Stasis for the THIRD time?!?

[dquesnel]

Well I suspect my little guy might by slowing down AGAIN for the third time since June. This has been the 'summer of pain' for me, no less!

He first slowed down in early June, was xrayed (hairball in tummy) was treated w/ motility drugs. He was well again, drinking and eating loads, then relapsed. This time my other bun slowed down with him, so xray again (hairball in same place- it had never passed). Both were treated with motility drugs, both became well again.

For a few weeks little Sass (the rabbit with the stasis twice) has been eating very well, drinking well, and the poops have been enourmous. Very healthy looking, and I even saw that he had passed that mass of hair that had been in his stomach. However- last day or two I've noticed his drinking was down, and now this morning he didn't finish breakfast This happened the previous two times he went into slowdown. So, I have treated his the same way again (motility drugs, simethicone, water syringing and critical care syringing which he took well) I just can't believe this is happening again. I had just brushed him really well yesterday after I saw some poops strung together with fur.

He seems to be eating a bit better since he was treated an hour ago, and there are a few misshapen poops in his box but I am just totally on edge. Probably because I have no idea if it was a gas attack, or could be the start of slowdown, but I hate not knowing why this keeps occuring and even with the frequent brushing of the rabbits I wonder if I can prevent it. One rabbit in stasis I can treat, but two is really tough as too many of you know I'll bet. I am trying to decide if I need to switch over to the other vet (there are two rabbit vets in town) for another opinion/treatment since hair mass was the last diagnosis from the current vet. Thing is he has been in worse sheds before, under less optimal conditions when I was less educated on rabbits, and he made it through fine. Why now, when he is eating all this hay (4 different kinds...) and I am trying to do everything right? Grrr... Anyway rant over, if anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear.

 

[Maureen Las]

I had this happen to me with Gabriel; I was feeding everything rightbut it still occurred, howeverhe had mega colon.

I would go to the other vet for a 2nd opinion as it's possible that there is some underlying problem creating this.

be careful using the motility drugs without an x-ray ..could be dangerous.

Are you absolutely sure that they are not eating litter(or something similar )?

I had 2 eating carefresh and then later yesterdays new.

That turned out to be the problem

they also can ingest too much cardboard (like in boxes) but that isn't too common

 

[dquesnel]

I am sure they aren't eating cardboard/rug etc, so I can rule that out. I don't use litter in the boxes, but a grate so can rule out any unexpected 'diet' changes!

How was the megacolon diagnosed in your bun and how old was he? I know it is one of those notoriously difficult conditions, and I don't know much about it. My guy has been very healthy until this summer. He is 4 years old this month.

I fed them a couple hours earlier than usual today and I am wondering if that has anything to do with it. He seems to be active, is chewing at some hay and ate a handful of greens, there is fresh poop in the box (some large, some regular sized, a few misshapen ones) so fingers crossed that I am being paranoid, or else the treatment this morning helped, hmmm. If he seems off for tonights meal, I will make an appointment with the second vet for her opinion.


angieluv wrote:

I had this happen to me with Gabriel; I was feeding everything rightbut it still occurred, howeverhe had mega colon.

I would go to the other vet for a 2nd opinion as it's possible that there is some underlying problem creating this.

be careful using the motility drugs without an x-ray ..could be dangerous.

Are you absolutely sure that they are not eating litter(or something similar )?

I had 2 eating carefresh and then later yesterdays new.

That turned out to be the problem

they also can ingest too much cardboard (like in boxes) but that isn't too common

 

[Maureen Las]

I actually self diagnosed it after learning about it on the forum . Angela (naturestee )has had experience with buns with mega-colon.

I don't have vets here that are rabbit-saavy at all..can do only very basics of care.
I'll give you the link on mega -colon but I doubt if your bun has it. it occurs as a genetic trait in English spot/hotot rabbits and the one outstanding symptom is a large misshapen poops.

