String of mucous in fecals (again)...

[Jenk]

How worrisome is a little bit of mucous found in a bun's stool? Should I make another vet appointment (and geta follow-up fecal culture) before we leave for vacation (in early July)?

The countdown to our vacation is growing short; and, tonight,my one bun passed a small group of odd-looking/-shaped fecals that were attached bya thin strand of mucous.

All that she's being fed (in the hopes of calming/healing her digestive tract) is 1-1.5 tsp. of Oxbow BB/T and hay (timothy with a little orchard grass). Should I bring her diet down to just hay for a spell to see if the mucous stops?

I'm getting scared because we badly need this vacation, but I have found norabbit-savvy sitters who can watch my animals within our home. And, frankly, I don't trust people who board rabbits in their own home; per personalexperience,some of themdisregard owners' feeding instructions.

Thank you,

Jenk

 

[DazyDaizee]

I would do what you can before you go. You don't want the rabbit getting sicker while you're gone and you don't want to be worrying about the sick bun while you're trying to relax.

On the petsitting note, I always want my rabbits to go to someone's home. I personally ONLY pet sit for animals in my own home because I don't feel a 30 min-1hr visit gives me a chance to fully observe normal behavior. I like to know the pets I care for and be there to observe them and catch anything that may be wrong. I've noticed some health issues this way that I likely wouldn't have caught in a quick visit to clean/feed. I can also offer much more free time and attention for each pet who stays with me. I feel they are happier this way.
If you have a rabbit with medical issues, I would most definitely recommend finding a TRUSTWORTHY, well screened, experienced individual (try your local rabbit rescue for a start) to care for the bunny in their home. This way they can more easily and quickly pick up on emergencies and get the bunny to the vet before it's too late.

 

[Jenk]

DazyDaizee wrote:

I would do what you can before you go. You don't want the rabbit getting sicker while you're gone and you don't want to be worrying about the sick bun while you're trying to relax.

This is true; I plan to call the vet's office tomorrow to make an appointment for early next week.

On the petsitting note, I always want my rabbits to go to someone's home. I personally ONLY pet sit for animals in my own home because I don't feel a 30 min-1hr visit gives me a chance to fully observe normal behavior. I like to know the pets I care for and be there to observe them and catch anything that may be wrong. I've noticed some health issues this way that I likely wouldn't have caught in a quick visit to clean/feed. I can also offer much more free time and attention for each pet who stays with me. I feel they are happier this way.

I've found that my guys stress considerably whenmoved to an unfamiliar environment that also contains unfamiliar rabbits.But I agree that someone having the rabbits within their homewould most likely have a bit more time toobserve their behavior/input/output.

If you have a rabbit with medical issues, I would most definitely recommend finding a TRUSTWORTHY, well screened, experienced individual (try your local rabbit rescue for a start) to care for the bunny in their home. This way they can more easily and quickly pick up on emergencies and get the bunny to the vet before it's too late.

One bun boarder (who's local) won't be available. The next closest boarder lives fairly far from me and onlytakes buns to her vet hospital.

I've called multiple vet clinics (especially those that treat rabbits) and haven't found oneviable bun-savvy pet sitter. I'm stressin'....

 

[tonyshuman]

Mucus to me is something to worry about. However, I might err or the side of "if it doesn't happen again in the next week, don't worry about it," because your guys' tummies seem to do strange things.

If it happens again, it's vet time. I don't think cutting out pellets would reduce the mucus if it's for real mucus caused by enteritis or some other GI bacterial overgrowth.

I'm confused as to whether or not you're bringing them with you on vay-cay, or if you're boarding them/pet sitting? What about a forum member in the area? Most people are pretty competent if you give them good instructions. Also, I know of vet clinics that will board animals, and that would be the ideal situation.

Do you feed them any petroleum hairball stuff, like petromalt? That can look like mucus in the poo.

 

[Jenk]

tonyshuman wrote:

Mucus to me is something to worry about. However, I might err or the side of "if it doesn't happen again in the next week, don't worry about it," because your guys' tummies seem to do strange things.

If it happens again, it's vet time.

Heh...I've already made a vet appointment for this upcoming Monday. I've decided to have a follow-up fecal culture performed; if she winds up needing antiobiotics again, well, there won't even be enough time for me to finish them before we leave (meaning that I'd need to entrust someone to complete the course).

