The life of CoCo Puff the Puff Ball

[lovelops]

I love the pictures of her and the stuffed animals. Please keep them coming!!!

Vanessa

 

[**SRonchi1]

Wow that's amazing that our stories are pretty much exactly the same Vanessa, our situation is pretty rare & that's amazing we found each other on this forum. I really like hearing about your mum as we both feel and think the same way!

In NZ we have 1 major university that teaches and treats all animals & I'm going to have a chat to there Neurological specialist on Monday morning. Tara my vet might be speaking with them to but I want to here straight hand what they think. They also have a CT Scanner that's exactly like your rotating X-ray & that way they can examine deeper. I was reading that in humans they can put hospital grade cement like stuff to fill in the break in the spine, securing it so it doesn't interfere with the nerve & they also highly recommended acupuncture too to treat both animals and humans with spinal injury so I was glad with those findings! I'm a big supporter of acupuncture- I have had it done heaps of times and so has my husband and it works wonders! So I'm looking forward to Puff Ball starting a routine with it, I'm also looking forward to hearing what Massey University has to say & also what Tara has found our so i can get the ball rolling with what's the best treatment for Coco going forward!

Tonight I have decided to stop giving Coco the Metacam. This morning 5min after I gave her 0.1ml her heart started racing, breathing very fast & her eyes were popping out & her ears went hot! There was no change in her routine and she was comfortable getting a baby brush over & as soon as the Metacam was administered it set her off! She was a little bit the same the day before but not as bad as today- The first dose I gave her after the vet she responded well but I have a feeling she may have been in a some pain from them picking her up & then leaving her on her bad side in the cage for god knows how long so I think the Metacam had helped her out there but since then she has been the same, I havnt noticed her moving anymore or grooming anymore than she use to except one slightly good thing is her poo size got bigger while on Metacam??

The other theory I have is that if she isn't in any pain or has any inflammation in her body then would the Metacam give that reaction because what it is used for isnt there? Because the first day she was fine & normal but the second day & today she had a way different response & so I'm thinking because the Metacam isn't fighting pain or inflammation it is then stirring up her body?

Anyway I'm going to stop the Metacam and have a chat to Tara about it next week. I have my homeopathics that I have been giving to her when needed and they have worked wonderfully with a response & change within an hour so I might put get back on them in the meantime

 

[**SRonchi1]

So today was a beautiful sunny day & Coco sat out on her cushion while I tidied our patio area up & got stuck into replanting one of our 3 vege patches. Coco also hooned around in her cart today but was a tiny bit on edge & I think that had something to do with her medication she's been having.

Her boys, Darcy & Alfie, arnt aloud out of the bunny world untill 3-4pm as the sun is very harsh here & being Snow White Red Eye babes I don't want them getting sunburnt so they watch through the window while coco soaks up some rays under the shade cloth.

Tomorrow Coco has her first Acupuncture appointment that Alfie will be accompanying her to on the 30minute drive. I'm sure she will love it as Buffy the Pomeranian loves her sessions and goes off as soon as we get into the driveway!

Well that's all for Coco Puff on this beautiful night, I think it's a full moon? Can you see it over we're you are?? I will get onto tell you the story behind Marli Marzinny the Netherland Dwarf & Honey Puff the cutie tomorrow & post more pictures

Goodnight from New Zealand

- Shaan x

 

[Chrisdoc]

I do so look forward to finding your posts. I'm no experienced on medication, only given one of mine Metacam once but if you feel sh doesn't need it and it may be having a negative effect then you know your little girl best, sure Jenny will be on here with advice. I really hope that something positive comes out of your discussions with the specialists.

 

[**SRonchi1]

Thanks Chris- I love getting your relies Yeah that's my first instinct, I was hoping that miraculously the Metacam was going to show a difference in her but it really hasn't. The best thing about it is it does confirm my instinct that she isn't in lots of pain otherwise the Metacam would have changed her in a positive way but its really done the opposite. I felt so bad yesterday seeing her like that! She would just lick it up out of the syringe, no worries, but yesterday I gave her a syringe with some homeopathics & water and she grabbed it of my hand and tossed it away, then she proceeded to grab her hair brush & toss that too so even she knew it wasn't good for her & was very cross! I tried again with a couple of little drips & when she tasted the water ect she then drank that all up but kept stopping and sniffing it in between, Poor puffy She is such a character though & seeing her being cheeky as usual always puts a smile I my face