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=36159&forum_id=10

 

[dootsmom]

I am wondering what you are feeding them. Are they long haired? As shedding seems to be an issue, are you removing as much fur, as is possible, a few times a day? I have a few that I literally have to "pluck" to do this. During "shedding season" I give my rabbits a third to a half of banana, twice a week, which seems to keep things moving. Some people also give canned pumpkin and/or pineapple juice.

I also have three with megacolon. All are now eating timothy based pellets which seems to be easier on their systems and has keep their guts moving nicely.

 

[seniorcats]

A second opinion wouldn't hurt especially if you could take the xrays with you. There are some intersting posts here in the Infirmary on the use of gut motility drugs.

Are your bunnies getting enough exercise and run time? That's another important factor, I believe, in good digestion.

 

[naturestee]

More info please! That might help us be able to narrow down possible causes. What exactly do you feed him, including brands,and how much? Are you still feeding the same bag of pellets or bale of hay as when the gut issues started happening? How long have you had him and did he ever have gut issues prior to June?

Has he had a full head to toe checkup? How are his teeth? His tooth roots? My4 year old boy Loki went into stasisverysuddenly a few months ago. His molars didn't look bad with a visual check, just very slight spurs. But an xray showed that his molar roots were too long and causing pain, which caused the stasis. Fecal checks for coccidia, clostridium, worms, etc.? Blood parameters? With several gut problems so close together I'd want to have blood tests run to make sure there's no hidden problems.

Hydration is critical. If he's still eating, wet his greens down. I always offer canned pumpkin to my rabbits when they are shedding. The fiber and water in it seems to help a lot and my vet considers it an extra-mild laxative. Also, if you only use a water bottle then offer a bowl as well.

Have you tried probiotics, especially Benebac? I'd also recommend giving a small amount of Nutri Cal, a high-nutrient goop marketed for ill cats and dogs. It provides a lot of B vitamins which can boost energy, and vitamin E which may help sooth inflamed intestines.

There's a ton of info in our Library, including an overview that I wrote for easy access to some of the info.

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=28622&forum_id=10

BTW, I think megacolon generally shows up at a younger age. My two buns that had it were about 1.5 years when I adopted them and had obviously been suffering untreated for some time. Also, this is not a key diagnostic but rabbits colored like hotots (white with black only around their eyes) are generally more likely to have megacolon due to genetic issues.

 

[dquesnel]

OK, lots to reply to so I will try my best to give beneficial info!

First, they are both medium hair lops. I brush them every other day, or everyday when molting. I use the furminator to remove loose undercoat, seems to work well and I actually wonder if I 'overbrush' sometimes as the hair (especially around hind end) just keeps coming out.

They both get exercise throughout the day. Lots of playtime, I work from home most of the time so they can explore or play or do whatever they decide to do. When I leave the house, or while I am sleeping, I keep them in their pens.

Diet: Timothy pellets 1/8th cup Oxbow Bunny Basics. (fed in morning) Hay: Timothy, oat hay, orchard grass and botanical mix all from Oxbow. Some farmed timothy when it looks good, but not at the moment. Water: bottles AND crocks offered. They usually drink heartily. Veggies: (given in a heaping pile in evening) Carrot tops, romaine, parsley and cilantro are the regulars. Less commonly, they get brussel sprouts, mint, watercress and the rare dandelion green.

Recently I added the oat hay, orchard grass and botanical mix to their regular timothy hay diet. I wanted to encourage more hay consumption. They LOVE the oat hay, to the point where they seek the husks and leave all the other stuff.

Sass' background: (the one with reoccuring stasis) he had the rare gas attack, maybe twice a year prior to this. I was unaware that he had molar spurs in the new year and he had slowly become very picky over his food. By February he had two bad gas attacks, one near stasis episode and I took him to the vet where they found the molar spurs and filed them down. Within a few days he was back to his normal self. Everything was great until late May when he began to get picky again with the food and water, I was determined it was molars again but after a good check vet said molars weren't the issue. He has some tiny spurs on them, but nothing that should cause discomfort. He was xray'ed in the body and face, stomach showed a hair mass and face showed no sign of trouble. His tooth roots are a wee too long to be perfect, but also should not be causing him problems. His ears were checked and said to be fine. So we treated this as a hair mass. I brought him back two more times for the same problem, we did the checks all over again (including xrays) each time and the result was the same.

