Resolved: Turns out, it's NOT a bladder stone!

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Ivory

Ivory

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I have no idea what this is. I walked into my apartment this evening, and Erik was crunched up in his timothy tunnel. His haunches were obvious. He looked like he lost weight since this MORNING. Because this morning, he was fine, hopping, eating, drinking, being happy, following me around for treats and petting. And now he is sick again.

This rabbits gets fed perfectly. Pellets 3 times a week. Hay, hay, hay, hay, hay, hay, fiberrific veggies, hay, hay, hay, hay. Every kind of hay money can buy. He gets toys to exercise with.

I have no idea why he has continued to have these problems for the last three years. He is not eating, drinking, nor pooping. At all. His stomach is a big doughy mess. (For those who don't know, I was taught how to palpate for a hairball/impaction/problem already, last year)

I called Dad (normal vet, but more cat-dog-horse-cow-large animal with decent rabbit knowledge), who told me to call Doctor Rich (rabbit specialist in New Orleans, who treated Erik last year for his hairball and gave me the new diet regime) tomorrow. I hope I can get him an appointment for Saturday. I can't bring him to New Orleans tomorrow. I have two papers due. I gave him some simthecone so he does not build up gas. He won't take me forcing Pedialyte or canned pumpkin, and I don't think it's to that point.

Tomorrow, if he will not drink at all, I will give him sub-Q fluids until he can see doctor Rich. I'm not fooling around with this. He's very sick and needs care. This is so not good, and yes, it's the week before my finals. I have Metacam but won't give it until he is getting fluids. But he was drinking and eating perfectly fine earlier today. I hate it when this happens....

Wish me luck and I will keep everyone posted, I take suggestions....

ETA: Here is a picture of him:



This is all he is doing.
 
Poor little guy. Some rabbits are just more prone to this sort of thing. I'd keep up with the simethicone, and would it be possible to do sub-q fluids tonight? If he looks/feels that bad then it would be a good idea.

Also, tummy massages and warmth (rice sock/snuggle safe). Tummy massages can help a lot to relieve discomfort and possibly move solids along the intestines. You probably already know this, but the peristaltic movement of the intestines usually increased by movement of the other muscles and rest of the body.
 
Oh, poor baby. He looks pretty upset. I agree that some fluids might be a good option, since force feeding doesn't work very well for him. I'd definitely look into it tomorrow morning if he's not improved.
 
Just to let you guys know, we are on the way right now to bring Erik in. Funny, when I walked in this morning, he was up and about. His tummy is still doughy, and he isn't pooping or eating much. He took some craisins. I'm wondering if its not the willow tune tunnel I bought them. They demolished it, particularly Erik, and ate it to pieces. I think its clogging him up, because he was too active before. Over the last two days, now that I think about it, he has been much less active and has been lying down more. But it wasn't so bad, I thought something was really wrong. But he is going to get the care he needs now.
 
Ok, he is at the vet's overnight. They ran a blood panel. His kidneys and liver were normal. They wanted to see if there was another problem causing this chronic statis. He had a doughy tummy. His teeth checked out fine.

When they did an xray, they found he had a stone passing through his bladder. It's about the size of a grain of rice, which isn't terribly huge (I've known them to be as large as golf balls) but it certainly is not small. It's significant enough to give him a lot of pain. It wasn't enough to affect his kidney readings.

The course of action is, for now, he will be getting Critical Care every day for a week. We want to see if he can pass it on his own. In a week, we're going to do another xray, and see if it has passed. If not, I'm not sure what the course of action will be. Hopefully, Erik will pass it. I'm sure they'e also going to send me home with some pain medicine to help ease him through his problem.

The reason his tummy was doughy and enlarged was because of the pain he was in. He *was* in stasis but is eating and pooping again normally. He doesn't have any hairballs! Yay! Hopefully his bladder problems will not be chronic. So paws crossed for now, that things will be okay.

He is coming home tomorrow, most likely. It depends on whether or not I can get there. It's snowing in Baton Rouge tonight and if the weather his terrible, he may board until Monday. Lol.
 
OOF I bet that could have caused the stasis for sure. I hope it's just a one-time deal. How old is he? If his kidney panels looked good, it's probably an isolated event.
 
He's about to turn four. So he is a middle-aged bun. We're thinking its an isolated event, too. And he doesn't get any alfalfa or calcium-rich food so I'm hoping it's a one-time treat.

It's kind of ironic considering the amount of craisins he gets. Maybe I will buy cranberry tablets.

Now that I'm thinking about it though, I don't remember if they said bladder or gall bladder? I think they said bladder, because they mentioned kidneys...I was driving when they called lol. Well, I'm heading out in about 10 minutes to go pick him up. So I will ask then and look at the x-ray myself :p. I'm just happy he is okay for now.
 
He's passing a kidney stone???? Poor Erik
this would be very painful. :(
Are you going to do subqutaneous fluids Ivory ? ; that may help the poor little guy :tears2:

hang in there ; when rabbits are sick it isso all consuming and the rest ofone's life is placed on hold

let us know

:hug:

Maureen
 
Owie! No wonder he went into stasis. Did the xray get a good view of the kidneys? What is he on for pain meds? Metacam isn't enough by itself. Myheart's Luna was also on Tramadol for her kidney stones.

Just an FYI, even a rabbit with a "perfect" diet can get bladder or kidney stones. It can have more to do with genetics and how their body works than what goes into it.
 
Actually, you wouldn't think the little booger is sick. He is binkying like nuts and isn't in any pain. Seriously, he is happy.

Yes the x ray had a quite obvious view of the stone. Its about the size of a grain of rice. The doctor gave me some pain meds but I honestly have not felt that Erik has even needed it! He gave me a pack of critical care and some to feed him every day this week, so I have done that today.
But he is acting perfectly happy. We're all kind of confused, considering how upset he was Thursday evening. I thought I was going to have some serious problems.

