Callaway
Well-Known Member
I thought I would try this out! We got Cally just about a year ago. He was bought from a breeder in Maryland. He was the cutest little thing when we went to see him, but oh my was he fuzzy. He was coming out of a molt. When we took him home, my fiance hadnt built his home yet so he lived in the alcove for a week. He was quite jumpy and skittish. He would thump at us and speed away to hide. I took this as his previous owner did not handle him much and he wasnt used to it. So I introduced him to petting very slowly and sat with him during his feedings and hand fed him. This helped him warm up a little bit to me..Josh (fiance) was left out into the dust. I guess it didnt help that he tried to force Cally to enjoy being held by nabbing him unexpectedly. I never tried to pick him up just because he squirmed like a mad man when Josh tried and failed. I didnt want to drop him. So after about four months, Josh exclaimed that Callaway hated him. Callaway had afterall taken to following me around the apartment and coming up to me to nuzzle and have me pet his cheeks. I simply explained to him that he needed to stop picking him up. He hated it. So, Josh cut back on trying to pick him up. And this helped Callaway trust him more and allowed him to pet him but never to the level he lets me.
So, a few months go by and I realized its nail trimming time! I was afraid to do it myself for fear I would take it back too far so I scheduled a vet visit. I called around to different vets to see if they had handled rabbits before. One said they did (which I found out was a lie). So we took him in and I cringed at the way they were handling him. Broke my heart to see him terrified like that. They finally got him in a "correct" hold and clipped his nails and put him back in his crate. Josh wanted to discuss neutering because we had heard it makes them more docile and less teenagery. After we found the cost and the cons to doing it, I convinced him to just remain intact. When we got home from the vet and left him out of his crate, oh my goodness was he angry! Thumping his feet and circling the couch. Only lasted a little while though, or at least till food time!
Then January came. Callaway at this point was comfortable with us. He would stretch out with us and watch TV. Even come up randomly and "kiss" my feet or leg. Then one day, Josh and I were watching a movie and all of a sudden Callaway pops up and drops to his side convulsing and paddling. I, never have been experiencing this, ran away crying and yelling "I don't want to see him die" (a little dramatic I know but I was scared). Josh got on the floor with him and helped keep him from going into the wall or hitting anything. It lasted a good minute. After it ceased, I came back into the living room and laid down with him while he groomed. I told Josh that it was a seizure. He said no it wasn't, it couldn't have been. His explanation: Cally went to do a dead bunny flop, landed weird on his neck, and pinched a nerve.... probably. I wasn't fond of this explanation. I researched and youtubed rabbit seizures and found it was extremely rare and all of the youtube videos didnt look like what Callaway experienced. So I sided with Josh. Till a month later. Josh wasnt home. I was working on paperwork, and I see him do it again. This time instead of screaming like a baby, I consoled him and helped keep him safe. It only lasted about 30 seconds to which he jumped around and began to groom. Now, if youve read any of my posts in the Infirmary and Health and Behavior, you know this part. I use groom loosely when it comes to post seizure. He "grooms" his chest. Now, why do I use it loosely? Because if I place my hand under his chin, he continued to groom as if it wasnt there, licking my hand.
So I called the vet again *cringe*. I took him in again and the vet examined him, cleaned out his ears, took his temp, checked pupils, etc. I got the run down on household cleaners, electrical cords, etc. There had been nothing new in the house nor accessible to him. Not to mention the fact he was always in the same room as us or in his cage. I did recall though that we had just bought a new bag of Timothy hay from Walmart. I read somewhere that animals can defecate on the hay prior to reaping and parasites that are commonly found in raccoon feces can lay eggs which lay dormant. Till ingested that is. So, the vet told us we had three options. 1. Put Cally under anesthesia and get blood work done. 2. Used Baytril for 6 weeks to see if issue corrected. 3. Not do anything and just try to make him comfortable. So, we decided the less harmful option of using Baytril. They gave it to us in a cherry suspension. To which was sticky as can be and Cally wouldnt take it via the syringe. So we coated his food with it. The first week we didnt see anymore seizures. The next two weeks he would be with grammy and pappy till we made the comfortable journey to TN on a relocation and got set up. He followed the end of the second week. They had not reported any symptoms while he was with them. He was alot more friendly though. Very very snuggly, actually let Josh pick him up. Even resting head on my legs to get attention. BUT he is more sexually needy. Emiting his stink and honking. Even trying to hump our elbows and knees. He is binkying more also. Its pretty neat to watch. He goes a week in TN, no symptoms still on the meds. End of the fifth week on Baytril, he begins to seize again. Now, its multiple times per day almost every other day. We finish the Baytril and it just seems worse.
