Nummy has a kidney stone and it will likely take his life.

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Nummy

Nummy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
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Location
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
I have been trying to treat Nummy for what I thought was his regular bout of stasis. I have been watching him have ups and downs since Dec 16th. I finally called the vet to ask them what I can do to get him on his way when they suggested an x-ray to check for underlying issues. That is when I got the news that he not only has a small bladder stone, but also a kidney stone too. I am of course heart broken over this sad news. I have opted out from doing invasive surgery at is ripe old age of 9 years. That and the vet said he would be lucky to survive the anesthetic let alone the surgery. So all I can do is wait and provide him some comfort and relief as best I can. I moved him into my bedroom so he can have roam by day with me around, and a crate I made for him at night. I have been syringing him food and water, he has not been wanting to drink much, he does eat some of his greens and a little pellets when he is in the mood for them. He mostly will eat the greens though. I am going to really miss my little guy. At least for now, he seems in a happy mood. He has been running around my feet a bit and has been grooming himself which is good. Has anyone else lost their bun to kidney stones? How did you make your buns last days, months or years as comfortable as possible?
 
Cheri, I'm sorry to hear about Nummy. He's lovely.

I've never had a bunny with a kidney stone, but my Buttercup went to the Bridge at 13, for his last few months he slowed down. I gave him cannedpumpkin alot, which he loved also treats like craisins, oats, sunflower seeds, his toast weekly...

I felt i wanted him to have the best and what ever he wanted to eat (in moderation).

I'll say a prayer for Nummy and one for you to be strong at this time.

Hugs

Susan:hug1
 
I'm so sorry for this. I've never lost a rabbit, but I have lost a dog (in our family for 17 years). All you can do is make them as happy as possible. Spend lots of time with him. Give him his favourite treats. Cuddle with him. And when you think "We've cuddled for 2 hours, I guess I should go do the dishes or something", cuddle some more.
You will never regret spending too much time with him.
 
So sorry. I've never lost a bunny, but I have lost dogs. Old age, we all see it. Unfortunately there is no way to count backwards.

Echoing the advise of spending as much time with him. And both of you are in our thoughts at this hard stage of life.

Sending Hugs from New Jersey

Kreacher, Dobby, Willard and Jake (Big Bunny Dog)

K :)
 
I thank you all for the support. It is very sad to know your best little pal is going through the last stage of his life. I saddens me to know that we near the end everyday that passes. I have been trying to spend every moment of my time with him as I don't want to miss a thing. He is being pretty happy about being closer to me, being in my room permanently. He has been staying active and running circles around my feet, cuddling/humping his teddy lol. He is being given lots of treats lately, even though I know too many treats aren't always good, but sometimes only the bad stuff he seems to want to eat right now. Since he has been off his pellets he has been given some kale, dandelion leaves, some baby spinach, baby carrots and mint leaves, bell peppers and a couple of green beans, romaine and of course his very favorite bananas! The vet said he could have what he wants since it is all he will eat mostly. Last night around 2:30- 3:00am I watched him nibble some pellets, he ended up eating his whole bowl full by the time I woke bake up at 6:30am to check him. He ate all his greens and treats too. I gave him more pellets and greens again and went back to bed. When I got up at 10:00am I saw that he did not go back to his pellets, but I syringed some to him this morning to keep him going through the day. I don't think he is drinking much water by himself, although all the greens he is getting is providing him a water source. I do syringe him around 9cc's of water every time I syringe feed him to make sure that he is getting his water so his kidneys are getting rid of toxins. I am glad he seems in good spirits, since I know that when that declines, that that will really be the end for him. I love him so very much and I really want these last days, months or even a year to be as wonderful for both of us. I wish he could miraculously pass the kidney stone.... I will keep you all posted on the little guy.
 
I'm so sorry to hear about Nummy's diagnosis. My foster bunny Luna was diagnosed with kidney stones after she was adopted. Her mom's user name is Myheart. Luna passed away several years ago, but she lived for over a year after her diagnosis. She was very much helped by sub-q fluids, and if your vet didn't send you home with that I would call and ask about it. They'll show you how to do it. It's a little scary at first, but not really that hard. Sub-q fluids not only keep the bun hydrated, but can help flush stones out, flush out the toxins that build up in the blood, and take some stress off the kidneys. I would consider them necessary, I know my vet does.