All he has done since getting home is eat hay. I can tell he is hungry.

So yeah, he's getting Critical Care, and I have some pain meds in case of him suffering. I have a bag of Lactated Ringers in the case of needing it, but honestly the rabbit is acting fine.

I saw the stone myself, its honestly and truly there. I am scratching my head as to why he isn't in pain.

However. He has lost weight, and needs to gain some. Probably about half a pound. He's not emaciated, and its no sudden weight loss (though it was obvious when his tummy was so upset) but he does need some. Which is a problem, considering that alfalfa probably isn't the best thing to add, and he can only have pellets 3 times a week. I will probably post in nutrition a little later, about it.

This is weird. But yes, I have the stuff in case he needs it but... Right now, its passing without a problem.
 
I wonder if it passed from the kidneys to the bladder, and that was the cause of the stasis-causing pain? That's smaller tubes. He might be in a lot of pain again when it's moving through the penis. Fluids can help him pass it more quickly.
 
Critical Care is great stuff but it can actually suck the water out of the gut as it absorbs it forever. It should be a thin mix but most importantly very well soaked -- at least a good 30 minutes.

Canned pumpkin is good, wet fiber.

Offhand I'd think that the fluids are the key. Will he drink more with a capful of apple juice (or something) in a crock of water?

He may just be very happy he's not in as much pain as he was, but still feeling it. Rabbits don't always react to some really obviously painful stuff around here. Not that I'm saying to give him the Metacam, I'd avoid it if possible because as I'm sure you know, it restricts the blood flow to the kidneys and can cause stomach ulcers.

The fluids will make him feel better regardless.

Nose pats and hugs all around!


sas :clover:
 
I agree. It's great that he's doing better. I wouldn't give him the metacam unless he acts differently, because of the effects on the kidneys.
 
Naturestee- yes, the pain was *most likely* caused by the passage of the stone thru the ureters.... it was at the neck of his bladder when the x-ray is taken. I'm expecting that as he urinates it, it will become painful again. I haven't seen a stone in the litterbox yet. I'm happy there has only been one. Only one was visible upon x-ray.

Honestly I am just happy he is active. I want him exercising and moving that stone thru! Dr. Rich thinks it will pass within the week.

As far as fluids, I have given him extra dark, wet, leafy greens. I've washed them in water beforehand. Honestly I'm trying *not* to have to force any thing on him except the Critical Care, if it comes to it I have three cans of pumpkin. I have Banamine (not related to this or the rabbits), Metacam, and Tramadol....but as I said I am waiting until he seems to be getting uncomfortable. I have learned that the best policy is to not force anything until the signs are really there. Pipp tomorrow I am going to soak the Critical Care, I didn't think of that.

I'm going to try the apple juice/water in a crock. He likes drinking out of a bowl better, anyway, just has a tendency of knocking it over and spilling it. Or Sofie does, rather.

At least his tummy is clear, with no hairball. Now to get his bladder clear...

He's in the box right now. He's been in it for a while. He isn't hunched or uncomfortable-looking but he's been in it longer than normal. After he's out I shall check for the stone...

I'm also holding out on the Metacam for the said reasons, I was also told to use it only in the case of a lot of pain. I have Banamine but I would rather not have to use that...
 
Erik has been spending a lot of time in the litterbox. I gave him some more greens. He *is* peeing and it's a normal color, but I haven't seen the stone yet. He's still quite active. I'm thinking it's beginning to pass from the bladder out.
 
Well, guys, guess what happened?!

Eriks x-ray revealed that it was not a bladder stone! Apparently, the x-ray made it *look* like it was going into his bladder. His cecum was on top of the bladder when the x-ray was taken and it just didn't show up properly.

He had a little mineralization in his tummy, about the size of a grain of rice. It was passing through his stomach/small intestine, which was causing a lot of discomfort. He went into stasis and began accumulating hair, feces, etc.

Turns out, the little sucker has been chewing on my sheetrock in a place I didn't know about.

And it made a little deposit in his GI tract.

Currently, it is sitting in his cecum. It may stay there for months, but it's past any part that it can cause problems in. So it's just going to sit there until it decides to pass.

I swear, the thing looked like it was going to his bladder. SERIOIUSLY. I saw it myself.

They gassed him a bit before taking the x-ray, so he's currently hung over and looking miserable.

I went to Lowe's and bought some sheetrock-corner-covers. So he doesn't get himself sick again.

And the mystery is solved. At least it wasn't really a bladder stone.
 
OMGosh...the same thing happened with our Pumpkin. She was going into stasis, the vet saw what he thought were stones, and we went into full stasis treatment...fluids, pain meds, Critical Care...the works. Turns out that when she was having her romp time in the evenings, she was nibbling on the stone from the hearth...looks like there are 2 bits of it in the cecum now...and she's doing much better. Glad to hear that Erik is gonna be ok!
 
I'm glad it's not bladder stone! Guess he was hinting for a renovation project? Did he not approve of the room?:biggrin2:
 
OMG :shock:

this is scary ; we always hear that things like this can occur from chewing on the 'wrong" things but at the same time we don't often see cases like this in the Infirmary
Hope the buns are Ok andI will be sure that no sheetrock is ingested here.
 
I know, it scared me a lot. How bad he was feeling and how upset he was :(. I'm glad things are better now tho and I will have to watch his sheetrock chewing. When I had to go somewhere quickly, for about 20 minutes, I would leave him in what I thought was the bunny-proofed room, to run free. I thought he was safe. I feel badly now.

Also...I found where he was chewing and I don't think my apartment is going to give me my deposit back when I moved out.
 
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