Yofi, Anna and the Crew, 2010

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SOOOSKA wrote:
Great pictures Di,
Is Anna back with Yofi yet?
Let me know if you want the doggy outfits for him, I can post them ASAP.
Susan

Thanks Susan! :) I'm still not sure how I'm going to approach Sir Yofi and his attire; what I'm hoping for is his completely ignoring the area not too far down the road. So far though, he does still overgroom it whenever The Cone is removed. If I do put something on him, it is going to have to be durable material that he can't eat; now that will be a challenge! I'm impressed with the look of his leg/chest today...the hair is growing out very well. It's a bit odd to feel him there now as the shape of his body has changed a bit after the infection took its toll, but at least he's in one piece.

No, I haven't put Anna back with Yofi yet because she tends to overgroom him as well, and I don't want her aggravating the skin. But I have started letting them spend time together when I'm home in the evenings, even with Yofi's cone off - for at least 1/2 hour to an hour or so. I think they both kinda need the break.

And The Boy bit me yesterday! :X I don't think he realized he was actually biting me though; it was more of a 'get outta my way' nip. I was in his cage scooping out the litter box and Yof kept trying to hop around me, but his blasted Cone of Silence kept bumping into me. So he'd try to go around one way, bump. Tried to go another, bump. Tried again, bump. Finally he backed up, looked at me, then rammed his head, cone and all, into me and then added a healthy nip on my leg to boot. Thankfully it was just a nip (still, it left a small welt through my jeans), as an e-lop's teeth are big suckers! If Yofi ever wanted to go Kujo on me he could take chunks out of my skin - through the clothing - without even really trying. :shock:
 
Aw sorry you got chomped! It's amazing, I have 6 bunnies and haven't been bitten in almost 3 years. Phoebe went through a nippy stage when she was a "teenager" and nipped me on the side randomly when I was putting away Christmas decorations. No real harm done. But no biting from any other bunny since! My first bunny bit me a couple times a month and I thought that was standard for them! Didn't stop me from loving him bunches though :)
 
Yofi has been known to nip whenever he's very, very angry, as he has been ever since sporting The Cone, or whenever he's just impatient. Anna used to be notorious for sneaking up behind me when I was cleaning inside the bunny cage; she'd run back and forth, back and forth, agitated, then finally would come up from behind and give me a hard nip. Neither of these two has ever bitten though; warning nips are the furthest they'll go.

Phoebe went through a nippy stage when she was a "teenager" and nipped me on the side randomly when I was putting away Christmas decorations.

I laughed when I read this! I just pictured your Phoebe seeing you as the mean ol' Grinch who wanted to take away her Christmas...:laughsmiley:
 
Oh, forgot to mention that The Boy has been Cone-free since last evening. So far (rubbing both of Yofi's lucky rabbit's feet) he doesn't seem too obsessed with the area. When I checked on him and Anna this morning (they're finally back together as well) my heart sank just a tiny bit when I saw a couple of clumps of Yofi-fur on the bottom of the cage. However, the area where the infection had been still looks good, so I'll keep a close eye on him and pray that he leaves it alone.

Must say I was somewhat disappointed when we went to the vet's yesterday afternoon for his recheck, as Yofi's regular vet was unable to make the appointment (down with a bad case of the flu...ugh...I really feel for him). I must admit that this guy is one of the best vets I've ever met, from how he handles the animals to how he shows compassion toward their owners, to how he will go that extra mile and a half to help. However, the vet who subbed for him was also very amicable and helped to ease my fears about this infection resurfacing. I know it's always a possibility, but I plan to not focus on it and instead see Yof as his old goofy self, healthy and happy. Speaking of which, he most certainly was this morning; with that dreaded Cone removed, he seemed to be almost dancing as he hopped around the room, and his grumpy mood has lifted.

:happyrabbit:
 
YEAH Yofi. Now just be a good boy and leave your Boo Boo alone.

So glad to hear he's back with Anna:heartbeat:. She must have been so sad without her Love.

Just let me know when you want the clothes for Yofi, he'll look so cute. You can dress him up when he goes to the Vet. Can you imagine the looks you would get.:biggrin2:

Susan :)
 
Thanks Susan. :)

*sigh* The infection is back.

