Something is possible happening ?

[Thumperina]

thank you and yes, the vet checked her teeth and her ears

 

[Thumperina]

I am offering critical care in a dish but she doesn't eat any. This morning she refused most of syringed critical care that I tried to feed her
She has eaten some veggies but I think she is getting real low on fiber and probably dehydrated (and overall getting into stasis)
we finally have nice sunny weather after about 10 days of overcast cloudy skies , cold and wind. She has been staying under the bush but she is not much interested in anything

 

[Thumperina]

I regret that I didn't get second opinion about possible surgery right away.
I got her X ray and will talk to another vet office tomorrow morning.
I can post her images here if somebody wants

 

[Thumperina]

some update.
today I took my girl bun to another vet. Had to borrow money from a friend to be able to do this
at first, I drove there by myself in the morning (it's far away) in hopes to show them X ray images that the previous vet took (got them in e-mail)
I was able to talk to the vet (there are two vets there that see bunnies, only one was in the office) , he said (of course!) that the images are not the best quality and he would need to see the rabbit. He asked if the previous vet did any blood work or histology.
Anyway, later I brought Thumperina there... he palpated her and said he didn't feel any masses. He also (sadly) did his own X ray even though I tried to say that radiation isn't so great for anybody. he drew some blood to test. He said he is not so sure if there is cancer going on... maybe UTI that causes blood spotting

He also said that her hip and knees are in condition that can bother her and give her a lot of pain...yes she has ongoing problem with her hip for 5 years (since the only time she had babies), but we never thought it was a big deal since she was hopping around rather well. Now I look at my bun as senior and almost disabled.

She also dictates her own conditions about her nutrition. It's very hard to force her to anything. she eats very little but I guess enough to sustain her own life and she doesn't want it differently. She loves metacam though. I guess just let her be is a way to go

He prescribed baytril for possible infection in her uterus.

 

[JBun]

I'm glad you were able to get a second opinion and that it's more hopeful for your bun. Hopefully with the baytril now, you will see an improvement in a few days if it is just a UTI that your bun has.

 

[Thumperina]

I'm glad you were able to get a second opinion and that it's more hopeful for your bun. Hopefully with baytril now, you will see an improvement in a few days if it is just a UTI that your bun has.

thanks, I wish I could call it improvement but I think the visit yesterday was a lot of stress for her. it lasted several hours (with driving) and now I am not sure if she is eating anything at all (I don't think so )
they blood work came back and he said he doesn't see anything awfully off. one liver function indicator is a bit off norm but other liver numbers are normal

They keep looking at her X ray with other vets and he now says she might have kidney stone...

But of course, my main concern is her nutrition at this time... she may be feeling rather bad overall (hips and internal problems) that she may not want to survive by all means

 

[Thumperina]

anybody had experience with underskin fluid administration? they offer to teach me how and provide with fluids

 

[JBun]

I've given sub q injections, and it's not really hard once they show you how, as long as your bun will hold still for you.

If she's not eating on her own, I would just keep syringe feeding her until she perks back up and starts eating again.

 

[Thumperina]

I've given sub q injections, and it's not really hard once they show you how, as long as your bun will hold still for you.

If she's not eating on her own, I would just keep syringe feeding her until she perks back up and starts eating again.

thanks
I already mentioned that I stopped syringe feed her as she was refusing and not cooperating. She was eating little by little on her own... today she finally eat a little bit of veggies but this is very little amount to have a decent poop
I will try critical care again

 

[Thumperina]

also, if she really has kidney stone, would it cause a lot of discomfort and pain?

 

[Thumperina]

correction - I think they spoke about bladder stone, not kidney

When you buns prescribed AB, in what form are they? (baytril in particular)
I am so mad at the last vet... he prescribed baytril, and all they could give is a injection liquid (that is very bitter) that they mixed with some cherry syrup (only when I asked) . An alternative would be getting it in tablets, crash them myself and mix with apple sauce or other puree . While I was there, I actually was gearing towards tablets that I crash and mix, but they misunderstood and already prepared injection solution for me (and were really insisting that I take it because they already wasted it)
IS THIS HOW ITS USUALLY PRESCRIBED IN THE 21st CENTURY?
I doubt it...

