nervous about rabbit spay......

[Sweetie]

Did Stella have any complications after the surgery?

What about playtime with other rabbits? Is it okay or should they have separate playtimes?

 

[ra7751]

As far as pain meds, Metacam is totally insufficient for post op pain management. Buprenorphine (Buprenex) is by far the best. It can be administed orally, SQ or IV. When given orally, it doesn't have to be swallowed....it is absorbed directly into the membranes in the mouth. It works for about 12 hours per dose. I plan on up to 5 days of pain meds but 3 is more common. Some vets will use Butorphenol (Torbugesic) and it is great but only lasts for a couple of hours. Both of these drugs are controlled drugs in the US. An acceptable alternative is Tramadol. It does have to be compounded into a suspension. Not very costly and quite effective (it's a human drug so any pharmacy should have it). It is normally dose twice a day but if given a third time per day, it will give light to moderate sedation....just in case it's needed.

We also insist on laser surgery instead of conventional for spays. The incision is much cleaner and quicker to heal...plus the laser helps control blood loss. Internal sutures with surgical glue. Laser does add to the cost, but we have been thru so many spays, much better in our opinion although there is debate in the vet community.

Randy

 

[Sweetie]

Thank you Randy and everyone else who have been very helpful in this.

How long should I have Sweetie not hop around after the surgery?

I will ask my vet for Buprenex and also ask him to show me how to give it to Sweetie.


Knowing what I can do for her after the surgery along with having a video to help my vet with the spay is putting my mind at ease.

Again, how long should Sweetie not hop around?

I plan to check her twice a day until she heals from surgery. More on the weekends!

Thank you! Anymore things that would help put my mind at ease will be greatly appreciated!

 

[tonyshuman]

You should keep her from doing anything very strenuous for at least 4 days, up to 6 I'd say. Is she bonded to Prince? Is he neutered? If they're bonded, I'd keep them together, and keep an eye on them to make sure he doesn't mess with her wound. If they're not bonded, wait until she's totally healed before you try to bond them, especially if he's not neutered.

 

[Sweetie]

Ok! Yes they are bonded. Prince is already neutered! He has been neutered since Feb 2009! They are both a year old. I was thinking about keeping Sweetie in my bedroom where it is a little more quiet and there isn't a lot of traffic going around the apartment. I do live alone with a bird, cat, two rabbits and 11 fish and 9 snails. The only noise that she would hear is the traffic outside, I live near a street, not a main street more like a back street so there isn't much traffic.

I will keep her from doing anything very strenuous for a week, that way I know she is healing.

I was also thinking about giving them playtime together and watching them. But I may do separate playtimes.



Even though they are bonded I can separate them, put them in separate cages in the same room and they will be okay.

I want Sweetie to heal up fast after she has her surgery. Prince does sometimes stresses her out. That is why I was thinking about putting her in my bedroom until she heals from her surgery and only let them be together during paytime.

 

[Sweetie]

About Tramadol, what dose is safe for Sweetie? When she was last weighed she weighted 3.3 lbs

 

[tonyshuman]

Oh, ok. I honestly think it would be good for them to be together, or at least able to see each other, since they are bonded. The psychological effect of having the bonded partner there is really helpful, it seems. If he grooms the suture area, I'd limit their time together, but if not, just let them hang out together, and you can let him have some extra solo playtime so he can run and jump, which she can't do yet.

 

[Sweetie]

Then I will put them in separate cages after she gets spayed and let him have time to play. Won't Sweetie get depressed if she sees Prince playing and she can't? I noticed that she chews on the cage when Prince is out and she isn't. I had to separate them before because she was aggressive toward him, just to calm her down, which worked.

 

[Flick]

So, how's Sweetie, today?

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

i am sorry i did not see this earlier,,wow ,,ok,,are we talking post op-now,,,how is prince doing???..sincerely james waller

 

[Sweetie]

Sweetie is doing wonderfully so far!

James Waller: Prince is fine. It was Sweetie who had the surgery.

Sweetie started eating when we got home. Started drinking on the way home!

 

[Sweetie]

Also got 2 weeks worth of Metacam for her pain.

 

[Maureen Las]

That's great !
I Heard from Randy that your vet did a lot of prepartory work to make sure that everything went well...

Usually they don't eat so quickly so this is good news!

 

[Sweetie]

My vet sure did a lot of prepratory work before this spay, because it was his first rabbit spay ever. I am very glad that the surgery went well.

I was crying all day/night last night because Sweetie wasn't home with me. Today when the vet called I was like oh no not a complication, thank goodness it wasn't. He called me to let me know that the surgery went well and that she was waking up. When she woke up, she wasn't as scared as I thought she would be. I think that it was because she was in an area of the vet's office that she recognizes, plus I was there when she woke up.

We didn't leave the vet's office until 12pm. I wanted to make sure that she didn't have any complications and I wanted to know what to watch for just in case. Sweetie and I got home at 3pm. It took a little longer than I told Randy, but we made it safely.

She started drinking on the way home. Then when we got home she started eating. She doesn't eat much.

I cleaned her cage and put her in her cage. She is on the litterbox right now so I moved the food and waterbottle closer to her so she doesn't have to stretch.

Now that the worst part is over, I can now relax and watch her for reactions and anything that is abnormal.

 

[Pipp]

Mine all start eating right away (almost) but then they stop when the pain meds wear off, so be prepared for a bit of a bump in the road to recovery.

Glad it went well!


sas :bunnydance:

 

[Sweetie]

That is what I thought might happen. They gave me two weeks worth of Metacam. I have to start it tomorrow morning. I have to give her .25ml of metacam once a day and I did make sure that they showed me how to do it. They had a cat at the vet office and the receptionist showed me be getting a syringe without needle of broth from a soup and giving it to the cat. Now I know how to give the pain meds.

Thanks everyone!

Sweetie is resting in her cage now.

 

[Maureen Las]

When I take the shelter bunnies home after they are altered I usually give them veggies (particularly parsley) and if they are going to eat at all that is usually the first thing they go for.

 

[Sweetie]

I don't have any veggies at this time, but I will see if my neighbor has any veggies that she can spare until Sweetie is back to eating her food. She is eating it, its just not very much.

 

[Sweetie]

I tried treats and everything she had to get her to eat and drink at the vet's office. She wouldn't. When we left the vet's office, about half way home she started drinking from her waterbottle. Then when we got home and I cleaned her cage and put her in it, she started eating her food from the food dish.