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So I put the cone back on him last night, separated him and Anna, calledand left a message for Yofi's vet this morning, and emailed him pics. Whenthe vetcalled back he pretty much agreed with my fears; Yofi might have to wear a cone for the rest of his life, and be off/on antibiotics as well. I'm once again applying Bag Balm and will see how it does overnight; if the Bag Balm keeps it in check I'll forgo the meds, but if the infection gets worse he'll go back on them right away. It's not a great solution, but this infection stays buried in his system, so there's really no choice. Poor Yofi. As soon as he saw the cone in my hand he grabbed it in a rage and flung it right into the litter box with a huge grunt. Can't say I blame him! I do have my suspicions that putting some sort of shirt or somethingon him to cover the area (when it's healed) most likely won't work, as Yofi does tend to rip and chew at anything he doesn't care for. But...we'll see. Right now I'm watching to see that this clears up. Oh, and I forgot to mention to the vet that Yof's sore hocks flared up as well...there was blood on the bottom of his cage a few days ago and both heels were bleeding. I suspect it's all tied in with the infection.

And my sister had her cancer surgery today; still waiting to hear how it went, as they hold the patients at the hospital for 4 hours afterward, and in that time frame there's no contact to anyone outside. Hate waiting to find out. She won't know a whole lot more yet, probably (theres about a 2week waiting period for results to come back), but at least this part is done - and hopefully she won't have to go back for another surgery, which sometimes happens.
 
Thank you...:hug:

Just got home not long ago and had a call from my sis. So far she's feeling great; she mentioned that she has to get a pain prescrip filled and was going to do it tomorrow, but I warned her that she might want to have it on hand so she can take pain meds before any (potential) heavy pain sets in. Now I'm off to visit her and see how she is.

My son too, has been calling me off and on for the past few weeks with his own issues...stress-related, financial problems, relationship woes etc. ugh.

Yofi looks the same; voracious appetite despite his ongoing woes. I approached him with a peace offering...a huge handful of dandelion greens and parsley, and he grabbed it from my hands as soon as I was near enough. When I get back tonight I'll bathe his owwie and put some salve on.

whew...some day it's gotta get easier. oh gotta run, catch the bus!
 
Well, I don't know if my efforts will all be for naught in the long run, since everything hinges on whether or not this infection will stay away by keeping Yofi from accessing the area. But yesterday I was pondering what I could do to make his life somewhat more comfortable - and mine a bit less complicated - since The Boy wear the Cone ad infinitum. The Cone is cumbersome on him, and not only limits his ability to clean himself (his eyes get crusty and dry around the edges, he can't clean his ears or his feet, and sticky night cecals get caked around the Cone's edges), but I'm also concerned about having his ears 'closed up' constantly; wearing the Cone presses Yofi's ears inward, which means they have even more restricted air flow...a potential for infection setting in.

So...I thought about it for a while, and came to the conclusion that if I could make him some sort of collar that keeps him from being able to reach down to his chest area, this might be a slight improvement. I had some thin, stiff cardboard left over from a package insert, so I cut out a piece and then went to a local fabric store. Bought a remnant of material and some polyester stuffing, as well as some velcro, and went to work last night. Tried it on The Boy this morning, and it seems to be working. It's not finished yet (velcro isn't attached, just looped over it, and ends have to be sewn) but it's a start. Because of the width of this collar I'm a bit concerned that it might be too close to the infection site, so am going to try and also work on something that is perhaps a bit less wide, but is fuller (fat). Right now he has it on and seems to be somewhat less grumpy - more mobile, and can now clean a portion of his ears and face. Like I say, it's just an attempt to make Yof more comfortable, and I don't know if it will work in the long run, but I felt like I had to do something for him.

(Oh, funny thing too...after I decided on a design and was getting ready to head out to the fabric store, I decided to go online for a moment just to check and see if I could find any other ideas for post-surgical head collars, just in case someone had a better idea. Turns out, some manufacturer had designed a collar almost exactly like the one I did for Yofi, but for cats and dogs...the only difference I could see is that they added a strap to loop around the pet's body so they couldn't remove the collar.