Today is her acupuncture Session & I'm really looking forward to it! Sarah is an equine specialist for reproductions & everything else surgically related to Equines & studied in England aswell as here in NZ. It has been great talking to her as she knows alot about bunnies & she at one point specialized in small animals so I know she would have done abit of research to pin point the proper spots to insert the needles for Puff balls spinal fracture. Because I only see her ever 2weeks as she comes down from Palmerston North which is 2hours away I might need to alternate between her and another Acupuncturist call Viv Harris so she can ge done weekly. Viv is well know actually practically famous here! She has written many books & had regular spots on TV shows. I had taken Coco to her once before & she was the one who referred me to Tara. The only thing is Viv proceeded to pick Coco up by the ears!! I then stopped her & picked Coco up properly, i guess when I do take her I will be the one handling Coco and not Viv or maybe she got the idea that you don't pick bunnies up like that!!

Well I'm so glad we live in the Capital of New Zealand- Wellington and have access to alot of different therapies and specialists so it gives me great confidence that I will be writing this log for many years to come about a very special girl call Coco Puff

- Shaan x

 

[lovelops]

The post I was working on just disappeared! I hope part of it pops up so I won't have to restart it again!

Quick answer about the medicine is that it reminds me of how the doctors were loading my mom up on meds to make her comfortable but in reality one of the meds that they gave her cause this condition called tardive dyskinesia which we voiced our concerns to the doctors about concerning how it was making our mom look like she had Parkinson's when she didn't and come to find out after my mother died there was a massive lawsuit against the manufacturer of that medication for it causing that condition which imitated Parkinson's. I think you did the right thing by taking her off the Metcam. Too often when you are dealing with an animal or person with a spinal condition the doc's will think that they are constantly in pain and instinctly try to over medicate which is what they did with my mom. Eventually we started cutting back on her meds because we started looking them up and found that giving her 3 painkillers at one time via doctors order in our minds was just too much and after asking her, she informed us she was not in any type of horrible pain or discomfort. The doctors just assumed because of her condition she needed painmeds..

Because we were around her 24/7 we knew her, same as you and Puff. One thing I forgot to ask but you brought something up about it in the post, when people have spinal injury/conditions they have problems regulating their body temperature. We found that out with our mom and started keeping a fan in the room with her at all times because she started getting prone to over heating. Have you seen that with Puff at all?

Before you visit the other doctors, keep a list of all her meds and medical history in a folder with you that you can give to the other university that you go to so you will have everything all ready. I started doing that for my mom when we would take her to specialist. It saved time going over the 'mundane' things like meds, daily routine we had, and opened the time up for more time to discuss what we were there for!

Now to see if I can find the other post or can salvage it and repost it here!

I'm glad to hear that she had a good time in the yard and you know she isn't in pain if she was pushing away the meds and being cheeky!

More soon!
Take care
Vanessa

 

[**SRonchi1]

Your so right about the regulating temerature thing, I was going to post about that but totally forgot! Cocos ears can get cold, I find its more her not being able to bring her temperature up through her ears but her body is warm. After she goes in her cart or I Equissage her, her ears are at a normal warm temperature & I think that's from her moving and getting her blood circulating. Yesterday they were really hot & her veins in her ears were pumping so i put some water on them and put the fan on slow & she was feeling better. She has a blanky that I put over her legs & stomach in the late arvo when she is in the bunny world + she has a wool pad that she can lay on that keeps her toasty warm. It's rather sweet to see her curled up all snuggley in a nice sleep with her Teds. It's a breathable blanky so she doesn't over heat + I check on her & she can just scoot off if she has had enough.

I'm sorry to hear your mum passed & the company that supplied your mums crazy med got sued after she passed. The doctors are quick theses days to supply copious amounts of Meds! Your story is so Great to hear as people/animals with spinal injuries are exactly the same & our stories match up to well.

You were an amazing daughter to her, caring for her, questioning the "experts" & standing up for you mum- alot of people out there would just. Stick them in a nursing home for someone else to deal with so your an inspiration xx

 

[JBun]

That vetbed fabric looks so comfy and soft. I'm sure she'll like having that snugglesafe too, when she gets a bit cold. All of these fun pictures of new bunny stuff, makes me want to go out and get some new stuff for my buns I just love all of these pics. She's so cute with her stuffie. I think it's so cute how some buns really love having a stuffed animal to cuddle up to.

