belle's vet had to trim more teeth than she thought she would. :?But she mad it through the anesthesia alive.

I brought Belle home yesterday, even though she wasn't eating or pooping yet. They sent her home with Baytril, Lactulose, Propulsid and Meloxicam. I'm also to syringe feed her four times a day. I've also been told that if she doesn't star pooping today, I need to bring her to the emergency vet. Well guess what? It's 10:00 a.m here, and she hasn't pooped yet. I've syringe fed her, and she even ate a bit of lettuce last night, but no poop. What can I do to get her to poop? I believe that's what the Laculose should be doing, since it is a laxative, but I don't know....

And about the emergency vet, there could be a problem; I just paid about $400 on Belle's vet visit yesterday, so needless to say, I'm kind a broke. The fee at the emergency vet is something like $130-$180. :?There's also the transportation; my father will be gone all day, and the emergency vet is a few towns away, and it takes about a half hour to get there from here... well, depending on traffic and which way you go, etc.

This is why I'm asking if there's anything I can try to do to get her to poop... if anything, I'll have to bring her, even though there are two huge "obstacles" in the way. I'll have to find a way. I'm not going to sit here and ler her suffer, I can promise her and everyone here who has been kind enough to help us. I just want to do anything I can before it gets to that point.


ETA; I know simethicone is good for gas issues.... should I try giving her simethicone and tummy rubs?

 

[Maureen Las]

start givine her pedialyte and water or if you don'thave pedialyte just give her water with a syringe if she won't drink on her own

also try some wet greens
also may be syringe her canned pumkin with out spices in it ..it has a lot of fiber.
mix up things she likes in a blender and try to give her something she likes in a syringe
try to think what she likes and how you can get that into her in a soft form

i have to go to the shelter now so I hope this works

 

[ChandieLee]

Hmm. Belle is quite picky when it comes to food. She likes lettuce, and pellets... she really won't eat hay. She used to... I don't know why she doesn't now. I'm going to try and give her some wet greens. I think there are still some dandelions growing out in the yard; would that be okay for her?

Also, I had to keep Belle in a seperate cage than Necro so I could tell if she was eating her lettuce and pooping. Could being seperated from Necro be causing her stress enough not to poop? I put the cages next to eachother so they could still be "together."

As of now, she still hasn't pooped. :?

 

[Maureen Las]

If they told you to bring her in if she hasn't pooped in 24 hrs...maybe you should try to get her in today.
Did she eat the wet greens?
are you syringing her fluids?

 

[ChandieLee]

I've been syringing her fluids, plus critical care. She won't eat the wet greens. I saw like two tiny jagged looking poops. I'm not sure whether that's good enough progress though... Should I try to ge her in regardless of the two tiny poos that I saw? Or should I wait and see if she poos some more??

 

[Maureen Las]

geez
I don't know whether you took her or not..

2 jagged poos is a beginning

if you didn't take her inkeep giving her fluids. you don't what thecontents in her gut to dry out ..you want her hydrated. amd keep up the CC

 

[ChandieLee]

Sorry for not updating sooner- my internet keeps going in and out. :grumpy:

I never ended up bringing Belle into the Emergency Vet because she started pooping.... but everytime she does, she eats it, so she leaves like no proof that she is pooping.. is that normal? I mean, I know it's normal for her to eat it, but is it normal for her to eat all of it?

 

[Maureen Las]

it's fine that she's eating it..cecals are nutritious for rabbits and most rabbits do eat them.
just keep her drinking and eating and it's very possible that she will keep pooping

 

[ChandieLee]

Just wanted to give an update:

Belle is doing absolutely fine now; eating, pooping, peeing, drinking and everything.

I completely apologize for not updating sooner. I've been having internet troubles over here.