9 year old bun not doing so well

[bunzilla629]

My 9 year old dutch bun, Guinness just had a vet visit today (one of many in the last few months.)

He was diagonsed with colon polyps in August of last year and the vet was unwilling to put him under for surgery to remove them (which I agree with) bc of his age.They hadnt seemed to be an issue for awhile. I took him in for his yearly in April and the polyps had gotten bigger, so the vet put him on .07mm of metacam daily, which is the highest dose for rabbits.Due to symptoms we also agreed he has arthritis in his front feet, which the metacam would also treat. He also has long bottom teeth with a few sharp points. Since he cant be put under for a tooth file, the vet said put him on a all hay diet to get him to chew more. (thus cutting out pellets completely)

so now he has lost almost a pound in a little over a month and his teeth arent any better, and I am sick with worry. The vet doesnt know if the weight loss is because of his age, the medication (which can affect his liver) or the all hay diet.

Can any of you with older rabbits give me any ideas on what to do? Guinness is otherwise happy, he plays, eats and doesnt act like he is sick, and I would like to continue his quality of life.

 

[Maureen Las]

I would take him to another vet for a 2nd opinion , making sure that the vet was really rabbit knowledgeable
Minnesota Companion Rabbit Societyhas a list of recommended vets ;

http://mnhouserabbit.org/resources/index.html


and RO has a list from members

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11612&forum_id=9

One vet may be uncomfortable with anesthesia in an older bun while another may not.

Teeth issues really cannot be left untreated; it is just not fair to the rabbit.

 

[bunzilla629]

Thanks! My vet is on the list though. The vet said we can try sedating him without putting him under. Have you ever had that done to any of your buns?

 

[LakeCondo]

An all-hay diet doesn't give enough nutrition, so naturally he's losing weight. It could be 95% that & 5% something else, but if the vet doesn't know that [or won't admit the all-hay diet was a mistake], I'd sure go elsewhere. Even if you don't want to change vets at this point, resume feeding pellets anyway & mention it to the vet only if you want to.

As to sedation, if the vet told you it's name you could find out more about it. According to Rabbit Health in the 21st Century most rabbits do not need to be sedated for incisor grinding or trimming & that some owners do it themselves periodically.

 

[bunzilla629]

The vet did say to put a small amount of pellets back into his diet. Which I plan to. Also unfortanetly its not his insisors that need work its his cheek teeth and there is no way Id do that myself! lol. Hes a calm bunny, but not that calm.

 

[Maureen Las]

I have had several rabbits with chronic molar issues that needed continual work andthey do need sedation. Best to find a vet who does a lot of rabbit dental just like you would look for a vet who did does a lot of spays/neuters.

if your present vet shows any doubtsI would call around, try to talk to the vet, expressing your concerns in detail, discuss the anesthesia.

Some vets actually have narcotic reversal agents..being able to bring the animal out of the anesthesia with an injection .
Molar grinds do not require heavy sedation...

 

[bunzilla629]

Excellent! I will talk to my vet today. If not, i live in an area with lots of exotic vets, so I will definetly look elsewhere. Thanks.:biggrin:

 

[LakeCondo]

I imagine you've tried to get him to chew on twigs, but what about different kinds of grass hays [not just timothy] & also fresh grass? Rabbit Health mentions that different hay textures "require different chewing mechanics, which in turn help teeth wear more evenly."

 

[LakeCondo]

I imagine you've tried to get him to chew on twigs, but what about different kinds of grass hays [not just timothy] & also fresh grass? Rabbit Health mentions that different hay textures "require different chewing mechanics, which in turn help teeth wear more evenly."