Need some help w/ Stasis

[Bo B Bunny]

Thanks Randy!

You are one of those taster people huh?

LOL cracks me up! I heard someone say they tasted a slurry mix one day and I was like Ewwwww

 

[TinysMom]

Randy,

I thought only vets and chemists could buy those flavorings - did I misread the website?

Peg

 

[JimD]

ra7751 wrote:

....and I can assure you without doubt that Baytril is very nasty tasting...it ranks right up there with metronidazole as being terrible tasting.

I wish I had justHEARD about metronidazole tasting bad.......but noooooo.....I had to go and taste it for myself :yuck

 

[ra7751]

You can't buy them directly from the company but you can from a pharmacy...they do not require a prescription since they are not a drug. We got a supply of the FlavorIt (which is the childrens' home version) from out local Wal Mart. There is a search feature on their site that will show you the pharmacies and veterianary practices that carry their product. Just a quick search shows that Wal Mart, Walgreens, CVS, K Mart and Target carry the human versions.

And Bo B....yep, I'm a taster. Some of those meds, especially the two I mentioned, are nothing short of awful. I wouldn't take it myself tasing like that so why should I expect my bunnies too? Leads to some creative ideas every once in a while.

Randy

 

[Haley]

Peg, if it were my bunny I think I would get some fiber into him if you can. Think of it this way- baby food is sugary and even pumpkin is lacking in fiber compared to hay and pellets. I think I would try getting him some Timothy pellets mixed with something like pumpkin. Im always nervous about the baby foods (that are tasty to bunnies anyway) because of the lack of fiber compared to sugar/carbs.

Keep up the good work though. Im praying for your guy ray:

 

[MsBinky]

Peg, I can't offer any other advice that hasn't been already offered so I just want to say that I hope your bun gets better soon.

As for the tasting... I'm glad to see there are others like me! Lol. Yeah um... don't taste the Baytril. If you think the smell is bad... :yuckI think it would make a great repellant really

 

[TinysMom]

Somebunny just drank about 35 cc of pedialyte. He still doesn't want to take in fiber yet (although when he thinks I'm not looking - he'll sniff at the food and maybe nibble on a piece).

I'll try to be a bit more pushy with him later tonight - but I was THRILLED that he drank so much.

Peg

 

[JimD]

Peg, I've been hanging on this. I think you know what's right for "Somebunnie".

My thoughts.....

With all of the fluids being taken in, it might be okay to try some rolled oatsies....and maybe a few black oil sunflower seeds. Just a bit though!!
Mix them up with the dry pellets and see.
If you've got any alfalfa based pellets, you can try sprinkling a few in with the regular stuff, too.

Hugs and prayers!!

~Jim

 

[TinysMom]

So I'm watching "Dancing with the Stars" and happen to look down and what do I see?

New Hope is CHOWING DOWN on his food. His DRY pellets (which I did put some pedialyte on).

I was going to make him some powdered pellets w/ pedialyte after the show and really push them 'cause I've been trying to not stress him.

I missed the dance - I was so busy crying over watching my guy eat three mouthfuls before he decided to quit for a bit. It looked like he'd been eating a bit before that too.

Then he sat up and started grooming himself and looking at me as if to say, "Why are you crying mommy?"

Peg

 

[JimD]

:cry4:....such a good bunnie!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

AWWWWWW How wonderful! Whata good boy! Washing up after dinner!

I told the vet's office today about how much I've heard bunnies like the bubblegum flavored pedialyte! They thought the same as me YUCK! but thanked me for the info. They always love hearing from people how their bunnies react to flavors.

You all are NUTS! there is no way I am going to taste ANYTHING going into my animals' mouths! LOL! Heck I don't do that with babyfood either...... I know you guys are tasters of that too - you have to be!

 

[TinysMom]

Well, New Hope has celebrated the end of Dancing with the Stars by doing his own dancing and asking to be let out of his container so he can run around and play some....after he got some more of his favorite...Bubble Gum flavored pedialyte.

He took about 10 cc of the pedialyte and was pulling the syringe out of my hand almost to get it fast enough.

He's so thrilled to be running on the floor too...

Keep wishing him luck - still no poops - but we're sure a lot closer than we were before.

Peg

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Excercise always seems to help my boys poo! :X

 

[TinysMom]

Don't know about the exercise helping him poo (I hope it does) - but I did find out why he was dancing...poor guy didn't want to wet his towel.

MAN.....he took a LOT in today - he must've cause he sure put a lot out....

Peg

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Excercise always seems to help my boys poo! :X

 

[TinysMom]

New Hope's "soup" of pellets, pineapple juice and bubble gum flavored pedialyte is sitting while I type this - and then I'll go feed him. I want the pellets to have more time to absorb stuff....

