Need to go to vets, but now, or can it wait?

[Haley]

Aww look at the babies snuggling. They are so cute. Im glad Chalk has Mouse there to support her.

For a 3.5 bunny, .2 ml of Metacam a day is what my vets here prescribe. So if they give you the dog one (1.5 mg/ml) you would give Chalk .2 ml and if its the .5 mg/ml one you give .6 ml. Hope that helps!

 

[mouse_chalk]

Thanks Haley! That's a great help! Now I have something to measure it against what they say tomorrow (although I'm sure our regular vets will get it right)... It sounds like a much more reasonable dose...

Thank you! I'm thinking I might be able to get some sleep after all now, was planning on staying up and watching her, but now she's pooed and eaten some I think she'll be ok...

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Yay, glad to hear Chalk is home and doing well! I'm sorry to hear about the ordeal you're going through with the meds though:?. I hope it gets sorted out tomorrow.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Awww Mouse is being her rice sock!!!

I never use rice socks tho..... I warm a towel in the dryer or microwave and then give it to them or mostly I just hold them on it. Bo loves to snuggle anyhow so when he's needed it - he loves to lay on us with a warm towel under his tummy.

 

[mouse_chalk]

Hi guys,

Right, we've got stuff sorted! We took her in to see James this lunchtime, she hadn't pooed or eaten anything all night, and was missing out on her cecals, I think because the plaster was stuck to her fur making her uncomfortable and restricting her movement. She also seemed to be in quite a bit of pain, and we wanted to clear up the metacam and antibiotics matters, so thought a visit would be simpler to clear it all up!

He gave her Vetagesic (sp?), a much stronger painkiller, that she had when she was in the hospital last time. Her temperature etc are normal, and he took off the big sticky plaster, which she seemed quite happy about. In fact, she jumped into my arms for a cuddle as soon as it was off bless her!

The metacam issue was confusing, he checked in the books, and it was a fairly high dose they had given, although he said that it was still just about in the range that they could give to a rabbit? But he agreed it was too much for her all at once, so we're going to start on a 2kg dose and see how she goes with that. I'm just about to draw it into a syringe and then somehow see how much that works out to be in a 1ml syringe, just to be sure. Does that sound ok?

About the antibiotics, he agreed with me that we want to do everything we can to prevent it happening again, and said that injectable antibiotics are an option, but would be one to try and avoid if possible (I don't think they would let an owner inject instead of a vet over here?), but wanted to try the Baytril and also Septrim together for a few days and see how we went with that. I'm still a bit anxious that she should be on something stronger, but I feel much happier having spoken with him, knowing that he is open to using injectables like PenG if needed. I mentioned that I had friends in the US and that they'd had a lot of success with it, but of course I didn't know what was available over here, and he was very good about it.

She's going back in for a check-up on Friday, but he said that if we see no improvement by tomorrow to take her back in again...

Oh, and we also have a probiotic for her, but she doesn't touch it when it's in her water, so he suggested mixing it with a bit of organic baby food and seeing if that helps, we've got some apple and banana flavour stuff to give to her now!

 

[pumpkinandwhiskersmom]

What a relief that you could see James....he sounds like a real gift. It's great that he's willing to listen and consider other options. We'll keep praying that Chalk has a great day....eating and lots of poos, please, Miss Chalk!

 

[mouse_chalk]

Thank you Grace!

Just to update, still no poos or eating from Chalk We've given her the Metacam, and she seems to be lying more comfortably, and actually she did nibble a bit of hay, but that's about it....

All day she has been lying funny, sort of lifting her belly up off the ground? Mostly she was sitting hunched with Mouse snuggling up to her. However, since she has had the Metacam I've just seen her flop outside the cage and then lie down with her feet sticking out the back for a bit so she must be feeling a little bit more comfortable?

When we gave her the meds we syringed her a little bit of the baby food too, just to get some food into her. She took about 2ml of it? She did not like being given the Baytril or Septrim though!

Hoping she gets better and starts guzzling food down soon.... :?