I don't think cutting out pellets would reduce the mucus if it's for real mucus caused by enteritis or some other GI bacterial overgrowth.

I'm gauging her pellet allowance on her overnight fecal output. (If it were to consist of, say, many bone-dry, broken fecals, I might start decreasing them in order to cut them out of her diet.) This morning, though, she didn't have the worst looking fecals ever; so she got her 1.5 tsp. of pellets. (They were still odd-looking, but not the worst....)

I'm confused as to whether or not you're bringing them with you on vay-cay, or if you're boarding them/pet sitting? What about a forum member in the area? Most people are pretty competent if you give them good instructions. Also, I know of vet clinics that will board animals, and that would be the ideal situation.

We're going to Canada; we don't plan to make them endure a 13-14 hour car ride. Plus, I don't think they'd be allowed to enter the country.

I've contacted not only local vet clinics, but posted here and another forum, saying that I'm looking for a bun-savvy sitter; I only received mention of the bunny boarder who lives a bit far from us.

The drawbacks to boarding at a vet clinic: 1) They could be exposed to sick animals. 2) They'd be caged in a very small area (and may not get exercised daily, if the staff is very busy. 3) If boarded at their primary vet clinic, they'd be exposed to the sights/smells/sounds of dogs, cats and even a very vocal parrot. It all just seems stressful! That all said, though, I'll stillask the vet her thoughts about it during Monday's appointment.

Do you feed them any petroleum hairball stuff, like petromalt? That can look like mucus in the poo.

No. I wish the explanation for the mucous were so easy (and not irritation-related).

 

[JadeIcing]

Jenk wrote:

We're going to Canada; we don't plan to make them endure a 13-14 hour car ride. Plus, I don't think they'd be allowed to enter the country.

They would be allowed but you need the break.

 

[Jenk]

JadeIcing wrote:

Jenk wrote:

We're going to Canada; we don't plan to make them endure a 13-14 hour car ride. Plus, I don't think they'd be allowed to enter the country.

They would be allowed but you need the break.

I ought not know that they could cross the boarder ('cause if something negative were to happen to any of them during our time away, I'd always say to myself, I could've taken them with us).

Regardless, you're right: My husband and I need a genuine break from pet-related care. Honestly, I'm afraid to say that I can't/won't go because of a pet-related issue. It's not that my hubby is a violent/abusive guy (he's actually very passive). But Idon't want to be a part of the fallout that would result from such a declaration on my part.

 

[JadeIcing]

I honestly think you NEED to go.

Jenk wrote:

JadeIcing wrote:

Jenk wrote:

We're going to Canada; we don't plan to make them endure a 13-14 hour car ride. Plus, I don't think they'd be allowed to enter the country.

They would be allowed but you need the break.

I ought not know that they could cross the boarder ('cause if something negative were to happen to any of them during our time away, I'd always say to myself, I could've taken them with us).

Regardless, you're right: My husband and I need a genuine break from pet-related care. Honestly, I'm afraid to say that I can't/won't go because of a pet-related issue. It's not that my hubby is a violent/abusive guy (he's actually very passive). But Idon't want to be a part of the fallout that would result from such a declaration on my part.

 

[Jenk]

JadeIcing wrote:

I honestly think you NEED to go.

What's so hard (for me) is knowing that I do "NEED to go" but also that a negative situation could result from leaving my rabbits in the hands of a non-bun-savvy person (assuming that I find no other options between now and our departure date).

I was feeling just a tad more secure about having a non-bun-savvysitterwatch our crewuntil Zoe's passage of a mucous strand last night.

 

[JadeIcing]

Jenk wrote:

JadeIcing wrote:

I honestly think you NEED to go.

What's so hard (for me) is knowing that I do "NEED to go" but also that a negative situation could result from leaving my rabbits in the hands of a non-bun-savvy person (assuming that I find no other options between now and our departure date).

I was feeling just a tad more secure about having a non-bun-savvysitterwatch our crewuntil Zoe's passage of a mucous strand last night.

Could you be projecting stress alittle?

 

[Jenk]

JadeIcing wrote:

Could you be projecting stress alittle?

Oh, sure. But I've watched all three of my guys' behavior/demeanor turn on a dime due to gut issues (gas and/orunexplained pain).

