parsnipbun
Wise Old Thumper
On Thurs night at midnight Comfrey suddenly stopped wanting to eat and started to sit oddly (NOT classic gas hunch and stretch - more of a 'shinx position but supporting his weight on back paws brought forward).
At 2am we took him to the 24 hr emergency vet (not usual vets)
Although the 24 hr vets try hard (and were super at giving Viola Rose supportive medicines I asked for when she had myxi) they are not great at rabbits . . .
They x-rayed Comfrey but although they could see he had a hugely distended stomach they couldn't interpret the x-ray further - and just said there didn't seem to be much gas and maybe he had over-eaten! They said they couldn't see a bloackage.
They gave metacam and metaclopromide - [in retrospect they probably shouldn't have given the metaclopromide].
After paying £260 we left with him ( I very very very rarely leave rabbits at the vets).
When he got home he started to drink LOADS.
By 4am he was pooing again and fine (things move quick in the life of a bun!!) and dancing around. I made an appt for much later that day with my own vet just to double check (obviously would have made urgent appt had he still been ill)
When my own vet got the x-rays sent through the next day (as I requested) she rang and said to bring him in urgently! I said he was now fine - but she said she wanted to see him NOW. By then it was 2pm.
When we arrived she said she was amazed he was still alive as he had obviously had a small blockage which had caused the stomach to fill with fluids (sucking in from the rest of the body) with a plug of ingested food in the middle of the fluid.
:shock::shock::shock::shock:
Comfrey is now happy and well - but I thought those with a 'medical' interest might like to see the x-rays. They are similar to some in Harcourt-Brown - but this is fluid and food, not any gas in the actual stomach (some in intestines).
PS my vet is thinking of arranging an 'intensive' rabbity session for the emergency vets! They don't see that many rabbits but now my practice has signed up with them will see lots more as my vets specialise in exotics.
At 2am we took him to the 24 hr emergency vet (not usual vets)
Although the 24 hr vets try hard (and were super at giving Viola Rose supportive medicines I asked for when she had myxi) they are not great at rabbits . . .
They x-rayed Comfrey but although they could see he had a hugely distended stomach they couldn't interpret the x-ray further - and just said there didn't seem to be much gas and maybe he had over-eaten! They said they couldn't see a bloackage.
They gave metacam and metaclopromide - [in retrospect they probably shouldn't have given the metaclopromide].
After paying £260 we left with him ( I very very very rarely leave rabbits at the vets).
When he got home he started to drink LOADS.
By 4am he was pooing again and fine (things move quick in the life of a bun!!) and dancing around. I made an appt for much later that day with my own vet just to double check (obviously would have made urgent appt had he still been ill)
When my own vet got the x-rays sent through the next day (as I requested) she rang and said to bring him in urgently! I said he was now fine - but she said she wanted to see him NOW. By then it was 2pm.
When we arrived she said she was amazed he was still alive as he had obviously had a small blockage which had caused the stomach to fill with fluids (sucking in from the rest of the body) with a plug of ingested food in the middle of the fluid.
:shock::shock::shock::shock:
Comfrey is now happy and well - but I thought those with a 'medical' interest might like to see the x-rays. They are similar to some in Harcourt-Brown - but this is fluid and food, not any gas in the actual stomach (some in intestines).
PS my vet is thinking of arranging an 'intensive' rabbity session for the emergency vets! They don't see that many rabbits but now my practice has signed up with them will see lots more as my vets specialise in exotics.