 

[LuvaBun]

I'm pleased you got the meds sorted out. Poor Chalk, she's bound to be uncomfortable, bless her heart . Hopefully, she will feel well enough to start eating soon.

Those pics of her snuggling with Mouse are the cutest - thanks goodness she has a furry pillow to rely on

Jan

 

[mouse_chalk]

She seemed ok earlier- Steve said she ate some breakfast, and she's nibbled on a bit of lettuce and hay.

But this evening she keeps lying on her side in her litter tray? Her breathing is very shallow, and her ears are really cold.

We've got a snugglesafe heat pad and she's been sitting on it on and off, but Mouse seems to like it a lot as well...

I'm really worried about her!

We've given her the Metacam- I increased the dose to the equivalent of 0.3ml, as she seemed to be in a lot of pain, but it doesn't seem to have done anything yet... We also syringed her some baby food, about 4-5ml?

I took a look at her stitches and one bit looks quite red and spre, but the rest looks ok. There's quite a lot of dried blood on it still, I thought she would have cleaned that off by now?

Argh!!

We've got the vets at 9.30 in the morning, it's to see the nurse but I'm thinking we're going to ask to see the vet as well...

:?

 

[Haley]

Oh geeze, Im so sorry to hear shes not doing well tonight.

Id keep her warm for now and also hydrated- pedialyte if you have it. Is she eating ok?

I really think she needs to be on a stronger antibiotic, or those abscesses are going to keep coming back. Did you ask about the beads that can be implanted? That might be a good alternative to injections.

 

[juliew19673]

Oh Hang In There Chalk!!! Really hope things start to turn around. Please post if you can after the Vet tomorrow.. Saying my ray:now for the lil bun.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Oh no How is she doing?

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Oh dear, how is she now? It worries me that her ears are cold with shallow breathing.

 

[JimD]

ray:

 

[SnowyShiloh]

How is Chalk doing?? She's worrying me! Please tell us she's okay. Just how shallowly was she breathing? Tallulah shallow? You saw the video... Poor Chalkers. I hope the Metacam kicked in and she's feeling more restful now and you're all asleep. Or, actually, it's 9:18 where you are, so I guess by now you should be at her appointment! I'm actually headed to bed now, I hope to hear good news in the morning.

 

[mouse_chalk]

Sorry to worry everyone so much! Although, I was pretty worried myself... I was so worried about coming downstairs this morning and what she would be like... I felt terrible for not staying up with her but I felt so ill myself...

She's moving a lot better this morning, before we went to bed last night she had gotten up and was sitting a bit more normally, her ears warmed up a bit too... We had the head pad in there all night, and she must have used it, because there were little poops on it this morning! Smaller than usual though, but poo is a good sign I guess!

She's still really not eating a great deal, she nibbles hay on and off, and nibbles a bit of romaine/spring greens etc, and she's had the baby food we've syringed her...

Actually, as I speak, she's gone over to her breakfast and started nibbling some green beans, basil and lettuce!

So, she's doing a bit better, but it's still so on and off. One minute she's moving ok, the next she isn't. One minute she looks like she's eating, the next she isn't... :?

We took her to the vets earlier, and her wound is looking ok, although she's managed to pull out most of her stitches, cheeky thing. The vet said to just keep going with the metacam and to try and syringe feed her as much as possible if she wont eat... He did say that she didn't seem dehydrated though, so she must be drinking something, I guess when we aren't looking!

 

[Marietta]

Chalk gave me quite a scare! I'm so relieved things are better than they looked...I hope she recovers smoothly.

Marietta

 

[pumpkinandwhiskersmom]

How's Chalk today? My computer has been acting up, so this is the first I've been able to read an update! I've been so worried about the poor little girl. Are her ears any warmer? I know that really freaks me out. Hope to hear consistently good news about her soonest. Thinking of Chalk, Mouse and, especially you!

 

[slavetoabunny]

:sickbunnyoor Chalk! She has been through so much lately. She's lucky to have such an attentive bunny mommy.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Awww poor baby is just so sore probably she doesn't want to eat much. Plus she's getting the baby food..... maybe she likes that LOL!

Keep us posted please....... I really have been thinking about her an awful lot!