EmilyS
Member
The summarized version:
My bunny, Nanook, is 9 has been very healthy up until very recently. This last week, he has been lethargic, sitting in a hunched position, and squinting his eyes. The last two days he also tilts his head left and drops his left ear when resting (not when alert). He acts almost normal when I come with veggies or other yummy things (like Oxbow Critical Care), but then settles back into that same pained position. He went to an exotic specialist on Tuesday who found nothing wrong in a physical exam or bloodwork. He was prescribed Meloxicam and Gabapentin. There was no improvement. I brought him to another vet with exotic experience (though not a specialist) several days later for a second opinion. He also found nothing.
Nanook is clearly in pain, and I suspect he is exhausted, but the vets can't find anything wrong. His appetite comes and goes, but on average is decreasing. I feel very lucky that he loves Critical Care, but I can't feed him that indefinitely. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, because I am at a loss.
Known Medical issues:
Mild Heart Arrhythmia (his heart skips a beat about once a minute due tRo old age related changes in his heart) discovered Sep 2nd
Possible cryptorchidism on the right side discovered Dec 14th (he isn't neutered)
More medical history:
September 2nd: Very sudden and severe case of GI stasis (which in retrospect could have been a GI obstruction that cleared)
Nov 25th - Dec 10th: Intermittent mild-moderate GI stasis. Treated at home
Dec 11th: Stops eating hay. At first, he would put some in his mouth and then spit it back out. He hasn't eaten any hay since then.
Dec 12th: Brought him to non-exotic vet because he seemed to be in pain, despite eating plenty of Oxbow Critical Care. Prescribed meloxicam and made appointment with exotic vet.
Dec 14th: Vet did a full physical examination and found nothing. Physical exam was normal, and bloodwork was also normal. Prescribed additional meloxicam and gabapentin (which would be more effective for things like tooth pain than meloxicam). Suggests maybe doing an ultrasound for his cryptorchidism to determine he has a tumor, but the vet doesn't think that's a likely problem.
Dec 15th-Dec 18th: By now, he is eating pellets on his own, but spends most of the day squinting and in a hunched position. Medications seem to have little to no effect. Continues sitting in hunched position and squinting.
Dec 19th morning: Brought him to a non-specialist vet with exotic experience for a second opinion. The vet comes to exactly the same conclusion. Suggests maybe the medication could be hard on his digestive system and could be making Nanook lethargic.
Dec 18th-Dec 19th: Nanook starts tilting his head left when he is sitting and dropping his left ear. He stops tilting his head when called or when alert. It's subtle on the 18th, but obvious on the 19th.
My bunny, Nanook, is 9 has been very healthy up until very recently. This last week, he has been lethargic, sitting in a hunched position, and squinting his eyes. The last two days he also tilts his head left and drops his left ear when resting (not when alert). He acts almost normal when I come with veggies or other yummy things (like Oxbow Critical Care), but then settles back into that same pained position. He went to an exotic specialist on Tuesday who found nothing wrong in a physical exam or bloodwork. He was prescribed Meloxicam and Gabapentin. There was no improvement. I brought him to another vet with exotic experience (though not a specialist) several days later for a second opinion. He also found nothing.
Nanook is clearly in pain, and I suspect he is exhausted, but the vets can't find anything wrong. His appetite comes and goes, but on average is decreasing. I feel very lucky that he loves Critical Care, but I can't feed him that indefinitely. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, because I am at a loss.
Known Medical issues:
Mild Heart Arrhythmia (his heart skips a beat about once a minute due tRo old age related changes in his heart) discovered Sep 2nd
Possible cryptorchidism on the right side discovered Dec 14th (he isn't neutered)
More medical history:
September 2nd: Very sudden and severe case of GI stasis (which in retrospect could have been a GI obstruction that cleared)
Nov 25th - Dec 10th: Intermittent mild-moderate GI stasis. Treated at home
Dec 11th: Stops eating hay. At first, he would put some in his mouth and then spit it back out. He hasn't eaten any hay since then.
Dec 12th: Brought him to non-exotic vet because he seemed to be in pain, despite eating plenty of Oxbow Critical Care. Prescribed meloxicam and made appointment with exotic vet.
Dec 14th: Vet did a full physical examination and found nothing. Physical exam was normal, and bloodwork was also normal. Prescribed additional meloxicam and gabapentin (which would be more effective for things like tooth pain than meloxicam). Suggests maybe doing an ultrasound for his cryptorchidism to determine he has a tumor, but the vet doesn't think that's a likely problem.
Dec 15th-Dec 18th: By now, he is eating pellets on his own, but spends most of the day squinting and in a hunched position. Medications seem to have little to no effect. Continues sitting in hunched position and squinting.
Dec 19th morning: Brought him to a non-specialist vet with exotic experience for a second opinion. The vet comes to exactly the same conclusion. Suggests maybe the medication could be hard on his digestive system and could be making Nanook lethargic.
Dec 18th-Dec 19th: Nanook starts tilting his head left when he is sitting and dropping his left ear. He stops tilting his head when called or when alert. It's subtle on the 18th, but obvious on the 19th.
