Morse-I Dont Know What to do -U/D 18th Nov Post 127

Morse is due to have a major op' on his ear tomorrow- a lateral ear canal resection

http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/navc/2006/SAE/617.pdf?LA=1

I really dont know if I can put him through it. He has been on treatment for several weeks and whilst the infection has not fully resolved it is controlled and Morse appears to be much better within himself.

His recent blood tests showed some abnormalities in his Liver enzymes but a U/S of his Liver was normal and Christobel thinks the blood results do not point to abnormal Liver Function- the raised enzymes not being 'Liver Specific'. She believes his chronic Otitis is the primary disease process. The surgery is supposed to get rid of an abnormality in Morse's ear canal and thus the infection should then resolve and *hopefully* not recur.

I trust C 100% and although she has never done the op' on a Bun before she has done several on cats and dogs. I know she would not suggest that she operated if she felt it was beyond her surgical skills. She is not a 'gung-ho' Vet and she would suggest a Specialist Referal if she thought it to be necessary.

However I am sick with worry that Morse wont get through the op' or that he will have post surgical complications and suffer. The alternative is to keep him on abx longterm in the knowledge that the infection wont go away and might spread to the middle ear.

I am sooooooooo sorry for this epic post I am just in a mess about it all
I have been profoundly effected by the loss of another Bun yesterday (not one of mine but one I had met and felt a real connection to. If I had passed on a concern I had about the Bun then maybe the outcome might have been different ). The thought of losing Morse just fills me with terror. I admit, Morse has almost become a 'Jack' to me. I really cant imagin coping if I lost him, I am so scared

I know no-one can make the decision for me and I really dont know why I have gotten myself into such a state.

Thanks for reading this

xx

If he has the op what are the chances of the problem being resolved permanently?

Will not having the op and keeping him on antibiotics significantly reduce his life expectancy?

If the op is most likely going to sort his problems out for good I think I'd go for it, but if there was a lot of uncertainty I don't think I would.

It's a damned if you do damned if you don't situation.

How is Morse's weight, is he in good condition for a GA?

Oh hun, I'm sorry you are feeling sad.

If it were one of my buns who needed an op like brave Morse I would want to try. Yes, you are right it might not go to plan BUT it just might!

I cant really help with all the medical stuff because I dont really understand it but if you trust Christobel, which you do, then its worth a try I think.

louise and Gus said:

If he has the op what are the chances of the problem being resolved permanently?

Will not having the op and keeping him on antibiotics significantly reduce his life expectancy?

If the op is most likely going to sort his problems out for good I think I'd go for it, but if there was a lot of uncertainty I don't think I would.

It's a damned if you do damned if you don't situation.

How is Morse's weight, is he in good condition for a GA?

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C says that the only way we are going to stand a reasonable chance of getting rid of the infection permanently is surgery. Morse is still not back up to his proper weight, but he is in better shape than he was 3-4 weeks ago.

The only GA he has had was for his neuter and AFAIK it was uneventful.

I guess I just have this niggling feeling about it all. The fact that I ignored a 'gut instinct' on Friday and the Bun subsequently died makes me even more anxious.

But I dont know how much my anxiety is based on fact and how much of it is me being completely neurotic

BeatrixPotter said:

Oh hun, I'm sorry you are feeling sad.

If it were one of my buns who needed an op like brave Morse I would want to try. Yes, you are right it might not go to plan BUT it just might!

I cant really help with all the medical stuff because I dont really understand it but if you trust Christobel, which you do, then its worth a try I think.

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Thank you, I do trust C.
I am just so stressed

I don't know enough about rabbits to offer any useful advice but I just wanted to say that I'd read this an am thinking of you x

Have you talked through your concerns with Christobel?

I know no-one can really tell you what to do but my feeling is I would personally be inclined to trust your wonderful vet.

Good luck for tomorrow whatever you decide xx

I'm so sorry Jane, it must be a dreadful worry for you

I would think going ahead with the op would be best if that's Christobel's advice - she's certainly sounds like a fantastic bunny vet.

Loads of vibes for you and the wonderful Inspector Morse.

I have no advice other than has already been offered. I just wanted to send empathy. When Artie had his cystostomy in April I was told he was having it, it wasn't 'suggested' - good job as I wouldn't have been bold enough to make a decision

I can totally understand how you feel, Morse is incredibly precious. I know you will make the right decision for Morse, whatever that be.

Sorry you're feeling so stressed Jane about what to do for Morse

I have to say that knowing the relationship you have with Christobel - she wouldn't suggest this op, if she didn't think it would be ok. As Louise says it's like you're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't

I know it's hard, but I think if it was me - I would let myself be guided by Christobel.

Thinking of you both xx

thinking of you both. you'll do the right thing for morse, whatever it is.