What is he getting for pain meds? Luna was getting a low dose of Metacam (even though it's a little hard on the kidneys, the anti-inflammatory properties are highly needed) and a larger dose of Tramadol for pain.

How large is the kidney stone? Did the vet test his blood to see how well the kidneys are functioning? What about urinary tract/kidney infection- they can both cause and be caused by kidney/bladder stones.

Luna started with small stones and still had some kidney function, but as the stones grew and increased in number her kidneys eventually shut down. She occasionally had to be treated with antibiotics for urinary tract infections.

Please feel free to pm Myheart, I'll email her and let her know to check this thread. You can also pm me. Although I didn't provide the care for Luna's kidney problems, Myheart and I often talked about it and I sometimes went to vet appointments with her.
 
Nummy wasn't given any sub-q fluids... I am going to call about them now that this was mentioned. The stone looked really small to me when I saw the x-ray, the one in his bladder was bigger and the vet said he might pass it on his own. The vet said I could give him 0.1cc's (one drop) of metacam every 3 days for pain and inflammation. I am guessing she doesn't want to give too much metacam since it can be hard on the kidney's. We did not give him a blood work exam as we didn't want to do too much to him all at once, that and I am a little tight on funds these days. We did the x-rays and I got him some metrocloprimide to keep his GI moving. He was not given any antibiotics for infections at this time. He seems to have no trouble peeing right now, or look strained when he pee's. I know UTI's are very uncomfortable as I get them from time to time too. I have left a message with the vet to get back too me as it regards the sub-q injections and I will ask questions about UTI's too. I don't want to put him through too much though as he gets so stressed out about going to the vets! I will let you know what the vet says.
 
My Scone had kidney stones, and the Cornell vets had me giving him sub-q fluids for a couple of weeks. The increased flow of liquid seemed to have done the trick, and he lived for six months or so afterward before passing away from a number of health problems (but not kidney stones as such).
 
Metacam only every three days? It only has a half-life of 15-20 hours. It's usually given once a day.

I understand the funds problem. Same here right now. Sub-q fluids should be pretty cheap, and if the vet can compound (crush the pill and make it a liquid) Tramadol for you that should be pretty cheap, too. If he's having stasis issues, it's likely from pain so he really needs more pain meds.

Do you feed canned or pureed pumpkin during stasis bouts? Many of us like to do that, and the water content is a double bonus for the stasis and the kidneys. My buns eat it as a treat.
 
I thought the pain meds were a little on the low side too. I understand the metacam is hard on the kidneys but he is already in a compromised state so whats the harm right. As long as he is comfortable is all that really matters in the end. I will ask the vet about that too, I am waiting for her call. He doesn't act like he is in any pain, but I have read somewhere that buns tend to hide their pain. I think that pain meds would be a good idea just to make him feel much better over all. I have never tried canned pumpkin, Nummy tends to be a bit picky at times but I suppose I could syringe him some and get him used to it over time. He never laps up any pureed food like baby food even when I offered him it in banana flavor. Syringing it would likely be the only option to get him to eat it. I like the idea of the water content though as he isn't really drinking much water on his own to begin with. I will ask about the Tramadol too. I just want to give him a fighting chance at living as long as he can with this problem. I think one drop of metacam is really low too... how much metacam does a rabbit usually get for pain management?
 
Sorry for the double post, I tried to edit my last post but was too late. The vet called me back and I was able to ask her about the sub-q fluids and pain medication. She said to me that Nummy was not in the slightest bit dehydrated when they saw him yesterday. She also said that if he refuses to eat his force feeds or force water that it would be best to give him sub-q at that point. He doesn't mind his force feeds or drinks at this time, and with all the leafy greens he has been eating he is staying well hydrated and there is lots of pee in his litter box. As for the metacam, she said I could give him 0.1cc every 24 hours as part of his pain management to see if he will eat more as well. She said on the high end he can have 0.7cc's if he was having major pain, which I don't think is the case. I am going to give him some metacam this afternoon and see if there is any improvement and take it from there. I am going to go to the grocery store to get some canned pumpkin too to see if he might like it. Thank- you for all the tips, I am glad to be more informed so I can make better decisions for my little guy. I love this forum site! :biggrin:
 
Hi Cheri... I'm sending tons of hugs your way :hug:...

