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Jocelyn31

Jocelyn31

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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Good Sir, has been to the vet twice in the past month he has an infection in his teeth, and they are ingrown (well not anymore they were clipped again on Friday) they gave us new medication to try but said that is probably his last chance (we already did one round of antibiotics with no luck). This infection manifests itself almost like an upper respiratory. He gets sneeze and has a weepy eye. Well now the vets closed and he has wheezy breathing and the sneezes, he never was wheezy before simply put I think Good Sirs battle with this terrible tooth infection will come to an end tomorrow. That said I want him to be comfortable as possible tonight, any tips to help him get a little more comfy till he goes back to the vet tomorrow?
 
You can keep him warm, but not too warm. Rabbits don't tolerate heat well.
Bring him into the bathroom and run really hot water in the bath, the steam created from doing this helps loose mucous in the airways. (don't get him wet of coarse)
If you have pain meds that were prescribed to him previously, you could offer those.
Keep him eating and well hydrated.
 
Have you only done one round of antibiotics prior to this? I ask because it strikes me as odd (and makes me question how rabbit-savvy the vet is) if they're saying the second round of antibiotics is his "last chance". Has a culture been done to determine sensitivity/resistance (of the offending bacteria to various antibiotics)? That can make a huge difference in finding an effective treatment.

I definitely wouldn't give up on him without a second opinion - infections like this in rabbits can be very persistent and difficult to get rid of, but there are an awful lot of options available!

Watermelons's suggestion reminds me of one I swear by for treating congestion/sinus issues in humans that might actually help a bunny. You heat water to the point of being steaming hot (in the microwave or on the stove) and rub some Vicks (ie a mentholated rub - brand name is presumably different in Canada) in the bottom of a large bowl. You pour the steaming hot water into the bowl and then lean over it and inhale it through your nose. With a bunny, you'd have to hold them over the bowl and, of course, you'd want to try it yourself first (at the same distance you'd be holding the bunny at) to make sure it wasn't too hot. With humans, a towel is often placed over the person's head to make a "tent" of sorts with the bowl and trap steam in, so I imagine it wouldn't be too hot for a bunny if you were holding them at least 8-12 inches above the bowl and did NOT use a towel to trap the steam (I'd give the bunny a break from it after 10-20 seconds or so). It works wonders on congestion! [Oh, and obviously, you'd want to hold him VERY securely to ensure that he couldn't possibly wriggle free and end up in the steaming hot water, as that could cause serious injury!]

Here are our rabbit-savvy vet listings: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f21/

Another option (especially if rabbit savvy vets are very scarce in your area) is to ask Dr. Dana Krempels about it - she's a renowned rabbit biologist who answers rabbit health questions for free through this website. She may be able to help you and your vet find a good way to treat him! Make sure to indicate that the question is urgent in the subject line and include as much detail as you can about what's already been done by your vet.

:pray:
 
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Best of Luck! I hope he gets better, Please Lord, bless that bunny!
 
We tried steaming him but the poor little guy was mouth breathing, we rushed him to an emergency vet. And shortly after he was put to sleep.
He was a fantastic buns, he didn't chew (well relatively speaking), he never in his life peed outside his box, (he was fixed that helps) he was never skiddish or remotely worried about anything, he never once bit snorted or clawed even his vet said he was a remarkably calm rabbit.
He was on baytril and then chlor palm and he had eye drops cant remember what they were. We took him to Corydon Animal Hospital and has a doctor called Straus he was an awesome vet very sweet and always gentle with him. He did mention we could try surgery to remove the teeth (had the infection gone away) but he said the surgery can be risky and sometimes teeth can come back the vet also knew we were not super well off which may have been why he didnt push the surgery idea)
Thank you all for your help though!
I miss my sweet furry friend already.
 
I'm so sorry! I bet u are heartbroken! But I guess it was best:) I think u are a great pet owner, now he's up with God himself. :)
 
I'm so sorry to read about Good Sir's passing. From your description it sounds like he was a truly wonderful little friend, who was very lucky to have your devoted care. Binky free, Good Sir. :pray:
 
Thank you everyone, is there anyway a mod can maybe jump in and change that title just so people don't think he still needs their immediate attention?
 
I'm so sorry! Sometimes we do all we can and it's still not enough :(. I hadn't realized that his breathing was so labored that he was breathing through his mouth... it sounds like the infection progressed far too rapidly for the usual trial-and-error (re: antibiotics) to have time to find something effective.

I'm glad you could be there with him when he passed away. In my experience, being with a deathly ill pet means more to them than they could ever express. When I found my beloved Tabitha (a 9 month old white-faced blonde sugar glider who had an unborn joey in her pouch at the time) seemingly on the verge of death last June, we rushed her to the emergency vet but sadly, she passed away 2-3 minutes before we arrived (a necropsy was done, which revealed a liver infection). When I first found her, she had been laying on the floor of the cage (rather than their sleeping pouch) in an uncomfortable looking position and was felt to the touch - we warmed her up with a hot pack beneath a fleece blanket and Jay cradled her in his lap during the drive; I reached over to love on her whenever I wasn't busy driving/shifting.

We begged her to pull through but told her we would understand if she didn't and offered constant reassurance that we loved her SO much. I could tell by how she seemed to perk up, miserable as she was, that just knowing we were there and were doing what we could was a tremendous comfort - she didn't care that we weren't able to save her; the fact that we were *trying* meant the world to her. I felt like she knew it was her time... she wasn't wanting us to save her or make her better; she simply wanted us to be there so she wouldn't have to die alone.

In the end, that's all our pets ask of us - that we care enough to try our best... and there's no doubt in my mind that Good Sir knew how hard you tried to get him better. In his last moments, he knew that he was truly loved and appreciated. You gave him a wonderful life and made sure he was happy and well-cared for - something he was surely thankful for every day and quite possibly the only thing left on his mind as he departed this world.

Binky free, Good Sir! :rainbow:
 
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