pamnock wrote:
It's not highly contagious. Younger rabbits arenormally affected because they lack immunity to manypathogens. Dwarf Hotots (a breed we have) are more prone toGI stasis due to nerve problems with their GI tracts. We seemore incidences of sluggish guts in the spring and fall.
Pam
Help.Please help. I just lost my beloved DwarfHotot 1 week ago and am beside myself with grief.He livedonly 4 years and was my best companion. It happened sofast. Sunday night, my husband went downstairs and noticed hewas sitting on the far side of his 10 foot by 10 foot pen ina spot he never sits, right in front of the entrance to his pen where Iwalk in. He always sits under the hutch side by side with hisfemale companion on the otherside of the pen.Myhusbandmade a comment that my rabbit was "waiting for me" andthat was it. I thought nothing of his comment, figuring hemeant the rabbit wanted to be fed a treat. I already gave hima treat earlier, so I ignored his comment. The next morning, Mondaymorning I fed him and he seemed fine all day.
Monday night, he was sitting in that same unusual spot myhusband saw him the night before and was acting strange, hunched in aball and non responsive. Henormally runs up when Iwalk in his pen. We picked him up and he seemed fine, justtired so we left him alone. Tuesday morning I went down to feed him andhe was sitting in the strange spot again - hunched in a ball and againnonresponsive. I tried to reach out to him and he moved awayand faced the wall. His eyes looked watery and almostcompletely closed and he was grinding his teeth hard. I triedto feed him oats (his favorite treat) but he refused to eat.My husband insisted I should just leave him alone because if I broughthim to the vet, he claimed all animals die at the vet.
I was sick with worry and picked him up. His head startedshaking! I wrapped him in a towel thinking he might be coldand called the vet. They said to bring him down rightaway.The thing they found was his temperature wasonly 91 and it should be at least 101. Then his head shookhard and the vet said there was some type of nuerologicalproblem. She said he was in shock. She kept him for2 days on an IV. That first dayhe wasthere, I called throughout the day and then laterin the day to check on him and she said his temperature was up to 99and he was getting more spunky as he "tried to rip his IVout." The next morning she called to say he was the same butnot out of the woods yet. I asked if I could visit that 2ndday and when I saw him, I put him on my chest and he just stared at me.I tried to feed him some veggies I brought but he refused to eat. Inoticed they had tried to feed him some liquid food but most of it wason his chin. The vet only let me have 10 minutes with him andtook him away. I wanted to bring him back home and finish caring forhim there but she said no - that was a bad idea as his temp was stilllow, he was not eating, and he had no bowel movement. Shesaid he had GI Stasis. I said I would come back and check onhim the next day and left. She said she couldn't give him anyxrays to see what was wronguntil he was stabilized.
I got home and immediately the vet called to say he was having seizuresand wanted to know what she wanted me to do. My husband and Idrove right back to the vet and the seizures were much more violentthan I imagined. I tried to hold him, calm him as much as Icould, but he was out of control. My options, according tothe vet, was to turn him over to the emergency vet, but she said theywould only do what she told them, and that would be to control thesymptoms of the seizures. She said the "infection traveled tohis brain" and the other option I had was to euthanize him. Ididn't want to do this and cried and argued withthevetand my husband for an hour. I wanted to take himhome and said if he was going to die, let him die in my armsor be with his bonded bunny when it happened. Shesaid that would "not be very nice." She indicated he wasbeyond treating to the point he would ever be my normal bunnyagain. I couldn't stand to see him like that andthevet and my husband kept indicating he was suffering, so Iheld him in my arms as she put my baby to sleep. I was devasted andstill am.
I am suffering from guilt. Was my husband right - I shouldhave left him at home and if he was going to die, it would have beenbetter he died at home instead of at the vet's office? Didthe vet do all she could to save him? What could I have doneto prevent this GI Stasis from happening???
I miss him terribly - the loss is so hard to bear. I'mworried my other rabbit, the one he bonded with that I haveand was so close to- misses him.Theygroomed each other constantly. PeoplesuggestI need to get her another companion for her, and I amconsidering it, but I loved my lost rabbit so much, I don't want toreplace him just yet. Will I feel sad if the newrabbit I get not do the same wonderful, cute things my other onedid? Do you think we will see our animals someday again whenwe leave this world?