Thanks guys.
I will have another chat with C tomorrow. I just have this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach

Morse is oblivious to it all and has just chomped his way through some scrummy caecotrophs.................... :mrgreen:

Lovely !!

i would feel the same hun, no matter how much you trust your vet you need to go with your gut. if only we could ask them what they want.

im scared for your Morse too, hes such a lovely brave boy and it looks such a huge op

i will keep everything crossed for him tomorrow, and if you decided last minute to cancel then i will remain keeping everything crossed that he has a happy stable life without it

Huuuuggggsssss to you xxxx

Morse - I dont know waht to do

Not sure if this will help you to decide but one of my cats had to have an ear canal resectionit really was a horrible op and put him through a lot but he survived that and the following six weeks of having to wear a collar
He looked awful after surgery but my vet had warned me about his so i was expecting it:shock:and he recovered wellhe had polyps in his ear which was why he had to have surgery and this got rid of them
Talk to Christobel and that will hep you decide but it is a big op

Today there really does appear to be significantly less pus in his 'deformed' ear. The other ear seems to be pus free. In himself Morse is happy, bright and eating really well.

I will need alot of convincing that the op' is definately necessary. Something is just telling me not to do it, but I dont know if that's just mega neurosis on my part .................or something else :?

Maybe the something telling you not to do it is just that you are aware that there are risks and it's really difficult to put him through it when he seems so well. You also know if he has to have it then when he's well is the best time.

It's just impossible to split the scientific from the emotional at times. I really don't envy you. He's absolutely precious for you and you want to do the best for him, whichever you do if he suffers pain you will blame yourself (human nature).Hopefully C can reassure you tomorrow.

Shame you can't ask Morse what he'd like to do, life would be so much easier if they could hlep in the decision process.:roll:

dont want to keep harping on about my dad. but i feel just because an operation CAN be done doesnt mean its the best route.

my dad had a heart transplant to give him a few more years (the hoped) what he actually got was about a year and a half of a crappy quaility of life, the body was just too old to cope with it i think and he generally shut down bit by bit. i often wonder how much different it would of been had we not meddled, guess i shall find this out with Pearl who will never have the option of a new organ.

i cant help but think you are right to resist this op hun, yes your vet will do an amazing job but how much of her desire is to be able to say shes done it on a rabbit (sorry nothing against your vet she sounds wonderful) but my dad was a bit of a test subject when he had his op, new drugs blah blah blah

i have a deep fear of head stuff which is probably why im being the negative demon on this thread, i personnally would not have an op on my ears or heart *shudders*

Aw Jane.

I don't have any advice to offer - it's so hard to decide things like this and I don't have a good knowledge of medical-rabbit-things so I can't really say.

But as others have said I'd speak to Christobel and discuss things with her and see how you feel then. As you say; you trust her judgement.

I can sympathise though as I hate it when my animals have operations and since we lost Betsy-chinchilla soon after she'd had an operation (she got through the 'op just fine) I feel more paranoid than ever about these things. :?

Morse is a special bun' and I really feel for you. Thinking of you and wish there was something more that I could say that would help xx

It is an awful decision to make and one we had to make regarding Merlin back in May. Would a 13 year old dog survive the op, would he ever recover. He had 4 years of constant repeat ear infections that our own vet had been unable to sort and infact when we was finally referred to the specialist, no suprises that it was the Aurizon that had exacerbated the situation.

They started off originally hoping to do a resection but then the lab results came back with cancerous growths in the Bulla, this had been caused by the pus, wax etc not being able to drain normally from his ear as the infection stops the circulation of air that normally clears this out, so at 13 years of age he landed up having the whole of his ear canal removed including the bulla.

I wont deny it was awful seeing him after the op and also how distressed he was for the weeks that followed and we often wondered if we had done the right thing. But quite simply he would have died by now given the aggressiveness of the growth if we had not given him that chance.

I would definitely be guided by Christobel, Jane but also ask her (if you haven't already) what the prognosis would be for Morse if he doesn't have the op. Will it affect his lifespan, quality of life etc, is he likely to be able to outlive the infection and die naturally of other causes (kind of like how some prostate cancers work). If the prognosis for Morses future is bleak without the op, then personally I would feel I had to give him that chance to improve the quality of the life he had left. As hard as it is, our own feelings dont come into it at times like this and as always I know you will do what is right for him, even if that means potential heartache for yourself.

Will be thinking of you tommorow.

donnamt said:

dont want to keep harping on about my dad. but i feel just because an operation CAN be done doesnt mean its the best route.

my dad had a heart transplant to give him a few more years (the hoped) what he actually got was about a year and a half of a crappy quaility of life, the body was just too old to cope with it i think and he generally shut down bit by bit. i often wonder how much different it would of been had we not meddled, guess i shall find this out with Pearl who will never have the option of a new organ.

i cant help but think you are right to resist this op hun, yes your vet will do an amazing job but how much of her desire is to be able to say shes done it on a rabbit (sorry nothing against your vet she sounds wonderful) but my dad was a bit of a test subject when he had his op, new drugs blah blah blah

i have a deep fear of head stuff which is probably why im being the negative demon on this thread, i personnally would not have an op on my ears or heart *shudders*

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C is really not the sort of Vet who likes to gain credos by pushing boundaries.
She is the first to say exactly what you have-'just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be'

Me anxieties are not at all to do with any doubts about C's motives. Its at times like this that having trust in a Vet is essential. If I didn't trust her I may well think she partly wanted to add a Rabbit Lateral Ear Canal Resection onto her CV. I'm 100% certain that if she says the op' is necessary it is because she believes it to be in Morse's best interests.

My anxiety is probably more to do with me feeling really flakey atm and trying to imagin 'coping' in a world without Morse......*shudders*..............

A sleepless night for me tonight I think.