Mikey has then a turn for the worse (RIP)

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anonymousmoose

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This morning I noticed Mikey not himself. He could hardly stand. I feared the worse and called the vet. They advised I feed him metacam, some left over medicine I have had last time this happened. Also they told me to feed him some of the grinded down food they gave me last time. He didnt like the food and probably got stressed and fell over. I took him to the vet, 45 minute drive, and they analysed his faeces and said he has another gut infection.

About $180 later I got some bacterium medicine and am now at home. He is looking in worse shape. Can't even lift his head. He ate some of the medicine through a syringe but wont take the food. Just dribbles out of his mouth. :(

I'm not the emotional type and been through this before but I am quite unhappy about this. It is the 3rd time he has gotton this and even a change in diet only seams to last a maximum of two months and he gets sick again. The vet said its unknown why this happens, other rabbits have died when this happened.

Does anyone else have advice on care? He is 'floppy' at the moment. He has been moved to a quite room with a towel and a warm water bottle underneath. I have used the towel to tilt his head upright and kept his body upright as best I can also.
 
So sorry I didn't see this earlier, but other than warmth and hydration, not much more you can do.

How is he?

Did the vet say what kind of gut infection?


sas :pray:
 
He didn't sound very good.

I'm so sorry. :(

You did a good job of nursing him through the last two times, but whatever he had probably never really went away.

I was getting attached to him. (I have a Mikey too).

:rip: Mikey.


sas :sad:
 
Oh no :( I'm so sorry. You did the right thing and was pretty quick with seeing a vet. You shouldn't have any regrets. =) RIP Mikey.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I first didnt really want a rabbit, he was for my wife. But over the last year the little guy started to grow on me that I mainly looked after him, gave him toys (which he didnt like :(), fed him and tried to play with him. Its sad. I called my wife who is overseas visiting her parents and we decided to bury him at my parents property this afternoon.

I will always have the photos to remember him by. I generally dont get emotional when animals pass away. I do feel sadder then when our family dog passed way 10 years ago. Mikey will be burred beside Rex.
 
Please feel free to post his story and photos in our Rainbow Bridge section.

And please don't give up on rabbits. You were an awesome bunny slave.


sas :tears2:
 
Thanks Pipp. I will try to post some photos.

At this stage, we will most likely not be getting any more pets for a while. We like to travel and we can use this tragedy to maybe travel a bit and not need to worry about pets at home. Perhaps in the future we can get another bunny.
 
anonymousmoose wrote:
Thanks for all the replies. I first didnt really want a rabbit, he was for my wife. But over the last year the little guy started to grow on me that I mainly looked after him, gave him toys (which he didnt like :(), fed him and tried to play with him. Its sad. I called my wife who is overseas visiting her parents and we decided to bury him at my parents property this afternoon.

I will always have the photos to remember him by. I generally dont get emotional when animals pass away. I do feel sadder then when our family dog passed way 10 years ago. Mikey will be burred beside Rex.
Click to expand...
Heh, bunnies tend to have that effect on people ;). You look at them and they're so kind and gentle...only eating simple things like blades of grass. Angels they are! My condolences again. I know how you feel. Been there..don't want to go there again for a long time.
 
I am so very very sorry about your loss :(

I would like to post an additional note for other members


When the vet tells a person to feed ground down food the vet is going by 'the book"
Feeding him or not feedingMikey did not hastenhis death so don't misunderstand me.


Vets learn in school that there must always be food moving through the gut of the rabbit and they take this knowledge and apply it literally and inappropriately

A rabbit who is floppy or unable to stand cannot swallow and process solid food .
A dehydrated rabbit cannot even digest solid food

if it was possible to give sub q fluids when a rabbit is in this condition that would be the appropriate course of action and this could definitely help the bun.

if the rabbit can physically swallow some water or pedialyte that would also help... but if the fluids run out of the bunny's mouth then there is little that you can do other than possibly wet a cloth and squeeze a little in his mouth .


Your description of your bun in your inital post told me that he is extremely ill and possibly would not make it even if treated so you did the absolute best that you could for him
but for other members who read this ..please evaluate what the vet is telling you to do and use common sense

if a rabbit can barely stand up then the last thing that he needs is being force fed.

Once again anonymoose this is not directed at you but at many cases here where vets tell owner to force feed immediately
in Mikey's case it would have made little difference what you did but in many cases the bun is in the very inital stages of an illness. .
Hydration before food
 
I'm so sorry. It sounds like he went downhill very fast. You did a very good job taking care of him, and I hope you don't give up on rabbits.

I agree with angieluv that the vet probably wasn't giving you the best advice. If you decide to get another bunny I'd look for a different vet. The main reason, in my opinion, is that they sent Mikey home with you when he was very ill. It would have been much more helpful if they had put him on a subcutaneous fluid drip, to hydrate him, which is very critical for ill bunnies like angieluv said. Also, the vet could have kept him warm, monitored his body temperature, and had the emergency equipment nearby (oxygen mask, etc) to help in case things went downhill fast like they did. Sending a "floppy" bunny back home with antibiotics is not the best course of action, IMHO.

You did a great job for him, anonymousmoose. I'm so sorry that you lost him.
 
In your RB thread you mention that he could have stayed at the vet--and I don't blame you for wanting to take him home. I wish the vet had given him different treatment, like fluids, or been more aggressive in treating this on earlier instances. Even with fluids and all the things a vet could provide, the outcome would probably have been the same, since rabbits hide their illnesses very well until it's too late to do much to help them in many cases. Perhaps the vet knew it was too late and wanted you to let him pass peacefully at home with you.
 
Dear angieluv,

I see your points. The bunny did have fluids injected by the vet. And when I got him home, he swallowed by himself medicine. He didn't like the food that morning through the syringe so I didn't force this much. But at the same time in the morning he did swallow the medicine himself.

So I do not think we can blame my vet. They did put him on fluids and it was the nurse there who told me to feed him that morning. I should have made that clearer sorry. My vet specialises in Rabbits and she is pretty good. The vet did warn me that in these cases, rabbits are common to die if they get the 'floppy' symptoms a few times in a row. I dont think she or I knew he would die yesterday, when I took him from the vet he was looking up a bit.

I am now thinking to get another bunny in the future, but have not decided. He wont be the same as Mikey yet the house does feel empty without him there. No more rustling around etc.
 
I didn't know that your vet gave fluids so she did the correct thing.

and filling in the specifics for me makes me believe that she is a good vet

I already see another bunny in your life soon; you are addicted:D....
 
Yeah, it is good that the vet gave fluids. It sounds like she knows her stuff and was doing the right thing.
 
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