I'd missed Emma's building symptoms that led up to her first stasis bout and hospitalization. And I'd thought of myself as vigilant back then. So how is a non-bun-savvy person supposed to catch the signs of a problem (during 1.5 hours' total time spent in our home)?

 

[DazyDaizee]

To be honest... take all precautions by seeing the vet before hand, like you've scheduled, and do what you can in the meantime. If the rabbit still looks good.. go on your vacation. I lost a rabbit shortly after my last vacation (of the one or two per year I get). I knew he had dental issues, he'd had molars trimmed and was having trouble getting back to himself. I left him at the vet to board.. what I thought was "in good hands". They were not observant and he developed an abscess that they did not notice. Surgery and complications when I got back.. ultimately this led to his death. Combination of bad vet care, unobservant caretakers, and the fact that he was an old bunny with a serious medical issue.
Do I think that my vacation made a difference? No. Do I wish I'd spent that week with him? Sure. Do I regret going given the circumstances? No. I had no way of knowing how things would ultimately turn out, and there is ALWAYS something going on with one of our pets. If I were to totally put my life on hold for every minor thing, I would be miserable and, as a result, a terrible pet owner. I do everything I can to give my pets a great life, but you have to take care of yourself as well. You deserve a vacation every now and then. So long as the vet checks your bun over before you leave, and you do everything you can and the bunny is in good health before you go, then I don't see any reason to skip the vacation.

 

[Jenk]

DazyDaizee wrote:

Do I think that my vacation made a difference? No. Do I wish I'd spent that week with him? Sure. Do I regret going given the circumstances? No. I had no way of knowing how things would ultimately turn out, and there is ALWAYS something going on with one of our pets. If I were to totally put my life on hold for every minor thing, I would be miserable and, as a result, a terrible pet owner. I do everything I can to give my pets a great life, but you have to take care of yourself as well. You deserve a vacation every now and then. So long as the vet checks your bun over before you leave, and you do everything you can and the bunny is in good health before you go, then I don't see any reason to skip the vacation.

Very well stated--and very true. I just have such a dang hard time of letting go of trying to control the outcome of my pets' health issues. For this reason alone, I need this vacation. Heh...

My one girl got her last-minute check-up today, which revealed a somewhat "doughy" stomach and involved a follow-up fecal culture. (I'm crossing my fingers that the results are normal, so that she doesn't require meds. while we're gone.)

My male bun wound up having a visit today, as well, after showing signs of pain (including gut slowdown, which I think was a direct result of pain). Wouldn't it figure that such an issue would crop up as our vacation departure time grows closer? And, of course, I stayed up until 2:30 am with him, so that I could give him three Simethicone doses (and one Metacam dose), thinking at the time that it was gas. (I no longer believe it was gas, as I didn't feel much of it, and the Simethicone made no real difference.)

Jenk

 

[Maureen Las]

DazyDaizee wrote:

To be honest... take all precautions by seeing the vet before hand, like you've scheduled, and do what you can in the meantime. If the rabbit still looks good.. go on your vacation. I lost a rabbit shortly after my last vacation (of the one or two per year I get). I knew he had dental issues, he'd had molars trimmed and was having trouble getting back to himself. I left him at the vet to board.. what I thought was "in good hands". They were not observant and he developed an abscess that they did not notice. Surgery and complications when I got back.. ultimately this led to his death. Combination of bad vet care, unobservant caretakers, and the fact that he was an old bunny with a serious medical issue.
Do I think that my vacation made a difference? No. Do I wish I'd spent that week with him? Sure. Do I regret going given the circumstances? No. I had no way of knowing how things would ultimately turn out, and there is ALWAYS something going on with one of our pets. If I were to totally put my life on hold for every minor thing, I would be miserable and, as a result, a terrible pet owner. I do everything I can to give my pets a great life, but you have to take care of yourself as well. You deserve a vacation every now and then. So long as the vet checks your bun over before you leave, and you do everything you can and the bunny is in good health before you go, then I don't see any reason to skip the vacation.

Very well stated Daisy !!

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

#1.left to themselves,things go from bad to worse.#2.anything that can go wrong/will go wrong at the most inopertune time.#3.if there is a possibility of several things going wrong,one one that will go wrong is the one that will do the most damage.#4.if everything is going well,watch out!-you have obviously overlooked something..!,.one small box serves as a bleek/dismalle reminder,..sorry cannot give better advice-without there being a confrontation,.sincerely james waller