That's actually so amazing that you might be able to do hydrotherapy with her. It seems like it's kind of rare to be able to have access to somewhere that it can be done with rabbits, but I just thought I should mention it in the off chance that you might be able to do it. That will be so interesting if it works out. I don't really know a whole lot about it except what I've read. I know that it needs to be approached very carefully, because of how some rabbits can react to water. But I'm sure Coco is used to being bathed, so that would probably help some. I feel a bit funny suggesting it, as rabbits and water is usually considered such a big no no. But I know that disabled buns are pretty much an exception, as they are often exposed to water, because of their bathing needs. And with her medical need, it certainly seems like something worth looking into. It would probably be good to also consult with your vet about it. She may be able to contact other vets with actual experience with it, and find out any particulars that would be good for you to know. Here are a few links I found on it if you want to read up on it.
http://www.rabbitcare.org/swimming.htm
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/05/08/veterinary-hydrotherapy.aspx

I think that's a good call on the metacam. Usually it is considered relatively safe for rabbits, but there is always a chance of a bad reaction occurring with any medication. That's what it sounds like happened with her, some sort of negative reaction, either to the actual medicine or the fillers or suspension liquid that it is in. It may have even been an allergic reaction. It really doesn't sound like she needs pain meds anyways, if you didn't see any noticeable improvement. That's interesting about the poop though. Not sure why that would happen unless it somehow stimulated her GI or brought down some existing inflammation. That's so interesting that she knew to associate the syringe with her negative reaction with the medication. I'm glad she ended up being ok after it all.

With their ears, they will feel a bit cool when a rabbit's body temp isn't hot and they aren't needing to cool themselves. Their ears will feel warm or hot when they are hot and trying to cool down. It's when a rabbits body is cool as well, that it's a problem. Their ears will also feel extremely cool from the low body temp.

I just wanted to say how happy I am and appreciative, that you started this blog. I love hearing about Coco. I'm also very interested in rabbit health and find your personal experience with your bun so invaluable. I haven't dealt with a disabled bun and just know things from what I've read, so I really appreciate being able to learn more from your first hand experience. I can't wait to hear how the acupuncture goes. I'm a bit shocked though, to hear how that one lady picked up your poor bun by the ears. I guess it just always surprises me that some people still think it's ok to do that.

Lovelops, I'm so sorry about your mom. It sounds like the medical system really failed her and you. You sound like a wonderful daughter and did everything you could to help her.

 

[lovelops]

Jbun Thank you.. I really appreciate it.. really I wish the doctors would have said they didn't have a clue what was wrong with my mom and sent her to another specialist instead of doing surgery that wound up severing her spinal cord... we can't go back and turn back time but if we could... I sure as heck would have gotten her out of the south and got her into a Northern Medical Instituation or taken her to Duke University Medical Hospital. At least I know Duke would have known what they were talking about.... at least I hope so!

But we can try to help Coco and it really seems to me that alot of the stuff that Shaan is going through with Coco is VERY similar to what we went through with my mom...

Vanessa

 

[**SRonchi1]

Coco is being loving to her Ted today, snuggling up and grooming him. She just had a hoon in her cart & now having a rest. She had acupuncture today which she enjoyed so I will update you all later tonight -Shaan x

 

[JBun]

Now that's a picture that could melt your heart :inlove:

 

[Chrisdoc]

She is so precious, just seeing her like that makes me feel so good, she just proves to us all that nothing is impossible.

 

[pani]

!!!!

Reading updates about li'l CoCo Puff brightens up my day. She's absolutely darling. I love how much she enjoys her life, and how dedicated you are to making sure she's happy and comfortable.

 

[**SRonchi1]

Thank you for your lovely comments again, she is such a special little girl & melts my heart all the time

So yesterday she had acupuncture & was excellent. Sarah decided to do her in her big cage in the back of my car rather then move her somewhere she wouldn't like. Coco was eating when Sarah put the needles in an then next minute her eyes were very sleepy & she was just chilled out! So cute!

Sarah said that acupuncture wouldn't help her much & that I should look at surgery. I was happy to hear that as the Exotics vet Tara said there wasn't anything she could do. Sarah said Tara isn't an Orthopaedic surgeon and I should consult Andrew Worth a Professor at Massey University specialising in Small animal orthopaedic surgery. I emailed Andrew last night and looking forward to hearing from him.