I've been thinking back over what's been happening with New Hope and I thought I would share here - just in case others get a case like this come along.

I didn't write down when New Hope first showed signs of being ill with this. I think it was either Monday night or Tuesday night. He was in his pen and started rolling and I was on the phone w/ a friend and asked Robin to pick him up and hold him. Since he'd had wry neck in the past...I figured he was starting to go into it again. Thank God I was in the room when he started rolling - I was heading to bed soon and he might have gone till morning.

For the next three days, we pushed fluids as much as possible and we started doing sub-q injections. I tried pumpkin too and various pumpkin/baby food choices to get something in him. The best we could do was often 6 cc in 2 hours.

To be honest with you - every night I went to bed prepared for Robin to wake me during the night with the news that he'd passed. I was at the point where I felt like the only thing keeping him alive was the sub q injections.

It was really tough not getting frantic (I'd never ever had a case this bad before with my herd) and I often had to force myself to be calm when I'd come close to him. There were times when he did NOT want to be held for meds or anything and I had to pick him up - I'd make myself be calm and kind of coo at him and say soothing things.

Part of me wanted to force food into him....to be more pushy. Yet part of me felt like he needed me to be calm and to sort of work around him....if it meant we offered food and water every hour or every 2 hours - then so be it.

He hated the sub q shots and Art gave him most of them. The last time Art gave him a shot - he couldn't bring himself to give him the whole dose 'cause he felt like it was torture and poor New Hope was so miserable. I honestly thought he'd pass away....but then - about 2 hours later - he was on the couch w/ Robin and Art and he sat up - drank almost 2 ounces...and started grooming himself.

Since then - it has been amazing to see the changes come over him. He hates it when we mess with him - but once he gets the taste what we're giving him - he's somewhat good (as long as there is no pumpkin in it).

He's gone from being kept alive mainly because of the sub-q fluids...to wanting to drink a lot - wanting to get some exercise - and now eating a few pellets on his own. He still hates it when I go to feed him with the syringe - but he is so much happier afterwards.

I wanted to share this brief timeline because I know so often we can freak out at something like this. While it is nothing to be messed with (and I do recommend seeing a vet if you can't handle it with some of the techniques that are shared on the forum) - I'm finding that - at least in this case - being patient and keeping him hydrated is working wonders. It may not work in every case and I certainly don't want to make light of stasis and how serious it can be.

But I think as rabbit owners - if we can be prepared in case it happens...whether that is by having pumpkin on hand - or training your rabbits ahead of time to accept the syringe (I use pedialyte or baby food for this) - or whatever...I think it will help us - which in turn - helps the bunnies.

And now I must go feed New Hope his "pellet soup". Sure hope he likes the recipe...

Peg

 

[TinysMom]

Pellet soup...what a joke. He took maybe 2-3 cc and then started fighting me. Maybe I'm horrible - I don't know - but I realized it just wasn't worth it to fight with him. I offered him pedialyte and he took almost 20 cc of that.

He's in a small NIC cage tonight on a towel. This way I can monitor his poops and stuff. I'm going to count the number of pellets I put in there (and spritz them with a bit of pedialyte) and I'm going to put a small bowl of water w/ some pedialyte in there too - plus I'll hang a water bottle on the cage.

I know he needs fiber and I understand that is necessary. However, I know he chose to eat some on his own during the tv show and I can't help but think that if I keep him hydrated and keep some near him for him to choose again - he'll do so. I just don't know that stressing him out tonight is worth it. I may put the soup in a little container where he can get to it also.

He does want to be somewhat active...so that is in his favor and he honestly feels better to the touch from being hydrated....and he is so much more alert.

My gut instinct right now says that since he's drinking a lot and I can hear his intestines moving...I need to let him make the move to eat since he's already shown that he'll do that on his own. (If I hadn't seen him eating during the show - I would probably be more forceful about the pellet mixture....).

I'll update y'all in the morning.

Peg

 

[TinysMom]

OMG - He's really eating...chowing down and looking at me as if to say, "You were holding out on me...".

I started to count the pellets and put about 7 in his pen on the towel for him - and he started chowing them down. So I figured, "Just dump some in" and he started attacking them. Just for grins, I took a syringe of pedialyte and lightly doused them and then he REALLY started chowing down.

So just for good luck I added about 1 tsp of oatmeal...if that much.

I thought he was going to bite my hand or something - he raced to get to those.

I'm bawling....I will take photos of him later this week...

Peg

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Peg This is GREAT to hear! Poor little fella was starvin!!!

POOS! ray:

 

[TinysMom]

He's had about 1/4 cup of food since last night and about 1 tsp. of oats.

No poops yet that I can see but the towel is a dark color and I'll check it soon.

 

[TinysMom]

:litterfew:


:happyrabbit:<---- me