Eeyore
Young Bun
For the past few months, Benjy (my rescue house bun) has been backwards and forwards to the vet due to a lack of appetite and gut stasis. He has never been a hay eater, despite all efforts and lived on whatever pellets and veg, particularly as he is a dental gummy bunny with very few teeth!
Initially the vet couldn't see why he was going into stasis until his appetite started going again at the start of last week. Last tuesday I took him to the vet gave him the syringe food sachets and Zantec and told me to come back either way in three days. I have now learnt from reading these forums over the last couple of days, that no pain relief was given or a gut stimulant injection.
Between Tuesday and Friday, the poos lessened, despite being syringe fed and Thursday night he appeared to be in discomfort and was glad to get him to the vet first thing on the Friday morning.
Luckily then I saw much more of a rabbit savvy vet, who immediately admitted him for pain relief and a full dental examination. At the time, he was too weak to be under anaesethic for an intestinal examination and a couple of hours later, I got a phone call to say they had found a jaw abscess underneath where one of his teeth had been removed a few years back. Over the next few days I received phone calls to say they were syringe feeding him and giving him various gut stimulants, appetisers, antibiotics and painkillers.
It wasn't till this Tuesday afternoon he returned home, although still not eating much and we were still advised to syringe feed, especially as he was producing very few poos, but only to syringe feed half the amount as he had been eating greens and dandelions by himself and hopefully he would eat by himself. We got him home and he seemed bright and cheerful and within moments he was scoffing corriander and dandelions and even attempted a few pellets. He was told to come back on Thursday for a check up and his antibiotic injection.
Wednesday am, he remained bright, although had stopped eating the pellets. I managed to get him to willingly eat some corriander, cabbage and dandelions. As usual the Timothy hay, grass and alphalfa was refused, but by the evening, we were back to syringe feeding him properly as he had stopped eating again.
Thursday morning, we continued to syringe feed him as nearly all poos had stopped. Took him in for his antibiotic injection and check up and was advised to carry on syringe feeding him and try weetabix with him to get him eating (to which he showed no interest). Next appointment for his check up and antibiotic jab was to be tomorrow morning (Saturday). I mentioned that he appeared to be going downhill and whether he should have Metacam, but she didn't seem to think that was necessary, or to give him a gut stimulant.
Today, I have had him sitting on my lap, and although he seems cheerful, is still not eating of his own accord so am syringe feeding every 2 to 3 hours and giving him a big fuss. I can't help thinking the lack of eating is due to the pain from the abscess and no pain relief.
I'm at work at the moment till the early hours of the morning and his appointment is at half ten tomorrow and have left my boyfriend syringe feeding him. We are at least, finally getting poos out of him on an increasing scale, but they are typicallly stasis like hard and small.
At present, his medications are Maxalon, Zantac, Baytril, Periactin (due to an unexplained fur loss at the same time, possibly mites) and Duphapen antibiotic injections every other day. I feel he should still be having gut stimulant intections and Metacam.
Can anyone shed some ideas or advice on what to say to the vet tomorrow or any further suggestions of what to do for him. I'm desperately worried about him and I can't help but wondering after putting up with severe pain and being backwards and forwards in the car for 12 days, how much longer he's going to carry on.
Appologies for such a long post!
Initially the vet couldn't see why he was going into stasis until his appetite started going again at the start of last week. Last tuesday I took him to the vet gave him the syringe food sachets and Zantec and told me to come back either way in three days. I have now learnt from reading these forums over the last couple of days, that no pain relief was given or a gut stimulant injection.
Between Tuesday and Friday, the poos lessened, despite being syringe fed and Thursday night he appeared to be in discomfort and was glad to get him to the vet first thing on the Friday morning.
Luckily then I saw much more of a rabbit savvy vet, who immediately admitted him for pain relief and a full dental examination. At the time, he was too weak to be under anaesethic for an intestinal examination and a couple of hours later, I got a phone call to say they had found a jaw abscess underneath where one of his teeth had been removed a few years back. Over the next few days I received phone calls to say they were syringe feeding him and giving him various gut stimulants, appetisers, antibiotics and painkillers.
It wasn't till this Tuesday afternoon he returned home, although still not eating much and we were still advised to syringe feed, especially as he was producing very few poos, but only to syringe feed half the amount as he had been eating greens and dandelions by himself and hopefully he would eat by himself. We got him home and he seemed bright and cheerful and within moments he was scoffing corriander and dandelions and even attempted a few pellets. He was told to come back on Thursday for a check up and his antibiotic injection.
Wednesday am, he remained bright, although had stopped eating the pellets. I managed to get him to willingly eat some corriander, cabbage and dandelions. As usual the Timothy hay, grass and alphalfa was refused, but by the evening, we were back to syringe feeding him properly as he had stopped eating again.
Thursday morning, we continued to syringe feed him as nearly all poos had stopped. Took him in for his antibiotic injection and check up and was advised to carry on syringe feeding him and try weetabix with him to get him eating (to which he showed no interest). Next appointment for his check up and antibiotic jab was to be tomorrow morning (Saturday). I mentioned that he appeared to be going downhill and whether he should have Metacam, but she didn't seem to think that was necessary, or to give him a gut stimulant.
Today, I have had him sitting on my lap, and although he seems cheerful, is still not eating of his own accord so am syringe feeding every 2 to 3 hours and giving him a big fuss. I can't help thinking the lack of eating is due to the pain from the abscess and no pain relief.
I'm at work at the moment till the early hours of the morning and his appointment is at half ten tomorrow and have left my boyfriend syringe feeding him. We are at least, finally getting poos out of him on an increasing scale, but they are typicallly stasis like hard and small.
At present, his medications are Maxalon, Zantac, Baytril, Periactin (due to an unexplained fur loss at the same time, possibly mites) and Duphapen antibiotic injections every other day. I feel he should still be having gut stimulant intections and Metacam.
Can anyone shed some ideas or advice on what to say to the vet tomorrow or any further suggestions of what to do for him. I'm desperately worried about him and I can't help but wondering after putting up with severe pain and being backwards and forwards in the car for 12 days, how much longer he's going to carry on.
Appologies for such a long post!