I was concerned it could be a middle or inner ear infection, but vet said it wasn't an option, his ears looked fine. The only thing I have not had done is bloodwork. Vet said unfortunately some bunnies are just too prone to this, so might have to keep treating on and off with motility drugs for life. He also said if there was a potential or complete blockage, bunny would NOT be eating or pooping at all so I am clear to feed and medicate as long as he is eating/pooping.

I have not had blood work done yet, I am kinda on the broke side right now and it was never offered. If I go to the other vet though, I will bring it up there.

Both buns poops seem a bit on the smaller side today. It could be since I have been feeding greens throughout the day, not too sure. Sass is picky over the hay, right now I am not giving them oat hay to encourage eating of the other long strand hays. I think he is waiting for the oat hay, haha. I gave them both dinner, a heaping pile of veggies and they both left most of the cilantro so I am wondering if it tastes funny. Its one of those veggies which they seem to love sometimes, but won't touch other times. Sass has barely touched his water crock today, so the only water he got would be the 15mL I syringed this morning and the water from the 5 wet veggie feedings I gave today.

So, given the above, what suggestions might anyone have now? Also- where might I find Benebac? And how much of that should be given? And in regards to Nutri-cal, this is not a food suppliment like Critical care but rather a nutrient suppliment? DO you just give them a smudge of this product?

Thanks for all suggestions so far!

 

[Maureen Las]

It really sounds like you give them a really great diet.
What occurred to me is the possiblity what the vet is saying 'shouldn't " be an issue with histeethcould be an issue anyway. if he has veryslight molar spurs and slightly long tooth roots maybe they are bothering just enough to create a problem'...( by head x-rays I assume that they were dentalx-rays)
That could explain his 'picky" behvior with hay also.



We can only guess what they are feeling. .like if you go to the dentist and something is hurting you and the dentist really cannot see anything but you persist and finally he finds the problems because you persisted
this is just a guess..

the other thing would be having blood work done. probably youshould when you can..it can offer a lot of infore. organ systems and bodily function

i get bene-bac powder at petco. it is way easier to use than the tubes of gel which you can also get there. You can sprinkle the powder into a piece of banana and "moosh" it around and ( at least mine like it) he should eat it without problem. You could also order benebac powder on-line . Directions are on the bottle
i use Nutri-cal less often and have really only guessed at the amt myself so someone else may need to help with that.

I am sure that the ingestion of hair is not an issue with this rabbit as it sounds like you are a zealous bunny brusher
this is sort of a puzzle because you really sound like you have a good vet and also are doing everything 100% for your buns.

 

[Flick]

Pixel's been having stasis bouts alot lately, so I can empathize with you. She's had the x-rays and blood work done and it's still a mystery. Has your vet done a fecal flotation test? If not, take about a handful of fresh poops in and ask them to do one. It checks for parasites in the digestive tract.

I may have missed it, but is your bunny getting subcutaneous fluids? I have found this to be a huge help with Pixel. The vet showed me how to administer them and we bought the stuff from him, so, now we give them when needed. I urge you to ask your vet about this. We use the "Lactated Ringer" solution.

Also, ask you vet about a medication called famotidine. He probably won't have it on hand and will have to order it from a lab. Get orange flavored! Where simethecone relieves the gas that's already in the stomach, famotidine heals the digestive lining and helps prevent gas from forming. It's possible that your bunny is developing or has developed ulcers and famotidine will help heal it.

I'd go easy on the gut motility drug, especially with a hairball. Gut motility drugs can be very very dangerous. It forces the muscles to work and can cause a rupture in the digestive tract, which then allows the contents to flow into the abdominal cavity. As a matter of fact, my vet(s) won't prescribe gut motility drugs if there is a hairball or other obstruction in the digestive tract. They'll prescribe it only if the x-rays show that there's no obstruction. Also, gut motility drugs HURT!

