Just asking for positive thoughts/prayers...

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Jenk

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, Illinois, USA
If you have a moment, please send a positive thought and/or prayer for my Mini Rex, Zoe.

Zoe's gone through many ups and downs with her megacolon issues. Last week, things became more rough for her. An x-ray didn't show a ton of gas in her system, but she got an injection of Metoclopramide. (I've continued the oral form at home.) Recent blood work didn't show anything amiss, either. But we've known since mid-spring that she has an internal mass. More on that momentarily.

This morning, she wasn't exuberant about her pellet mash--what little bit she gets. It took her about an hour to eat it. And she's been lying down since then. She's also eaten less hay than normal over the past two days'. I placed some orchard grass near her to tempt her to eat it; I caught her eating it while she was in a stretched out/lying down pose, which is not normal for her.

I fear the mass is now causing Zoe problems. DH and I have agreed that we won't put her through a surgery. (We couldn't really afford it anyway, not with all the regular vet visits we've had and continue to have to make for our entire bun crew.) I just hope/pray that it's not yet "her time." :(

Thank you for "listening."


Jenk
 
MiniLopHop wrote:
:pray:I'm sure Zoe knows how much she is loved, that is what is important. :hug2:
You are so right. I really needed a dose of perspective, so thank you. :hug:


Jenk
 
Please get better, Zoe! You're a cute bunny and you're loved by lots of people, near and far from you. I hope you can feel the love and respond positively, we all want you to get better and be a happy bunny!
Everybody is sending prayers and good vibes to you, sweet Zoe!
:pray:
:hug1:clover::rose::carrot
 
SnowyShiloh wrote:
Aw I'm so sorry :( Poor Zoe. I will definitely keep her in my thoughts!
Thank you, Everyone.

Zoe visited the vet today for a post-op inspection of her ear. (She had a growth removed one week ago.) While we were there, I told the vet about Zoe's gut issues. And then we both discovered a cut on Zoe's right hind foot. My only guess as to how she got it was from a wire tie securing her pen's NIC panels. (There was no visible blood, and the cut was in a more obscure spot.)

Her temp. was 104-deg. F, which is higher than normal for her. (She's normally 101- or 102-deg. F.) The vet said 104-deg. F isn't horribly high, but she still put Zoe on a 7-day course of Baytril, which I've started tonight.

As of 10:15 pm, Zoe still isn't showing interest in food. I've syringed her pellet mash (about 12 mL's) and some watery Critical Care (also about 12 mL's). Both are risky for her, though; her gut doesn't handle protein well at all. I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place: she needs to have something in her system, but she'd be best off with hay. But I can't force-feed that to her, so... *sigh*

I don't know if the cut is the main issue; she's definitely dealing with gut-related stuff now, too. And, for all I know, the mass located near her right kidney could now be causing her problems. :(

Thank you again for your positive thoughts and prayers. I will continue to send them for Zoe, as well.

All the best,

Jenk
 
:( I know what it's like to feel powerless and like anything you do could be the wrong thing. Poor Zoe and parents.
 
SnowyShiloh wrote:
:( I know what it's like to feel powerless and like anything you do could be the wrong thing. Poor Zoe and parents.
Zoe's condition isn't improved this morning. (I spent a portion of the night with her and am dog-tired today.)

There's just been a series of unfortunate events; I'll likely never know what one thing (or multiple things) may be the cause. It could be her megacolon issues in general, which worsen with age. It could be the cut on her hind leg. It could be the fact that the colleague of my regular vet gave Zoe a dose of Laxatone without asking me first. (I would never consent to giving Laxatone to a megacolon bun.)

Even more rough is the fact that my vet's clinic closes early today for training purposes. (They do this once or twice a year; it just happens to fall on today, of all days.) So after 1:30 pm, no one will be there.

Zoe hasn't pooped or eaten overnight. I'm about to call the vet's office with the update. I'm afraid to force anything more down her, since she's not passing anything.


Jenk
 
have you tried rubbing her tummy? That can help. If there any gas or something that'll help. Try some wet ( run them under the water) veggies to get her pooping again.

:pray::pray: Praying for her!
 
plasticbunny wrote:
How is she now???
It's a tricky situation. An x-ray taken today indicates what looks to be a fecal impaction. Three blobs of fecal torpedo-shaped fecal material seem to be in her large intestine (the part that passes right below the cecum). At the vet's, she twice received sub-Q's and various injectables, which I'll continue giving at home tonight. I gave her sub-Q's early this morning and will give more tonight; so Zoe will have four doses total. We're push-push-pushing the fluids big time.

Zoe is back home for the night but will return to the vet's tomorrow morning for further observation/treatment. Tonight, I'll give her sub-Qs, injectable meds., and try to coax her to eat some watery Critical Care. She did eat her parsley from my hand, so that's a start.

BTW, I did massage her last night and felt some gas breaking up; now I'm wondering if I made the situation worse--or at least sped it up. Oy.


Jenk
 
plasticbunny wrote:
Have you considered giving her an enema? Or does her megacolon rule that option out completely?
Last I've read, enemas aren't recommended for bunnies anymore. (I forget where I read that, but I have. And I wouldn't trust myself to not mess it up anyway.) Regardless, I don't know if megacolon typically would rule it out.


 
I personally gave my rabbit an enema, and it saved her life. When she did pass the blockage, it was HUGE, like the size of a peach pit. She would never have passed it otherwise.

This is the guide I followed when I did it. You may have seen it before (look for section D):

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

Again, not sure if her megacolon will interfere or not, but it's a thought. I'm only suggesting it because the blockage is in her large intestine, where the enema will reach to flush it out.

But of course, your vet knows best. Good luck! How is she doing now?
 

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