This is SO frustrating

[Flashy]

Hope is not right. I KNOW he is not right, but what is wrong, I don't know. Whatever it is is up and down and comes and goes.

He was 'odd' for a couple of weeks, then got an odd walk (lower end pushed down) which we put down to a UTI after looking at all the options. His walk returned to normal yet he was still odd.

Last week he had his myxi vacc and the vet checked his teeth and he had some spurs done on Wednesday. My vet is confident that this was what was wrong. I asked that if he thought there was any concern to do a skull x-ray and/or a whole body x-ray whilst under a GA (to avoid it happening again). He said he felt there was no need.

However, on Wednesday he bounced back really quick and started to eat very soon after coming home, yet today he is not interested in food (he had a grand total of one pellet for breakfast). There are also a good few excess cecals around the cage (and whilst I'm not sure which one they belong to, I would suspect him because he does have a tendency to do that when feeling low.

He's not right. I can't take him back to the vets yet because all they will tell me is that he is still recovering from his op and he needs time to settle. I know my boy and he's not right. I'll have to wait until Monday unless he eats something soon in which case he will have to go today.

I feel like I'm failing him.

 

[Becca]

I don't know how to help but I just want to say you are NOT failing him! If you were failing him you wouldn't even be trying to help him! Your trying to help him so thats not failing!

Good Luck and I hope someone who knows can come along soon

x

 

[JadeIcing]

Becca wrote:

I don't know how to help but I just want to say you are NOT failing him! If you were failing him you wouldn't even be trying to help him! Your trying to help him so thats not failing!

Good Luck and I hope someone who knows can come along soon

x

Could not have said it better. You are doing all you can for him.

 

[tonyshuman]

A molar grind doesn't usually take that long to recover from, from what I've read. It seems to be just a few days.

However, it's possible that his mouth is still sore from the spurs and the instruments they used to trim his teeth. Have you tried offering him softer foods, like baby food, pellet slurry, canned pumpkin, etc? That may be something that he wouldn't mind eating. It's ok for a bunny that's been through something difficult to not eat as much. As long as there is still stuff going in and stuff coming out, I wouldn't worry too much. Perhaps listen for gas? Give some probiotic or Nutri-Cal? A lot of bunnies seem to get gas after going under GA--I think it's because the gut slows down under the anesthetic and the GI flora "work on" a bit of ingesta that's passing through for a bit longer than normal, and they create gas bubbles. That's entirely speculation, but it makes sense to me.

You aren't failing him, quite the contrary. He is in great hands. You are so connected to your rabbits that you know when something's not right, and that's a great gift. I hope it clears up soon, but if there's still some input/output, I don't think he needs a vet yet.

 

[Flashy]

I don't think this is dental related.

I have *counts* 8 dental buns here and we do the spur thing roughly every 6 weeks or so with somebun or another (roughly every 10 weeks for Dusk alone). This is Hope's second dental-had the last one in August last year (Badger, Cloud, both the Dopeys, Sandy and Star have all so far had one but Sandy is due another as is Star and Sky seems to be poddling his way down the dental route too). Dusk had a horrific recovery from his the first time, that took about 4 days before he would eat anything at all, but the fact Hope came and ate that night and also ate the next morning is the strange thing and its that that concerns me actually. His pain meds shouldn't have lasted him that long, although possibly they did if he only needed mild pain relief. He ate today, just later and with less enthusiasm but he has tucked into hay later on today.

Nutri-cal is a good idea. Thanks for that, I'll try and give him some in the least messiest way possible (I often fail when it comes to nutri-cal, in that aspect).

My concern is his kidneys, to be honest, or something else that causes pain sometimes but not other times, like a stone, or something else but I'm not sure what.

I'm just going to wait and watch and hope for Hope. He is such an oddball at the best of times.

Thanks for the reply

 

[tonyshuman]

Oh, ok. Did you treat for a UTI? How is his water intake, and his urine? A full body x-ray might be helpful to look for stones or sludge. Does he seem tender around his kidneys?

 

[Flashy]

Yeh, we did treat for the UTI and his walking resolved (but that was probably due to the Metacam more than anything).

I don't know why I've focused on his kidneys, that's probably a random thing because I don't actually know, just given he has had problems with his bladder something around that area made sense to me. He's not shown any signs of being tender and the vet also gave him a thorough going over while he was under. I'm possibly unnecessarily suspicious. I just can't shake the feeling I'm missing something.

I don't know exactly how his intake is because he has two bondmates but they drink a good fair amount.

 

[CKGS]

Tracy, You have hardly failed this little guy. He is just a little more difficult to diagnose so you are digging deeper which is what a good mom does. And if ever there were a good mom- it's you.
I will keep you and him in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[Amy27]

When Chase's sludge or stones are bothering her she urinates in places she doesn't normally urinate, she will try to go often with little output and if I watch her when she goes I can tell she is struggling. She will keep moving around the box to go and move her butt way up in the air when she goes. She will always lay funny, it is hard to describe. Does he seem to be doing any of that? The best way for me to tell if Chase is in pain is to watch her urinate. I can tell right away by how she acts when she goes. I don't know if this is what is wrong with your bun but thought I would tell you Chase's symptoms and see if that helps you determine what is going on.

I always think you should follow your gut. You know your bun better then anyone and you know how he normally acts. I would just really push the vet to do some tests and that you just know this isn't a problem from being under GA and having his teeth done.

Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[Amy27]

Tracy how is Hope doing?