Which brings up this question... is he on Metacam for pain management? If not, again, ask your vet for it. The pain of a tummy ache can cause more stress which causes the digestive tract to shut down. It's a cycle that's tough to stop.

As suggested earlier, you can use probiotics, too. BeneBac is one that's used as well as ProBios. I get the gel that comes in a tube. Both Pixel and Skylar LOVE it. They think it's a treat. You can get ProBios at a feed store. Get the one for Equine, just don't give him a horses' dose, about a quarter turn is good. You can see a picture of it here: http://www.allivet.com/Probios_Equine_One_p/11064.htm

But, the powder will do just fine too. Either BeneBac or ProBios. My vet prescribes them interchangeably.

Keeping your bunny hydrated a very important issue, though. I'm very surprised that your vet isn't prescribing sub-q's. Keep syringing the water in as much as he'll take, and get a second opinion. Yep, go to the other vet. And... ixnay on the gut motility unless the second vet agrees with the first. It just really worries me that there's an obstruction and the muscles are trying to force it out.

I'm concerned about giving you advice that goes against your vet's about the gut motility. I'm not a vet nor a vet tech, and I haven't seen Sass, but I'm worried about Sass literally "busting a gut". It is a real possibility that I think you should be aware of.

Keep us updated. We care about Sass. We want him to get better fastest.

 

[dquesnel]

angieluv and Flick, thank you for your posts!

Last night they did finish all dinner, and this morning all breakfast in one go. Right now they are eating dinner so I should know by the end of this post how it went, lol.

Thank you for the concern regarding motility drugs. I was unaware that the drugs themselves cause pain, or 'forced' the muscles to work. When Sass had his xrays, he showed a mass inside the tummy, but not near or in the opening to digestive tract. The second time the xray was done, it was in the exact same place, two + weeks after!

I am seeing smaller poops with BOTH buns, so I am wondering if this is something to do with the new hay I give them now. I had them only on Timothy, and last week introduced the Orchard grass, botanical mix and Oat hay in small piles. As I mentioned before, they took a liking to the oat hay and really have been waiting for that one in particular. I suspect Chloe at least is producing extra cecals, I found some in his litterbox so I assuming they are 'extra' rather than he chose not to eat them. In fact, it seemed clumped together with rounder stool and his poops have been a bit larger since. I have taken the oat hay away for now, and am offering *only* Timothy. Sass is producing smaller poop than usual for sure. Both rabbits are feisty, seem to have an appetite. They don't seem to be in stasis, but this seemed rather like a VERY early prelude to the stasis. Sass really is getting almost no fluids. Chloe has been drinking, slightly less than usual. I am really contemplating taking them both to the other vet this week, and asking for sub q's. Syringing them water is REALLY difficult as most seems to dribble out, additionally I am worried they will aspirate it. It just seems odd that this is happening to BOTH rabbits at the exact same time. Is it really the hay, I wonder?

I really don't want my bunnies to burst This is all scary stuff and my finances are slim at the moment... Its also hard trying to decide if this is a problem I can fix on my own or if I am hurting them more than helping. I've spent over $1000 so far on them since February and this other vet is even more expensive, tests and xrays for one rabbit alone is over $300 there so I am afraid I will spend everything I have on test and not be able to afford any future treatments... Gah.

 

[dquesnel]

OK, I am back with more info!