Naturestee had sent an email telling me about your thread. I have to admit that I couldn't help but cry for you and Nummy.

Naturestee offered very good advice per my experience with Luna. I discovered Luna had stones because she was passing blood in her urine. I guess I had thought something was wrong for a while, but without my favorite vet and an x-ray, her stones were discovered a little later.

Luna was given sub-q fluids every other day. It helped her so much because it actually helped to flush some of the stones out. She was also on metacam and tramadol for the pain. I've heard of people say that having babies is easier than passing a stone, so I was grateful that my vet provided her with the best pain relief for bunnies without making her all dazed and wonky.

Luna did very well with a calcium-restricted diet for a while. It almost seemed like the stone-level stayed the same for some time. On the fateful vet appointment when her vet said that one kidney was almost full, I died inside knowing that we didn't have long. I had to wonder about the change in status since I didn't do anything different for her. Then one night I discovered Luna stealing kale from another bunny in her trio! Kale is very high in calcium, and her little body started using it to make more stones as soon as it hit her system.

I felt so bad after all I tried to do for her... My little stinker just wanted thetasty stuff. By the time we discovered that her kidneys were getting full of stones, I gave up to a degree. I left her eat kale and anything else she wanted. Her happiness during her last few days meant more to me than anything else in the world. Anyhow, I think the link toLuna's thread is posted in the library of RO for all to see. It was all very difficult to go through, but the people on RO are wonderful with their support and help.

My only advice is to do what you are able to for Nummy. Sub-q's aren't just for hydrating in this situation, they also help with flushing his system which is extremely important. Vets may not want to hear about what you want for your bunny, but don't forget that the veterinarian's oath tells them not to do harm to an animal. If they don't know, they won't treat... Arm yourself with as much information about kidney and bladder stones as possible. If you want certain treatments for Nummy, don't be afraid to ask why or why not.

Best of luck with your little man... :pray:
 
My first bunny, Bugs, died after 8 years.. The reason we took him to the vet was for a cut on his foot, but he was so old and in so much pain there was not much we could do, but clean it everyday.. He could have barely used his bag leg.. I can only imagine how much pain he was in.. Eventually he stopped eating and we had to feed him yoghurt from a baby bottle.. I stopped eating yoghurt for awhile.. The day before he died, my dad took him out into the yard and supported/held him while he ate grass.. He must have eaten for about half an hour.. Everyone thought he was getting better.. Maybe he knew he was going to the bridge.. The morning after, he was just lying on his side on his towel not even moving and very still.. he wouldn't even eat the yoghurt.. Which he used to lap up quickly.. We took him to the vets and they kept him and put him on drips.. He died sometime during that night.. It was the saddest thing ever and even as we were burying him I was playing with him.. The vet said his organs had just shut down..

I guess what I'm trying to say is the same thing everyone else is.. Buggy didn't have kidney stones, but I'm sure he was in a lot of pain.. So, just try to spend as much time as you can with him.. And give him whatever he wants..

:pray:
 
I gave him some metacam around 2pm this afternoon, and he has been not really changing for the better.:( He hasn't really even touched much of his greens at all. I am hoping he is just a little sleepy and will perk up later tonight. I am not to sure if rabbits tend to be less active at a certain point in the day, but he usually is most active early morning and late in the evening. So I am waiting him out to see if his mood changes for the better. I really hope he comes around tonight. My poor little sweetie. :pray:
 
Accepting the inevitable is very hard.

Expect good days..... and bad ones, too.

Nummy will let you know what to do if you "listen" to him.

Enjoy and cherish your life together as much as you can.

Nummy knows you love him and that you will do anything possible to help.


:pray:
 
I'm so sorry to hear this about Nummy. :hug1

We found out Gus has kidney failure this past summer. It was really heartbreaking. :(

Rabbits tend to be more active in the early morning and late evening, so it's not unusual to be less active during the afternoon.

Do you know how much he's drinking every day? It's good he's not dehydrated, but with kidney issues it's really important that you flush the kidneys. I suggest upping the amount you're syringing him. 9cc of water isn't a whole lot. Gus was drinking up to 2 C of water per day (that's 500cc of water!) before he started on the Benazepril. Or try sub-q fluids. I understand they're not hard to administer.

Hope that helps!

Rue
 
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