Thumpies
Active Member
Hi Everyone :wave:,
Its been a while since I have posted on here, however over the past eight weeks I have been reading and lurking alot! :lurker
Today, I really need some help/reassurance/advice about my little boy Thumper. Its a long story so let me bring you up to date quickly.
In the past two months Thumper has gone into GI Stasis four times. Twice I have been able to deal with this at home by myself, syringing simethicone, water, critical care as well as giving tummy massages and keeping him on the heat pad. Two weeks ago he had a really bad episode and I ended up driving to the Vets at three in the morning (our vet is half an hour away) as I thought I was losing him. He came good the following day after being administered gut motility drugs, and pain medication as well as sub q fluids. I took him to a rabbit specialist (over an hour and a half away but the second best one in Australia) the next day for a proper check up. She found that his back teeth have spurs on them and that his front teeth are not good either. He is actually booked in on Tuesday to have an operation to correct this.
However as of this morning Thumps is once again in GI Stasis (I have become a pro at picking up how quickly this comes about now). So he is now sitting next to me on a heat pad and I have syringed him so Metacam and Cisapride to hopefully get things moving and help with the pain. I am also trying to syringe water into him but he really hates that!
I don't want you all to think I am a bad rabbit owner - I love this little guy to death. He is my baby, however I have to wonder if I am doing something wrong?!!?? :?
I am sooooo strict with his diet since this all began. He used to get treats in the form of cherry tomatoes and the occasional slice of apple but now it is strictly greens, oxbow pellets and hay as twice he had episodes of Stasis after having those treats and the vet told me to take them off him all together! He is very fussy and I have noticed the past few days be has not been into his hay as much but he has had a love/hate relationship with hay his whole life so I wasn't too worried about that. The only other thing I can think of - is he eating the wrong greens??
1. Flat parsley
2. Coriander (Cilantro)
3. Baby Pak Choy/Bok Choy/Asian Greens
4. Baby Spinach, rocket and kale mixed leaves
5. Celery leaves
I do also have to add that he does not eat his cecals - ever since he was a baby. It is quite rare for him to eat those!! I have spoken to his Specialists about this and they say he is naughty but lazy.
If anyone can give me some advice, or if you have been through the same thing, please drop me a line. I feel as though I am slowly losing my little guy and fear that one day I will come home from work and he will be dead cause I haven't picked up his Stasis in time. I am hoping this operation to fix his teeth will end these problems but I am worried that I am just opening up another can of worms!!
Thanks for listening...
Emma
P.S. I think I should add that he is going through a molt right now and I just noticed that he did a little bit of wee and its a redish colour! Hmmm....
ETA:
Mini Lop, Four years old, and Weighs 2 kilos.
Its been a while since I have posted on here, however over the past eight weeks I have been reading and lurking alot! :lurker
Today, I really need some help/reassurance/advice about my little boy Thumper. Its a long story so let me bring you up to date quickly.
In the past two months Thumper has gone into GI Stasis four times. Twice I have been able to deal with this at home by myself, syringing simethicone, water, critical care as well as giving tummy massages and keeping him on the heat pad. Two weeks ago he had a really bad episode and I ended up driving to the Vets at three in the morning (our vet is half an hour away) as I thought I was losing him. He came good the following day after being administered gut motility drugs, and pain medication as well as sub q fluids. I took him to a rabbit specialist (over an hour and a half away but the second best one in Australia) the next day for a proper check up. She found that his back teeth have spurs on them and that his front teeth are not good either. He is actually booked in on Tuesday to have an operation to correct this.
However as of this morning Thumps is once again in GI Stasis (I have become a pro at picking up how quickly this comes about now). So he is now sitting next to me on a heat pad and I have syringed him so Metacam and Cisapride to hopefully get things moving and help with the pain. I am also trying to syringe water into him but he really hates that!
I don't want you all to think I am a bad rabbit owner - I love this little guy to death. He is my baby, however I have to wonder if I am doing something wrong?!!?? :?
I am sooooo strict with his diet since this all began. He used to get treats in the form of cherry tomatoes and the occasional slice of apple but now it is strictly greens, oxbow pellets and hay as twice he had episodes of Stasis after having those treats and the vet told me to take them off him all together! He is very fussy and I have noticed the past few days be has not been into his hay as much but he has had a love/hate relationship with hay his whole life so I wasn't too worried about that. The only other thing I can think of - is he eating the wrong greens??
1. Flat parsley
2. Coriander (Cilantro)
3. Baby Pak Choy/Bok Choy/Asian Greens
4. Baby Spinach, rocket and kale mixed leaves
5. Celery leaves
I do also have to add that he does not eat his cecals - ever since he was a baby. It is quite rare for him to eat those!! I have spoken to his Specialists about this and they say he is naughty but lazy.
If anyone can give me some advice, or if you have been through the same thing, please drop me a line. I feel as though I am slowly losing my little guy and fear that one day I will come home from work and he will be dead cause I haven't picked up his Stasis in time. I am hoping this operation to fix his teeth will end these problems but I am worried that I am just opening up another can of worms!!
Thanks for listening...
Emma
P.S. I think I should add that he is going through a molt right now and I just noticed that he did a little bit of wee and its a redish colour! Hmmm....
ETA:
Mini Lop, Four years old, and Weighs 2 kilos.