Both rabbits ate dinner, Chlioe finished all of his and Sass left the cilantro again. Both have munched on hay. Now, I have noticed with Chloe that the past while after I feed him his veggie dinner his belly goes into high gear gurgling and moving. I can hear it from a few feet away, it doesn't sound violent but more like constant rumbling. It seems to last for a while, and also I cannot really tell if it bothers him. He continues snacking on hay etc while the rumbling goes on, doesn't hunch in pain but rather keeps moving about continuing on his business. It almost sounds as the same as my own stomach after a meal that causes indigestion! Does anyone else hear their rabbits stomachs after a meal? I am just wondering if I should be giving him simethicone, or if perhaps the veggies are not agreeing with him (although he never had a problem with them before). I will NOT be giving either any more motility drugs, will see how the next day plays out and when vet is available. My handling of them to syringe water and administer drugs is clearly stressing them, Chloe my heart bunny is stomping and such when he sees the look of concern in my face. So I think I will leave him alone for a while, and syringe some water to Sass but that will be it for now...

 

[Pipp]

Tons of good advice in this thread. Istart feeding canned pumpkin atthe first sign of small or hairy poops, and also during heavy moults. I reserve the Critical Care forwhen they stop eating for12 to 24 hours. I have to dry it out with a paper towel and slightly warm it for my little diva bun before she'll eat it.

And I'll add that Pipp will stop eating at the slightest sign of a spur. The vetkept telling me her teeth probably weren't the issue, the spurs were small and notanywhere near her cheek or tongue. I said 'do the surgery anyway', and voila. (I've managed to mostly control thespurs with diet, btw -- Pipp doesn't eat hay soa give her lots of hard, chewy veggies (kale,carrot tops, grass, bits of seeds, different shaped pellets, etc -- anything fora 'chew' variety, seems to work).

The home Subqs is also a great suggsestion. (I can't convinve my vet of that, though). :grumpy:

I don't mean to be an alarmist, but has the thought come up that the mass maybe something other than hair? If it hasn't moved, wouldn't that be a consideration? My boy Dill turned out to have a tumour in his stomach, which may have been the source of his occasional gas attacks. I disovered this post-mortem after it had spread andcompromised his liver. :tears2:

The blood test may or may not show a problem. Apparently the normal cancer indicatorsdon't always show up. One of my vets prefers to test and test, the other tends to go in surgically and explore. (Luckily I've never had to make that decision).

And as much as I also hate gut motility drugs, if I understand it correctly, one of my vets prescribesCisapride to move contentsout of the stomach and Reglan tokeep it moving through theGI tract. So if Cisapridewas used and didn'tmove it, I'd think twice about the hairball theory. That's an uneducated guess, though.

Hope they're right as rain soon. (Not that rain is 'right' -- especially in Vancouver in July). :X



sas :clover:

 

[Flick]

Gurgling is good! It means that stuff is working! Sometimes when Pixel is relaxing on her side I can actually see the muscles moving. It looks like there's a small ball moving up and down her side. It's really weird looking, but it's a good thing.

To induce Sass to drink more, you can add a little apple juice to their water. 100% apple juice, no sugar or artificial sweeteners added. Pixel has an 8 oz crock to drink from and I'll add about a half oz of apple juice to it. We don't want to over-sugar them.

Excess cecals is generally a sign of too many carbohydrates in their diet, but I wouldn't worry about it, right now. A change in diet can cause it, too. Or, stress. Or if the moon is in its third quarter on the seventh Tuesday of the 13th month! In other words, yep, sometimes they do that. If it persists, then the concern would be that for some reason the rabbit isn't getting the needed nutrients because he isn't ingesting the cecals. But, it happening once in a while is not a big thing.

And, now that I think about it, Pixel will leave "cecal presents" and "pudding poop" on the floor when she's coming out of a bout of stasis. I did ask the vet about that and she said that Pixel's system was cleaning itself out, and that's a good thing.

Pixel was never a good hay eater until I tried brome hay. She LOVES brome hay. And, her poops have about doubled in size since she started eating it. If your bunnies love oat hay, feed them oat hay. It could be that the excess cecal is from the new hay, but that's okay (unless it causes persistent "poopy butt"). Hay is most important to keep their guts moving and their teeth trimmed. So, "Let them eat hay!"

I was told by rabbit people I trust that Cilantro may cause gas. So, I've deleted it from Pixel's diet. I can't see that it's made a difference, but it may with Sass and Chloe.

