beans142
Member
I know this belongs in the Rainbow Bridge section, but I need to help myself feel better by telling what happened here and having others respond with their experience.
I feel totally devastated that I lost my bunny Morty, one of a bonded pair of neutered males adopted, to apparent GI stasis. Or possibly a blockage. What really has me so upset is that I was fully aware of all the details of this situation. I have simethicone, Reglan and critical care in the house. These two bunnies had at least two or three episodes a year of apparent stasis (not eating, lethargy). I did my homework and knew everything that had to be done to try and nurse bunny through this at home. Each time, it worked. Not this time. During one previous episode, I did have bunny to the vet, learned about the disease, got sub-q fluids and Reglan, and the next day bunny was recovered!
This time, bunny wasn't eating Tuesday morning. Tuesday night I gave simethicone and long manual tummy massages. Wednesday night, he was eating again! But I failed to notice that he didn't eat much and not with his usual gusto. I did not check him out like I should, feel his belly, etc.
Thursday morning, not eating. I started Reglan, more simethicone and very long sessions of tummy massage with a electric massager that I've used before. No results. By Thursday afternoon, I noticed that what I was massaging felt like a big mango shaped area right behind his ribcage and it wasn't responding to anything I was doing. Also, the area between his hind legs was totally flat. I started thinking blockage but somehow just figured if I kept massaging, this is what I was supposed to do. Tried syringing Critical Care but he wasn't swallowing it.
Early on, I remember his stomach making really loud gurgling sounds...but I forgot that this was ABNORMAL and initially thought, "oh good, his stomach is working"...
By the time I realized it was a crisis, it was after midnight Thursday evening. I debated trusting the local emergency vet but decided against it. Morty died at 5 a.m.
I am beside myself with grief. Would anyone with any experience with treating stasis please tell me their story so I can learn. I will never forgive myself for not getting him to the vet first thing Thursday morning. However, I now wonder whether even at that point it would have been too late? Would sub-q fluids have even worked at that point? I would have declined any suggested surgery since I've read it's rarely successful.
Why didn't all my efforts save my bunny? He was my "heart" rabbit, so full of life and character. His "brother" is nothing like him, very shy and retiring. The two girls are sweet and fun but they don't have Morty's personality.
I appreciate being able to share this here and am looking for advice; I will never forgive myself because I feel I let him down.
I feel totally devastated that I lost my bunny Morty, one of a bonded pair of neutered males adopted, to apparent GI stasis. Or possibly a blockage. What really has me so upset is that I was fully aware of all the details of this situation. I have simethicone, Reglan and critical care in the house. These two bunnies had at least two or three episodes a year of apparent stasis (not eating, lethargy). I did my homework and knew everything that had to be done to try and nurse bunny through this at home. Each time, it worked. Not this time. During one previous episode, I did have bunny to the vet, learned about the disease, got sub-q fluids and Reglan, and the next day bunny was recovered!
This time, bunny wasn't eating Tuesday morning. Tuesday night I gave simethicone and long manual tummy massages. Wednesday night, he was eating again! But I failed to notice that he didn't eat much and not with his usual gusto. I did not check him out like I should, feel his belly, etc.
Thursday morning, not eating. I started Reglan, more simethicone and very long sessions of tummy massage with a electric massager that I've used before. No results. By Thursday afternoon, I noticed that what I was massaging felt like a big mango shaped area right behind his ribcage and it wasn't responding to anything I was doing. Also, the area between his hind legs was totally flat. I started thinking blockage but somehow just figured if I kept massaging, this is what I was supposed to do. Tried syringing Critical Care but he wasn't swallowing it.
Early on, I remember his stomach making really loud gurgling sounds...but I forgot that this was ABNORMAL and initially thought, "oh good, his stomach is working"...
By the time I realized it was a crisis, it was after midnight Thursday evening. I debated trusting the local emergency vet but decided against it. Morty died at 5 a.m.
I am beside myself with grief. Would anyone with any experience with treating stasis please tell me their story so I can learn. I will never forgive myself for not getting him to the vet first thing Thursday morning. However, I now wonder whether even at that point it would have been too late? Would sub-q fluids have even worked at that point? I would have declined any suggested surgery since I've read it's rarely successful.
Why didn't all my efforts save my bunny? He was my "heart" rabbit, so full of life and character. His "brother" is nothing like him, very shy and retiring. The two girls are sweet and fun but they don't have Morty's personality.
I appreciate being able to share this here and am looking for advice; I will never forgive myself because I feel I let him down.