Thumperina used to love metacam. She wasn't resisting at all. Now, after I started her on baytril, she HATES a whole thing. She bites me and resists with great force. It takes me more than 30 minutes to get her take her meds.

Does more appropriate oral form of baytril exist?

 

[Thumperina]

I am reading more on oral baytril and I don't like at all what I read...

 

[JBun]

It is normal for vets to prescribe a baytril suspension liquid for oral dosing. I've never had it prescribed as a tablet to give to rabbits. Most rabbits detest it, that is normal as well. You just have to get it done and over with. It will only be 7-10 days then you're done. You can still try mixing it in with something tasty to make it more palatable for her.

The alternative is to ask the vet for a different antibiotic, and thus have to pay for another prescription. SMZ/TMP syrup is another common one used to treat UTI's and isn't too expensive. I've used it in the past and the rabbits don't seem to hate it as much as baytril. Some even liked it. Though it does carry the risk of a possible allergic reaction as it's a sulfa antibiotic. Or there is orbifloxacin. That would have to be made into a syrup as well, and I'm not sure if it tastes any better than the baytril.

 

[Thumperina]

thank you Jenny
today I took her to a nearby vet for underskin fluid injection. The last vet we saw (who is far away) gave them a call and asked to help me.
hope they injected the right thing ...it's called pHyLyte injection pH 7.4
they said she needed 60 ml each time twice a day (she is 8lbs)
I got the bag to inject at home but kinda scared
Is this the right thing to inject?

Not sure if its' baytril that gives her even more digestive problems problems or I am stressing her out too much with all the manipulations. I don't see her eating any better. I don't see her eating at all. I only know that she is alive and has lots of forces to protest oral treatment.

A thing with Baytril is that I don't even know what her issue is and if she needs it...
I am reading a great article http://www.rabbit.org/health/urolith.html
I can only say that she doesn't have any visible blood on her legs or butt. I have a feeling her bloody discharge sorta stopped.

 

[Thumperina]

i am reading that SMZ is better for their stomach and for UTI - agree?

Also, can fluids be injected when I have an opportunity (of course. not more often than every 12 hours, I just mean can I skip a time if I can't administer it? . In other words nothing read bad is going to happen if I skip, right?

 

[JBun]

That sounds like the right kind of fluids to give. It's up to you if you skip a time or not, but keep in mind that if she's not eating and drinking on her own, then she doesn't get the fluids injected either, she'll get dehydrated and this is gong to be detrimental to her health. We all need nutrition and fluids to survive. If she isn't getting that in sufficient amounts, it can be fatal. If you're in doubt though, you should check with your vet.

If she has a UTI, then she needs antibiotics. The blood may have stopped because she is now getting antibiotics and getting better. Whether you decide to give baytril or smz/tmp, that's up to you and your vet. I prefer smz/tmp, but that said, I have had a rabbit have a negative reaction to it and she ended up dying. So there is always some risk giving any medication.

 

[Thumperina]

The blood may have stopped because she is now getting antibiotics and getting better.

the problem is that I don't see her getting any better. Even a few days ago, she would nibble on veggies, but for the last 2 days I don't even see this happening. With kind of poop she has, she should have been dead but she is not.
I have a feeling that the first vet was right and her problem is uterine cancer that is rather bad at this time..

The second vet also mentioned that there is a possibility that something is pressing/blocking her colon, hence her very bad poop.

thank you so much for talking to me, it means a lot.

 

[Thumperina]

for some reasons , for sub Q I didn't get a drip line. They just gave a 60 ml syringe that I am supposed to fill and then just inject and administer, I guess, slowly. Is this practice OK?

 

[Thumperina]

ok, I gave her my first sub Q fluid shot.
hope i didn't mess up too much. when I removed the needle, I didn't see any blood on it so I take it as a good sign
Do I need to keep her skin elevated ("tent") while I administering it?
She was trying to move, so I didn't do it very slow... what happens if it's done faster than needed?

 

[Thumperina]

can rabbits really have GI blockage? she still has tiny poops...of course, she is not eating well. I try to feed her critical care but its not easy.