The mix of hays is an excellent idea. Watching them dig through the hay to get that one single piece they want is pretty entertaining, too.

Your doing good. I know you don't think you are, but, you are. You are doing good.

 

[dquesnel]

Thanks everyone, and thanks Flick for your words of encouragement. I didn't think I would need to hear it but your words really helped!

So the latest update: I was very lucky and managed to get a one hour appointment with their regular vet this afternoon (different vet than they saw before- the other I went to when regular vet was not in). Chloe was deemed healthy, and we are going to continue giving him cisapride at least once a day. That medication has proven to work for him and he has REALLY turned around last night and today. His weight was good, and diet was approved by vet.

Sass has lost 10% of his weight, probably mostly in water. He hadn't had a drink for a whole day, he had water from his veggies and vet said it was probably enough, but might have been drawing water from his gut. She felt he was bonier than usual, and said the reoccurent slowdown is actually quite common here especially since it has been warm out and he has been shedding. She was most concerned about the weight loss so now we have him on a high calorie diet- for the next two weeks all the pellets and greens he wants. She even suggested banana slice, which he won't eat (haha) but instead will offer him critical care once a day for calories. She feels that his metabolism might have changed now that he is entering middle-age and no longer a young'un, and he might actually require more calories. He was given 100mL of sub q fluids while there, and looked like a muffin afterwards! Could barely find his head, lol :shock: I am sure he feels better now that he is totally hydrated. Vet does not send injectables/sub q's home but would rather do them at the clinic. I was not/will not be charged for Subq's and weigh-ins. She said wet veggies will really help with his hydration.

She decided the reglan/metaclopromide might be too hard on them for now. She thinks that any pain they feel is associated with the metaclopromide causing cramps and not their actual slowdown, and it is obvious neither is in pain at the moment (even from gas). Sass is also getting cisapride at least once a day for the next while. His ears were a bit inflamed, no sign of infection but we have him on ear drops to reduce inflammation for now. They might have been stressing him out. His teeth were still fine, but will likely still have a spur again sometime. On his chart, the spur he had removed in February was written as 'significant/severe, but not puncturing tongue or cheek tissue'. Vet looked at a sample of both Chloe and Sass' fecals, Chloe's were deemed great and Sass' were deemed good size but a bit too hard/dry.

So Sass will be back into the vet of after a few weeks of weigh-ins if his weight is not stabalized. He will then have full bloodwork and tests.

I think the hardest thing as a rabbit owner I find is trusting my judgement, they can go downhill so so fast and sometimes there is nothing that can be done. Vet thinks both buns will be fine, and as long as we get Sass' weight stabilized he is not in any danger. I will keep everyone posted on how the next few days progress, thanks so much for everyones support and advice. It really helps.


Flick wrote:

Your doing good. I know you don't think you are, but, you are. You are doing good.

 

[Pipp]

I'm having computer issues, so I can barely post, but I do want to say that
this is a great thread that will be earmarked forLibrary. Between the exemplary care shown by DQ and awesome advice and knowledge from our members (especially from Flick, who doesn’t post much, but hopefully will post a lot more in the future leaseplease:,with abonus --Dootsmom, a longvalued member rarely seen these days butmissed!



DQ, love to know what vets you're dealing with, can you PM me? (And put your location in your profile?)



Thanks guys, you made my day. Nose pats to the bunnies!





sas :bunnydance:

 

[Flick]

"Vet thinks both buns will be fine, and as long as we get Sass' weight stabilized he is not in any danger."

Ah HAH!!!!!!!! I was RIGHT! You ARE doing good! Now, you get an "I told you so!" I told you that you're doing good!

"I think the hardest thing as a rabbit owner I find is trusting my judgement, they can go downhill so so fast and sometimes there is nothing that can be done."

You're absolutely right! It's very tough to trust your gut feeling. "Am I overreacting? Am I over-worrying? If I take them to the vet am I going to spend alot of money for no good reason?" But, you're following your judgment and you're batting a thousand. I think, you've got a very good bond with your bunnies and a very good instinct where they're concerned.

