Shoulder pain?

[ani-lover]

tabbys shoulder is hurting him and i am not sure what to do for now. i am going to try to get into the vet in a couple days. i think he caught his arm in his cage when he fell over. as most know he doesnt have good balance.

i wanted to know if anyone dealt with this before, is it possible he dislocated it? he cannot put any pressure on it and is all tense.

~ani-lover

 

[Flashy]

We had that happen before. We were able to get ours to a vet straight away, and we were told the immobolise him as much as possible, i.e. small hutch, no run.

Until you can get to the vet, probably keep him in a small hutch,keep his food and water near and provide a food buffet to tempt him to eat. Also Maybe provide a rice sock too. I'm not sure where others stand with pain meds, but if that was mine, Iwould probably give him metacam to keep him ticking over and then get to a vet asap.

What a sucky time for this to happen

 

[ani-lover]

thanks flashy, i thought of just trying to keep him still and relaxed. he likes to sit in the bath tub so i will give him a warm bath this morning to help relax the area.

 

[ra7751]

Hi,

I think I would get Tabby to a vet today. We have had that happen to one of our buns....I think it scared us as much or more than it did him. He was screaming and kicking...the whole thing. You would know if it were a compound fracture...which is when the bone actually breaks into piece and may come thru the skin. It could be something like a hairline fracture. A luxation (dislocation) is possible. But most likely it is something like a sprain. What would concern me is the pain he must be in. I would at least call your vet today and see if they could at least give you some pain meds for him. And anti-inflammatory is most likely the best way to go. Something else you have to take into consideration is the possibility of a spinal injury due to his unusual movement because of this injury. It's remote, but something to consider. Most likely nothing serious...but I prefer to error on the side of caution.

Randy

 

[Pipp]

ani-lover wrote:

thanks flashy, i thought of just trying to keep him still and relaxed. he likes to sit in the bath tub so i will give him a warm bath this morning to help relax the area.

:shock:

Definitely don't do that! Not relaxing at all for a bunny, and can do a lot more damage. Keep him quiet and confined.



sas :?

 

[ani-lover]

pipp, my rabbit enjoys the warm baths. and unfortunatley the vet is closed until wednesday.

 

[Pipp]

He won't enjoy it with a leg or shoulder injury, believe me!

He may like them, but baths for rabbitsare NOT relaxing even without an injury, and with one, just getting him in and out can be incredibly painful andcruel, not to mention flat out dangerous.

Please DON'T give him a bath! Keep him in a small cage or carrier until Wednesday.



sas :shock:

 

[Flashy]

If you give him a rice sock then he might realise the heat helps, and it might stop him going into shock if the pain is that bad.

Do you have access to an emergency vet if the need arises?

 

[BlueGiants]

Please confine him to a small carrier.Put his food and water right infront of him Yes, he may be upset,and you may think you're being mean, but I'd err on the side of cautiousness until you find out what the problem is.

Don't do a lot of lifting or holding. If it is dislocated or fractured, you can do more damage. If it is just a sprain, keeping him immobile will give it time to heal. If he will tolerate the warm sock, it may give him some comfort and relief.

If you have metacam I'd go ahead and give it to him.




Edited for spelling... duh.....

 

[ani-lover]

how do you make this rice sock?

 

[Flashy]

Get some regular uncooked rice, put it in a sock and tie it(I then put that in a sock and tie that in a knot too). Then put it in the microwave for 10 minute bursts until you think it is warm enough.

Then wrap it in something and put it on one side of where he is living, so that he had get away if he wants too.

 

[ani-lover]

thanks. now i just have him in his bed resting eating a bunch of treats. he looks like he feels a little better. this is such a bad time for this to happen.

 

[ani-lover]

is there any kind of medication, that is OTC that i could give tabby to ease some pain?
or do i just have to wait it out.

 

[ani-lover]

tabby seems a little better today. and its off t the vets tomorrow, morning hopefully.
i gave a very low dose of tylenol to see if it would help the pain. maybe it did. i understand it is toxic to the liver. so it is only temporary. i am quite sure that someone used tylenol before, but maybe i was confusing it with ibprofen or asprin/ motrin. i dont think a few minor doses will do anything harmful. i wont use it again if that is the case.

~ani-lover

 

[Flashy]

Let us know how he gets on at the vets

 

[Pipp]

I'm pretty sure this info is correct,but I will be looking for confirmations and augmentations from Randy, Ivory and whoever else can contribute.

-------

Cirrhosis - liver damage - isn't reversible. (Not sure about the liver problems attributed to Tylenol/Acetaminophen.

Tylenol in low doses forvery brief periods may not actually be toxic to rabbits (like it is for dogs and especially for cats) unless there areother pre-existing conditions (like liver issues), but it's also very ineffective for pain control,it doesn'treduce inflammation (unlike aspirin),and won't help this kind of injury.

Therearealso potentially fatalulcers and other GI problems (as well askidney damage if dehydrated)if mixed with NSAIDs orotherdrugs (Metacam and Ibuprofen are NSAIDs).

The potential side effects aren't worth the lack of benefits, and it will be dangerous to give the rabbit a drug that WILL work after giving him the Tylenol.

Asnoted above, Ibuprofen is the usual drug of choice for rabbits -- I still recommend Baby Motrin -- but these, likemost painkillers,must be taken with food and only given to well-hydrated rabbits not prone to kidney or liver problems (one of many reasons it too should be prescribed by a vet), and also never given in conjunction with Tylenol.


sas :?

 

[ani-lover]

ok, i am not arguing with anybody. i am just trying to understand about the meds for right now. you can use ibprofen and asprin, instead of the tylenol and it is better. i dont have infants baby, anything else but can i use regular ibprofen or asprin?

 

[Flashy]

How did he get on at the vets?

 

[ani-lover]

okay, i know, bad. the vets were completely booked yesterday, no thursday appointments, so tomorrow morning i will be in there. i am starting to think that it is sprained, but he seems to be feeling slightly more relaxed. i wish this wouldnt happen at such a bad time.

 

[Flashy]

Even if they are fully booked they should still see emergencies and be able to fit you in. Poor bunny, he does still need a vet asap.