I begin my search for a TN rabbit Savvy vet. I wasnt going into the black abyss with someone who knew nothing. So, I found one! An hours drive. We made it yesterday. I fought with Cally to get him into his travel crate. Josh had left him out all night long so he thought he was just king of the castle. After I got him in it and in the car, I realized I forgot to put a towel in the bottom of it so I felt bad, pulled over, and let him on my seat till we got there. He ended up peeing on my seat. I actually think he felt bad though because he wouldnt move afterward and I had to pick him up and put him in the crate to go inside.
We go in, they weigh him. He's lost a few ounces which I am thinking comes from the decrease in pellets we've done. He fights with the nurse.. Do you call vet assistants nurses? but ends up freezing in terror since they arn't going to give in and let him be. Doc checks everything, compliments his face and teeth. Asks me questions. He tells me that seizures are very rare in rabbits and he doesnt think any rabbits been correctly diagnosed as epileptic. He had a similar case with another rabbit a few years back. Same behavior, symptoms, etc. That rabbit owner went with an experimental epilepsy medicine and it worked. He hasnt had a seizure while on it. I did explain that I wasnt sure what I wanted to do because I know long term use of epilepsy med can damage the liver. He pretty much told me its a catch 22. Towards the end, Doc suggested we do another run at the Baytril. He said since the seizures are more frequent and worse, there may have been a parasite (he used the fancy term) in the brain that the initial use of Baytril drew out but didnt kill. So, lets try it again.
So, here we are! Day one of the second run of Baytril. Its a concentrated dose. Straight Baytril. Smells like diesel fuel. Doc suggested mixing it with a little bit of apple juice, apple sauce, or organic plain yogurt to make it appealing to Callaway. So, I mixed the .2mL with a teaspoon of apple sauce. I enjoyed watching him lick it out of the bowl, but I realize a tsp mightve been too much. He didnt finish it. So, I think I might give him a few pellets and mix the applesauce with it. I dont know! We will see!
Sorry for the longwindedness... Thought this should start off with a get to know me and my problems!
Till next time!
Callaway and M
So, a few months go by and I realized its nail trimming time! I was afraid to do it myself for fear I would take it back too far so I scheduled a vet visit. I called around to different vets to see if they had handled rabbits before. One said they did (which I found out was a lie). So we took him in and I cringed at the way they were handling him. Broke my heart to see him terrified like that. They finally got him in a "correct" hold and clipped his nails and put him back in his crate. Josh wanted to discuss neutering because we had heard it makes them more docile and less teenagery. After we found the cost and the cons to doing it, I convinced him to just remain intact. When we got home from the vet and left him out of his crate, oh my goodness was he angry! Thumping his feet and circling the couch. Only lasted a little while though, or at least till food time!
Then January came. Callaway at this point was comfortable with us. He would stretch out with us and watch TV. Even come up randomly and "kiss" my feet or leg. Then one day, Josh and I were watching a movie and all of a sudden Callaway pops up and drops to his side convulsing and paddling. I, never have been experiencing this, ran away crying and yelling "I don't want to see him die" (a little dramatic I know but I was scared). Josh got on the floor with him and helped keep him from going into the wall or hitting anything. It lasted a good minute. After it ceased, I came back into the living room and laid down with him while he groomed. I told Josh that it was a seizure. He said no it wasn't, it couldn't have been. His explanation: Cally went to do a dead bunny flop, landed weird on his neck, and pinched a nerve.... probably. I wasn't fond of this explanation. I researched and youtubed rabbit seizures and found it was extremely rare and all of the youtube videos didnt look like what Callaway experienced. So I sided with Josh. Till a month later. Josh wasnt home. I was working on paperwork, and I see him do it again. This time instead of screaming like a baby, I consoled him and helped keep him safe. It only lasted about 30 seconds to which he jumped around and began to groom. Now, if youve read any of my posts in the Infirmary and Health and Behavior, you know this part. I use groom loosely when it comes to post seizure. He "grooms" his chest. Now, why do I use it loosely? Because if I place my hand under his chin, he continued to groom as if it wasnt there, licking my hand.