Here are some pictures of Yofi with his Yoficollar on....

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Poor Yofi but that is definitely better than the other collar. I bet he will learn to like this one (or at least hate it less than the other one).

You are so creative. Yofi is so lucky to have you for his mum/slave.
 
Thanks Peg...though I don't always feel like I do the best for Yofi. Not always the best at cleaning the litter box, or sweeping the room (though since this infection began, I do make sure his litter is always scooped now). I sometimes wonder if this infection he picked up came from the garden where I let him and Anna play. I used to plant veggies there, but finally gave up after the plants kept dying from the roots up. I dug up the entire area and just let it go to weeds, and Anna and Yofi would run around there (well, they also went there in-between gardening seasons). If the plants were harbouring some sort of bacteria, maybe Yofi picked it up. Or maybe he'salways had it and it only began showing up physically this year (which might explain the weirdbumps he used to get on his chin, right from the time I got him). Ah, who knows.

I haven't gotten any further with his collar yet (or making an alternate one either). Will probably do that this weekend. If his infection keeps coming back even when he's wearing the collar (or the cone) I don't know what will happen; all I can do is hope that he'll be okay. One thing I can say for The Boy though...he has a healthy appetite that most would envy. And right now I'm so glad he does. :)
 
Oh Di I dreaded coming to read up on Yofi. The poor baby he needs a break and Annatoo. I assume they are still separated?

Good looking collar. I was thinking about collars too, have you thought about getting some fleeceto makea tubular collar. It can also be stuffedwith the pillow stuffing, also can be made as wide as you need. I don't know just a thought.

I still have the outfits if you want them, he would look so handsome in them:biggrin2:.

Prayers and good wishes going out to all of you.

Susan:)
 
I hadn't been reading too much lately and decided tonight to catch up.

I am so sorry for all that your going through right now. I am glad is still his Yofi self with or without the Cone of Silence. Very nice job on the collar, I agree with Peg, Yofi is lucky to have a fantastic slave like you.

Great pictures by the way!

You, Yofi and your sister are in my daily prayers.
 
I was thinking about collars too, have you thought about getting some fleece to make a tubular collar. It can also be stuffed with the pillow stuffing, also can be made as wide as you need.

Yes, that's actually what I was thinking about as an alternate collar that I want to make...something a bit less wide on his neck, but with more stuffing in it...kind of like putting a hemorrhoid donut on him. (hmm...guess that's not a good comparison.) I'll fix the collar he does have now sometime this weekend so it's sewn together properly and the velcro is attached, and will try and make another collar as well. The collar in the pics make Yofi look a bit like Don Cherry. All he'd need to complete the look would be a goatee and a garish jacket. ;)

I am so sorry for all that your going through right now. I am glad is still his Yofi self with or without the Cone of Silence. Very nice job on the collar, I agree with Peg, Yofi is lucky to have a fantastic slave like you.
Great pictures by the way!
You, Yofi and your sister are in my daily prayers.

Thanks Dave. :) My sister goes to talk to her doctor on Friday about the surgery she had; to say she's scared would probably be quite an understatement, although she'd never admit it. She's off work this week and next, or is supposed to be...though yesterday she showed up to attend a meeting. :nonono:

On my end of it, what I'm finding hard - working in the same place as her - is that some female coworkers took it upon themselves to start organizing...they are holding meetings and get-togethers to discuss a 'plan of action' on how to help my sister (drives to treatments, making meals, etc.). While their intentions are all wonderful, what they don't realize is how much it's bothering me. It's like I can't get away from it...every day when I go into work they are talking about what to do, etc....and suggesting what I can do. It feels as though they are stepping over boundaries...like they are telling me what I should be doing for my own sister. It also feels like they are treating my sister like an invalid even before she knows how serious the treatments may or may not be, and I think that bothers me too, because I don't want them acting as though she is helpless...I do know when I went through treatments, I didn't want to be treated that way. Unfortunately they've also sort of crossed a boundary beyond my own scope; in the past 8-10 years at work there have been at least 8 women who were diagnosed with cancer (myself included). In every case the social committee organized a card and gift basket from staff, acknowledging what they were going through. However, for my sister, these women not only organized meetings, are planning meals, offering drives for her; today they sent out an email to all of the staff saying that more can be done and they want suggestions. Upon reading this my supervisor became upset, saying that they are going way overboard, and she feels it is making the others who did go through cancer recently (she did as well, the same year I did) belittled, and that they shouldn't be telling the entire office what to do. I'm not sure how accurate she is on this, but I hope it isn't upsetting others. I do know that what they are doing comes from the heart, and they are wonderful for doing so, but because of the office (and family) dynamics, it's a sensitive subject, and whether or not I'm justified, I was upset....probably just because they are making it a constant reminder for me, and because I don't want to view my sister they way they seem to be... as helpless.

