Mwhitman58
Member
Hello all! My adopted buns, Bunny (originally named General Tomkins upon adoption), has quite the life story. Found in a park eating around a garbage can in Staten Island, NYC, he made his way to a kill shelter where I found him online and luckily adopted him the day before his D-Day (he was just the sweetest thing sticking his nose through the bars!). For two years now, Bunny has moved in with me and has no idea what a cage is, and now I live in HIS house! I have turned into a complete rabbit lady with the cardboard houses, feeding at least three organic greens per day, feeding only Oxbow products, etc. In turn, my Bunny and I have grown together and closer through the grad school years, the tears, the laughs, and he has transformed from wary, independent rabbit to a buns who begs for pets and sleeps with me on my bed. I just love him dearly!
Originally, I went to this site in search of some support as Bunny was recovering from GI Stasis surgery. After a particularly overwhelming molt, I noticed slight changes in my rabbits eating habits however he would always eat the same amount over an extended period of time. One night, I found him laying in an odd way tossing and turning with his eyes half closed and just knew. With an enormous amount of guilt I was wondering how this could happen to my rabbit which I thought I took care of to the best of my ability! I took him an hour away to this outstanding 24 hospital immediately in the middle of the night where they wanted to keep him for the exotic vet to see in the morning. It was heartbreaking to see him in pain!
After giving him fluids and some motility meds, the vet said surgery was our only option. I was feeling extremely guilty and just at a loss even though he said at his practice there is a 90% success rate. This vet was outstanding, however my family member was going in for severely intrusive surgery where the outcome was still unpredictable. Hours later (which felt like days!) and tissue boxes later he called me to say he made it through. I visited him and even though I cried because my baby was so drugged up with staples down his belly, and yet he managed to hobble towards me putting his head under my hand to be pet!
Weeks later, after several calls to the vet at 3AM and 4X a day syringe/med feedings, he recovered. He is binkying away and doing his Bunny 500s more than ever before! I asked the vet if he rattled his brain while he was in there since he is so much more energized!
I wrote this and joined to share my story that surgery is not always so grim, however I agree is absolutely a last resort. If there are any bunny moms and dads who are facing the fact that their loved one is in need of emergency surgery, I want them to go into it knowing that it is possible to pull through! Reading online articles and information about the GI surgery instilled fear and the utmost of negativity (similar to checking WebMD for your own symptoms and it is always the worst!), and hence my reaching out to the bunny lovers of the world! With love, intensive care, and yes, lots of money, your bunny can be binkying in no time!
Attached are pictures of my tough Staten Island boy who now resides ocean-side in New Jersey. Not too shabby!
Originally, I went to this site in search of some support as Bunny was recovering from GI Stasis surgery. After a particularly overwhelming molt, I noticed slight changes in my rabbits eating habits however he would always eat the same amount over an extended period of time. One night, I found him laying in an odd way tossing and turning with his eyes half closed and just knew. With an enormous amount of guilt I was wondering how this could happen to my rabbit which I thought I took care of to the best of my ability! I took him an hour away to this outstanding 24 hospital immediately in the middle of the night where they wanted to keep him for the exotic vet to see in the morning. It was heartbreaking to see him in pain!
After giving him fluids and some motility meds, the vet said surgery was our only option. I was feeling extremely guilty and just at a loss even though he said at his practice there is a 90% success rate. This vet was outstanding, however my family member was going in for severely intrusive surgery where the outcome was still unpredictable. Hours later (which felt like days!) and tissue boxes later he called me to say he made it through. I visited him and even though I cried because my baby was so drugged up with staples down his belly, and yet he managed to hobble towards me putting his head under my hand to be pet!
Weeks later, after several calls to the vet at 3AM and 4X a day syringe/med feedings, he recovered. He is binkying away and doing his Bunny 500s more than ever before! I asked the vet if he rattled his brain while he was in there since he is so much more energized!
I wrote this and joined to share my story that surgery is not always so grim, however I agree is absolutely a last resort. If there are any bunny moms and dads who are facing the fact that their loved one is in need of emergency surgery, I want them to go into it knowing that it is possible to pull through! Reading online articles and information about the GI surgery instilled fear and the utmost of negativity (similar to checking WebMD for your own symptoms and it is always the worst!), and hence my reaching out to the bunny lovers of the world! With love, intensive care, and yes, lots of money, your bunny can be binkying in no time!
Attached are pictures of my tough Staten Island boy who now resides ocean-side in New Jersey. Not too shabby!
