Any experience of MAJOR ops??

Sorry to be posting again so soon after asking about what to do after Pumkin's op (by the way Pumpkin now fine) . . . and still asking for VIBES for Willow.

But I wondered if anyone had has experience of having a rabbit home after a really really serious op (Willow had an emergency stomach op this morning for gastric tympni resulting from totally blocked duodenum).

We are allowed just to talk to her and very occassionally stroke - but they have given all the meds.

She looks SO out of it - just laying there, breathing quite shallowly. No interest in anything. They say she refuses to swallow (all meds being iven by drip/injection today) and to be honest seems just pretty oblivious - though she has her eyes open. It was a serious op. following from a very painful exerience re the stomach.

Has anyone (PLEASE) seen a recovery after this sort of thing????? We had re-construction work done on a bun with deformed anus and spine - but she did not seem this out of it whn we got her back.

I need some hope to pass on to her and to cling to myself.

sorry for posting again

twigs

i can't help with advice but don't say sorry for posting...its what we are hear for. i really hope willow pulls through. keep strong for her and always be positive..sending lots of vibes

Not much experience of this I'm afraid. If she is on an opioid pain med looking 'out of it' may be due to that, I had a bun on morphine during a nasty bout of gut stasis and I didn't think she would make it cos she just sat there looking dazed and didn't move.

Hang in there, what will be will be. It sounds like you're giving her the best possible chance of recovery!

Hi :wave:

My rabbit Sheba had to have lots of ops on her abscess (mainly flushing) but she also had it stitched open by the vet and he had to cut away a lot of infected tissue (I think that's the right word :?)

He phoned me to say they almost lost her during the op... as you can imagine I was terrified when I turned up to the surgery. That was the worst recovery she ever had. She seemed totally out of it and was in a lot of pain and discomfort. She was tossing/ turning listlessly and even quietly yelped a couple of times She was on painkiller and the vet said she just had to see it through to get better... It was the one time I thought I was going to lose her after an op

I sat with her but gave her space. She didn't seem to like too much fuss but it seemed to help her knowing I was around. She wouldn't eat at all so I kept the Science recovery handy and she sipped at that. BUT...she got through it.

I think that, just like humans, big ops knock the wind out of the sails and on such a little animal, the body needs time to recover from the trauma etc.

I really hope that Willow starts to perk up soon and that you keep your strength!

*sending lots of positive vibes to you both*

x

gut surgery in rabbits is so serious most vets don't do it - hope she's OK

Yes, any surgery on the GI tract is very high risk. It is usually only attempted as a last resort.
I want to be encouraging to you but I feel it is important to understand that the success rate is not good
But I am most certainly wishing Willow well and hoping so much that she proves to be one of the statistically few Buns that do make it. Because some do, just not many. In my 5 experiences of Buns having GI surgery 3 did not get through the op One passed away 12 hours after surgery and one lived for 3 weeks before post-surgical adhesions caused a second obstruction. I could not put her through it all again so she was PTS

But dont give up hope, there is always that to hang on to

Janex

Im afraid Im also not much help

I vowed never to allow GI surgery on one of my rabbits (not that my vets are willing to perform such surgery anyway) and had my special boy Caspian PTS in November rather than attempt surgery for his bouts chronic GI stasis. When the meds stopped working we knew he had had enough.

Thats the key point though, no-one knows your rabbit like you do and if you felt she still had the fight in her then it has to be worth a try. I should imagine she is 'out of it' due to the opiates she is no doubt receiving.

I wish you all the luck in the world and sincerely hope she is one of the lucky ones.

Mega (((VIBES))).

fingers crossed for you and Willow.