For myself I tend to laugh at some of it because when I think back to what I went through, it is quite funny. I will spare the ugly details of symptoms here, but..I was off work for 5 months, had 7 weeks of intense radiation, could barely talk, was on liquid morphine for pain, had one of the worst cases of mouth sores the doctor had ever seen, couldn't eat anything but liquids for about 3 months, and was exhausted constantly. However, not having a car I had to rely on public transit, so was taking 3 buses a day, each way (about 45 minutes each way) to get to the hospital for radiation. My dad and stepmom had come up to stay at my place to help me out, and accompany me back and forth to the treatments; but after two trips to the hospital they decided not to go because my dad was having problems with his leg. There also wasn't enough room at my house for them to stay, so they stayed at my sister's house...and since they didn't want to go back and forth between houses every day, they stayed at my sister's place for the duration and cooked and cleaned for her. I think I may have seen them all of 3 or 4 times the entire time they were here. Meanwhile ('back at the ranch' ;)) I was going through treatments, going home and doing my own cooking and cleaning. Oh yeah, and I also had my kidlet pets to take care of as well...cleaning and scooping litter boxes, walking the dog, feeding them...
Oh yeah, and last year I was talking to a coworker who had worked there for at least as long as me, and when I mentioned the time I'd been off work she said, "Why did you have to take time off?" Then when I reminded her about the diagnosis I'd had, and that I was gone for 5 months, she said, "Really?? You weren't here for 5 months????" LOL...she sat two cubicles away from me and didn't even notice I was gone.

LOL! You know, after writing all of this down I'm sitting her smiling at how funny it all was. :biggrin:

Anyway.................................:biggrin:

As for Yofi: The collar that I made for him isn't on him all the time. He still does wear the cone, but that's at night and when I'm at work. Whenever I'm here he wears the collar. I'd leave it on him all the time, but am not fully convinced he won't be able to take it off when he's not supervised. I do think though, that he finds it a break from the cone. At the very least he's not banging into things with the collar on, whereas with the cone he keeps hitting the wall or the sides of the cage. In the doorway of the cage there's a little 'lip' along the bottom, and every time Yofi would go to enter or exit he would always hit the cone on it. What's cute though is that he's learned - after he bumping into it several times and getting somewhat stuck - to lift his head just enough...so now when he goes into his cage he usually stops first, pauses, lifts his head and then continues on. Who says bunnies aren't smart?

He still has the infection on his upper leg too, but it appears to be starting to dry up. I'm praying that it doesn't come back once this round of antibiotics are done, because I got the sense from the vet the last time I spoke to him that he isn't keen on renewing the prescription. Yofi's been on antibiotics now for over two months(?) I think...and was off and on them for a while before that. Vets around here don't like to keep a rabbit on antibiotics because of potential damage to internal organs with longterm use, so I don't know what will happen if - even after keeping Yofi away from the site - The Cone or The Collar's efforts fail to keep the infection from returning. One day at a time, I guess. In the meantime, if/when I get another collar done, or at least finish up the one he already has, I'll take some pictures.

Now off to bed...I'm starting a TeX course tomorrow (UGH) at work. Two half-days a week for the next few weeks, and I'm already under a lot of pressure because I'm overworked. If only I could teach the dogs to type...oh, and read...and catch spelling errors....and respond to emails...and access ftp sites....and create pdfs....maybe they could go to work with me and help out. Nah...Izzy would just eat anything he couldn't figure out. ;)
 
Some Yofi pics...