You're doing guuderest! :great:

 

[dquesnel]

Hi! It's been a week so I feel an update is in order.

Since the vet visit I have been continuing the regular routine with the buns. Chloe improved, and is now eating his normal meals. His activity level is good. Only thing is, I think I have been over grooming him as he has a thinning patch near his hindquarters :? I hope I wasn't hurting him by yanking out healthy undercoat. So, hairball shouldn't be a problem with him for a while! I will hide the brush and continue grooming him with damp hands until the thinning starts to grow in again.

Sass had a good Thursday and Friday (31st and 1st) and a GREAT Saturday (the 2nd). He was eating well, very active, poops were good and whatnot. Then, overnight (a matter of 8 hours exactly) he was not very interested in his meals. On Sunday and Monday he was back to not finishing meals. Poops getting smaller and smaller. Tuesday I brought him to the vet again, by that point he was perking up again in afternoon after not being interested in breakfast.

We weighed him and he was the exact same as the last visit, he hadn't had much to drink and in fact hasn't touched the water bowl in 24 hours now. We did radiographs, he does NOT appear to have any hair mass, unless it was hidden by the food in his stomach and his stomach/cecum seemed otherwise good. His lungs were good too.

We decided to proceed with a molar trim. Back in February, he was showing slowdown and I brought him in only to be told (by a different vet that was in) that his teeth did not seem to be a problem, it was more likely he was a gassy bunny. However, when the molar float was done they found a long and significant spike. We are wondering if this is the same situation as in February and won't actually know the state of his teeth until they are examined under anesthesia. She tried to book him in for that ASAP but the earliest they could fit him is Thursday.

Today he ate his veggies when I presented them to him in small handfuls, he also ate some critical care. He is eating his pellets very, very slowly (as in chewing them in his mouth slowly- he seems to get tired of the process and leaves them only to come back later. I gave him his medicine, syringed 20ml of water into him and gave him his dinner, which he ignored. Now, an hour later I can hear him chewing away at it so that is good! He might have needed to relax and settle a bit without me around before he'd touch them. His poops range from good to on the small side, he is picking at hay. He still takes his treats. So, basically some typical signs that dental work needs to be done.

I have to be honest- if this is his teeth, I will be VERY VERY relieved. That is an EASY fix! However, I will also be worried- because then that means he might need his molars done every 4 months. I have no idea if I can afford that, already I have spent $1500 on healthcare for them alone, since February. That might seem like nothing to some people, but I just started a company this year and cash is so tight as it is, with unreliable income. Because I am self employed, I cannot get financial help either. I will also be frustrated if it is his teeth, because then this 'Summer of Pain' could have been avoided back in early June for both me and my Sass. Nonetheless, I really hope this fixes it. If he does not improve, next step is bloodwork and tests, and also the realization that he might be in chronic slowdown forever. He is not gassy as I mentioned before, this bunny really lets me know when he is uncomfortable. Right now he acts more like everything is an inconvenience, haha, but he also does not seem to enjoy food.

So that is the update- short summary: Sass might have initially presented with hairball and GI slowdown due to my lack of grooming him, lack of hay he enjoyed (not enough fiber), warm weather might factor in but it also might have been mainly due to teeth issues. The hairball has since passed, so that should not be factor in slowdown anymore. As for Chloe's slowdown, it might have been due to the same as all above just on much smaller scale. And PRAYING that it is Sass' teeth and nothing else.

Thanks for everyone's support and wisdom so far, please keep it coming if you have any left! :biggrin2:

 

[juliew19673]

Can't give health care advice other than to say sounds like you have all the necessary exams to make a diffintive course of treatment (Randy?).

Rabbits can cost a TON of $$ when trying to diagonosis their care - but again, think you've ran the tests necessary unless they do not respond to GI stasis treatment.

Will keep an eye out for the update and know your in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[JadeIcing]

I just wanted to say you are a GREAT bunny parent! People like you make me feel better about what I see so often.