Sarah said Cocos healed fracture needs to be stabilised so it's not compressing the spinal cord & that Coco will be a good candidate for the surgery as she can still feel pain in her legs, has movement in her back end & that I would be dedicated to her rehab. She said the only thing is time would be against us and I need to look at doing the surgery sooner rather than later so fingers crossed Andrew gets back to me ASAP and can see Coco very soon.

Sarah also said that Coco was in very good condition for a disabled bun and was impressed she had no urine scald or pressure sores as she has been disabled for 5months. She also said Coco is defiantly not in pain & Tara the vet hadn't met Coco before hense not knowing her very well & thinking there is a good chance she would be in pain. She also said most people will give a grave prognosis looking at Coco as not many people will pay for surgery or after care for just a rabbit, if it were a dog or cat they would be more optimistic. Sarah knows me well and that the care and well being of all my animals is very important to me and that's why she referred me to Andrew.

Will keep you posted on everything leading up to Cocos surgery

- Shaan x

 

[**SRonchi1]

Ok, I have to stop buying stuff for Puffy but I can't help it! I went to the Pet shop today so buy dog treats and a couple of toys for the buns. I came across these little sheep skins & thought Coco would like a couple for her day bed



She sniffed them at first & wasn't sure, so I popped her on them and she sniffed again & them started grooming them. Here she is snuggling on her sheep skin having a groom

 

[**SRonchi1]

Gosh I just can't get enough of this girl, now when she sees the camera she stops and stares at it for a minute and then carries on!

Coco with my sons Jessie from Toy Stories hat on just casually grooming the carpet with her hat on & them she spies the camera & stares for a minute- Sooo cute!





And here she is getting her feet equissaged whole she grooms her legs



Equissaging again



And now in her night time bed eating hay waiting for her boys to arrive!

 

[**SRonchi1]

Getting into a comfy position ready for a nice big sleep with a foot up on the bowls which is her favourite position every night

 

[**SRonchi1]

Now that my brother Alfie is here there is no time for napping, it's back to hay eating time!







I see you using that camera!



And now my dad Darcy is here it's time for them to groom me & make me gorgeous!

 

[**SRonchi1]

With all the appointments, emails & (fingers crossed) Surgery I feel blessed to have the support of my husband Luke. He's not really into rabbits but says whatever makes me happy makes him happy!

Luke is a professional sportsman who has represented (and the only player to ever have done this) Australia & New Zealand in International Cricket! He travels the world & because of that we have been to some amazing countries! When we been together for 10years & he knew I was animal mad the first week we met & if he had a problem with that we wouldn't be here today! He appreciates & respects my passion/love & he himself loves animals too ( I do a bit more ) so when he retires from cricket in 5years we will have a farm & I will continue my love of rabbits, horses, dogs, chickens, sheep, cows etc & he can have a cricket pitch in his own paddock

After speaking with him (he is currently on Tour against India) & discussing that Coco Puffs potential surgery may be more than a few thousand dollars & to have him agree & be fine with it makes me grateful of the man he is. Most men, let alone most people in NZ, would think I'm crazy (he does a little) for spending that money & time on a rabbit but to me there is no second thoughts, she deserves every chance to have a great quality of life & I will do all I can to get her that & if any of my other animals were In The same situation I would do the same- They are family! I tell my husband that he's lucky I'm not some designer Dolce & Gabbana high maintanece girl- Give me a Mini Lop bunny & I will be fine Our motto is 'Happy Wife, Happy Life

 

[Chrisdoc]

I am amazed at that little girl and glad that you got more info from Sarah and hope that surgery could help our little Puffy. I love ALL the photos. I don´t know if it´s just me but I think she has the sweetest bunny face I´ve every seen. She has a look of serenity that just makes me feel so protective of her. I love her in her hat and seeing her with dad and brother is too cute.

What´s your husband´s name. I was watching some of the Australia/England matches, prefer to forget them after our performance but I do like cricket, my dad and grandad were big fans and I´ve watched it since I was a kid.

You are so lucky to have him supporting you and I don´t think it´s silly to spend that much money on your little Coco Puff if you are able to. I think she is a very lucky bunny and I am sure that she really knows how much you love her.

I really do look forward to seeing new posts from you about this wonderful bunny family and this extraordinary girl, you make all our life´s troubles seem very small and unimportant and you definitely brighten my days with news of this little lady.