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Grooming (or trying to)

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He looks like he's singing here:

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And tongue pics

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Not sure how to describe this last photo...it's just...well...different....

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Just a quick note before I doze off. First great pics of the Yofi, will he and Anna get to hang out with his padded collar on?

Secondly, Di, my heart just goes out to you and the Yofster, you both are such troopers.:pray:


 
Thanks Dave. :biggrin2:

Yes, I usually let Anna be with Yofi when I'm home in the evenings - she often will groom his face for him, and Yofi loves it. Last night I didn't have them together because I'd just cleaned his cage and Anna is notorious for soiling the bedding when it's first cleaned. She urinates all over the place on it. Not sure why, maybe she's just weird. ;) So I wanted to give Yofi at least one evening with an absolutely clean cage. Tonight she'll be back with him again.

Not sure if the antibiotics are starting to bother him, but Yof made a mess of the hardwood floor the other day while I was at work...poo smearsin two large places(yuck). I think he's got about a week left on them, so we'll see how he does. :)
 
Hey Di, omg those pictures are adorable of Yofi; the tongue ones are hilarious. I very seldom practically never get tongue pictures.

Is that Vet bed you have in his cage? My next question was does he pee on it? Sounds like he doesn't but Anna does.

I bought the "Dr Maggie Skin Care Ointment for Pets" for Daisy Mae's bum, my gosh it was so irritated I felt so bad for her. This stuff work miracles. I will always have some on hand. Maybe it may work for Yofi. I know his is an infection but who knows maybe it would help some.

http://www.drmaggie.ca

Cheers

Susan:)





 
Oh my gosh that last picture... He looks like the devil's bun! But still somehow cute, only Yofi could pull that off. Poor boy, why won't that infection stay away!
 
SOOOSKA wrote:
Hey Di, omg those pictures are adorable of Yofi; the tongue ones are hilarious.  I very seldom practically never get tongue pictures.

Is that Vet bed you have in his cage?  My next question was does he pee on it?  Sounds like he doesn't but Anna does. 

I bought the "Dr Maggie Skin Care Ointment for Pets" for Daisy Mae's bum, my gosh it was so irritated I felt so bad for her.  This stuff work miracles.  I will always have some on hand.  Maybe it may work for Yofi.  I know his is an infection but who knows maybe it would help some.

http://www.drmaggie.ca

Cheers

Susan:)

LOL...I rarely get tongue pics either Susan, but poor Yofi tries in vain to lick the collar off, so I had the opportunity to snag some. (I still have more on my camera too, will download them later.)

Yep, that's Vet Bed. I originally purchased a piece back when I had Raph and he became disabled; then when Yofi developed sore hocks I bought a couple of large pieces for the bottom of his cage. Both Anna and Yofi urinate on it, but Anna much moreso. Thankfully it's highly absorbent, and worked wonders when Yof's feet were healing. The two Vet Bed that I now have are getting rather beat up as both bunnies will also chew on the edges, and Anna made a huge mess of the edges so now they're all jagged. But they've stood up to some pretty heavy rabbit abuse (both bedding are around 4 years old now and have gone through hundreds of washes). I'd highly recommend it for anyone who have rabbits that are ailing, or have tender tootsies. :)

And thanks so much for the info on that cream! I'm going to order some to have on hand, not just for Yofi but for Anna too. She tends to get a rather dirty rear end at times and her skin becomes inflamed if I don't clean her up quickly enough. But I also like the idea that it has an anti-itch factor. Once the infection on Yofi clears up again (and hopefully stays away) I'll put some on him, as the vet did say at one point that Yofi could be digging at the spot once it's healed if his skin is feeling itchy. He did say that a certain organism causes this, and that didn't show up in the test results, but you never know...The Boy could be feeling itchy or irritated there even when his skin is healed, and if he is, to give him some relief would be great. I'll definitely give it a try. Thank you! :)

***Oh, even better...I see it's sold by Pet Valu. Will be checking out the store here this weekend. :biggrin:
 

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