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Herbert - the 'day after'.....some questions

H

Herbert'sMum

Warren Scout
I stayed up with Herbert last night to syringe feed him (as he had not eaten all day at the vet) and also just to give him a bit of comfort. He spent most of the night snuggled up to me, so I hope by that gesture he knows I am trying to help him and still loves me! Anyway, some more questions popped into my head last night and I was wondering whether anyone can answer?

They've put him on oral Baytril/Fibreplex in the first instance as they have found it to work for other rabbits with similar problems, although I did question whether this would be strong enough to fight the infection (as per the info received on here). I was told yes, however, if there was no change by Wednesday then a different approach would be taken. At this stage they wouldn't change his treatment. Therefore, how long does Baytril usually take to start working?

I was told that one of his tear ducts had been damaged and he is also on eye drops. How will this damage affect him in the long term if he pulls through this?

For those of you with rabbits who have chronic dental problems, do they now have regular dental check ups and are they on long term medication? I have been told that Herbert has teeth which will probably cause the same problems as now if left but they are not wobbly enough to remove at this juncture. Would the vet be able to esimate from her examination/xrays when he should have a dental again or is it just a matter of waiting to see the warning signs?

Thanks again everyone.
 
Fiberplex Is A Concentrated Fiber And Probiotic Feed. Its Designed To Help With Gut Flora Balance And To Promote Good Mobility By Supplementing His Fiber Intake.

It Does Not Fight Infection, It Helps Control The Gut Flora Damage That The Baytril (antibiotic) Will Cause.
 
Herbert'sMum said:
I stayed up with Herbert last night to syringe feed him (as he had not eaten all day at the vet) and also just to give him a bit of comfort. He spent most of the night snuggled up to me, so I hope by that gesture he knows I am trying to help him and still loves me! Anyway, some more questions popped into my head last night and I was wondering whether anyone can answer?

They've put him on oral Baytril/Fibreplex in the first instance as they have found it to work for other rabbits with similar problems, although I did question whether this would be strong enough to fight the infection (as per the info received on here). I was told yes, however, if there was no change by Wednesday then a different approach would be taken. At this stage they wouldn't change his treatment. Therefore, how long does Baytril usually take to start working?

I was told that one of his tear ducts had been damaged and he is also on eye drops. How will this damage affect him in the long term if he pulls through this?

For those of you with rabbits who have chronic dental problems, do they now have regular dental check ups and are they on long term medication? I have been told that Herbert has teeth which will probably cause the same problems as now if left but they are not wobbly enough to remove at this juncture. Would the vet be able to esimate from her examination/xrays when he should have a dental again or is it just a matter of waiting to see the warning signs?

Thanks again everyone.
Click to expand...

Your Vet is erring on the side of caution and using the 'cascade' system for prescribing. IE starting with the abx licensed for Rabbits (Baytril) before prescribing off-licence ('0ff-licence' does not mean 'not safe' !!)
The Baytril should have kicked in, if it is going to, within 48 hours as long as he is having a high enough dose. Obviously the infection wont be gone in 48 hours but there should be signs of improvement and certainly a reduction of pus production.

With regards to the tearduct was the damage done during flushing or was it the result of it being blocked and infected for a long time?
Either way, Herbert may need the effected eye bathed daily for the rest of his life and abx drops applied if infection occurs. Smearing a bit of Vaseline around the eye can protect the skin from becoming sore due to the constant tearing.

Regular Dental check ups with the Vet should help monitor how frequently Herbert needs more treatment. My 'rotten molar Bun' sometimes went for several months between Dentals, sometimes just a few weeks.

Janex
 
Last edited:
Jack's-Jane said:
Your Vet is erring on the side of caution and using the 'cascade' system for prescribing. IE starting with the abx licensed for Rabbits (Baytril) before prescribing off-licence ('0ff-licence' does not mean 'not safe' !!)
The Baytril should have kicked in, if it is going to, within 48 hours as long as he is having a high enough dose. Obviously the infection wont be gone in 48 hours but there should be signs of improvement and certainly a reduction of pus production.

With regards to the tearduct was the damage done during flushing or was it the result of it being blocked and infected for a long time?
Either way, Herbert may need the effected eye bathed daily for the rest of his life and abx drops applied if infection occurs. Smearing a bit of Vaseline around the eye can protect the skin from becoming sore due to the constant tearing.

Regular Dental check ups with the Vet should help monitor how frequently Herbert needs more treatment. My 'rotten molar Bun' sometimes went for several months between Dentals, sometimes just a few weeks.

Janex
Click to expand...

Herbert's having 0.6ml baytril twice a day and also been prescribed antibiotic eye drops due to the tear duct being infected. He's been having the drops since Monday as I noticed then there was a problem. There is an improvement to the redness of his eye and it's not weepy at this stage.
I suppose they are being cautious about the treatment given but I can't fault the level of care and attention he's had, nor the concern shown, so at the moment I will have to trust their judgement. Nothing is too much of a problem and I have 24 hour access to them if things suddenly go downhill so that makes me feel a bit better about the situation. I'm going to write a letter to the manager at my old vet as I'm really not happy with the service/care Herbert and I received there. I'm disgusted that this was missed at his dental in December. Surely there must have been some signs? I took him there six times after his dental as things weren't quite right and now know that I was fobbed off with a load of excuses, but then maybe I'm partly to blame as I should have taken him for a second opinion sooner. Trouble is you stick with what you know and trust the advice given by the so called experts. I take it a good vet should be able to assess during a routine examination whether his other molars have become loose and require removal?
Thanks again Jane. x
 
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