So I called the vet again *cringe*. I took him in again and the vet examined him, cleaned out his ears, took his temp, checked pupils, etc. I got the run down on household cleaners, electrical cords, etc. There had been nothing new in the house nor accessible to him. Not to mention the fact he was always in the same room as us or in his cage. I did recall though that we had just bought a new bag of Timothy hay from Walmart. I read somewhere that animals can defecate on the hay prior to reaping and parasites that are commonly found in raccoon feces can lay eggs which lay dormant. Till ingested that is. So, the vet told us we had three options. 1. Put Cally under anesthesia and get blood work done. 2. Used Baytril for 6 weeks to see if issue corrected. 3. Not do anything and just try to make him comfortable. So, we decided the less harmful option of using Baytril. They gave it to us in a cherry suspension. To which was sticky as can be and Cally wouldnt take it via the syringe. So we coated his food with it. The first week we didnt see anymore seizures. The next two weeks he would be with grammy and pappy till we made the comfortable journey to TN on a relocation and got set up. He followed the end of the second week. They had not reported any symptoms while he was with them. He was alot more friendly though. Very very snuggly, actually let Josh pick him up. Even resting head on my legs to get attention. BUT he is more sexually needy. Emiting his stink and honking. Even trying to hump our elbows and knees. He is binkying more also. Its pretty neat to watch. He goes a week in TN, no symptoms still on the meds. End of the fifth week on Baytril, he begins to seize again. Now, its multiple times per day almost every other day. We finish the Baytril and it just seems worse.
I begin my search for a TN rabbit Savvy vet. I wasnt going into the black abyss with someone who knew nothing. So, I found one! An hours drive. We made it yesterday. I fought with Cally to get him into his travel crate. Josh had left him out all night long so he thought he was just king of the castle. After I got him in it and in the car, I realized I forgot to put a towel in the bottom of it so I felt bad, pulled over, and let him on my seat till we got there. He ended up peeing on my seat. I actually think he felt bad though because he wouldnt move afterward and I had to pick him up and put him in the crate to go inside.
We go in, they weigh him. He's lost a few ounces which I am thinking comes from the decrease in pellets we've done. He fights with the nurse.. Do you call vet assistants nurses? but ends up freezing in terror since they arn't going to give in and let him be. Doc checks everything, compliments his face and teeth. Asks me questions. He tells me that seizures are very rare in rabbits and he doesnt think any rabbits been correctly diagnosed as epileptic. He had a similar case with another rabbit a few years back. Same behavior, symptoms, etc. That rabbit owner went with an experimental epilepsy medicine and it worked. He hasnt had a seizure while on it. I did explain that I wasnt sure what I wanted to do because I know long term use of epilepsy med can damage the liver. He pretty much told me its a catch 22. Towards the end, Doc suggested we do another run at the Baytril. He said since the seizures are more frequent and worse, there may have been a parasite (he used the fancy term) in the brain that the initial use of Baytril drew out but didnt kill. So, lets try it again.
So, here we are! Day one of the second run of Baytril. Its a concentrated dose. Straight Baytril. Smells like diesel fuel. Doc suggested mixing it with a little bit of apple juice, apple sauce, or organic plain yogurt to make it appealing to Callaway. So, I mixed the .2mL with a teaspoon of apple sauce. I enjoyed watching him lick it out of the bowl, but I realize a tsp mightve been too much. He didnt finish it. So, I think I might give him a few pellets and mix the applesauce with it. I dont know! We will see!
Sorry for the longwindedness... Thought this should start off with a get to know me and my problems!
Till next time!
Callaway and M