• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Update on Alice - 28/6 no more suffering. She's gone.

ShivyRex

Mama Doe
Original Thread here
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=230475

Alice has been struggling with rapid breathing over the last 6-8 weeks gradually coming on and getting worse. Had her on 10 days worth of marbocyl antibiotic which didn't appear to do anything.

Alice's breathing is about the same but she is still losing weight and becoming rather boney (can feel her spine and her rib cage is sticking out).

Took her back to my vet today who has basically told me it's most likely she has some kind of lung disease or most probably cancer :cry: She agreed that she has become much more boney since she last saw her and her chest doesn't sound any different.

The only way forward to get a definate diagnosis is for her to have an x-ray under GA which neither me or my vet are happy with. I can't see the point of putting her through that to be told she has poorly lungs or tumours and that she only has a short time left or for her to die under GA as she's so stressy and has compromised breathing.

In the mean time vet has given biosolvon and CorventalD capsules (1/2 daily - this isn't a rabbit med) to try and open up her airways and help her breathing. Need to give this to her orally and I have no idea how I am going to do this as she is a nightmare! I cannot hold her as she goes crazy, even in a towel, and gets herself sooo stressed. I am going to put the bisolvon on a strawberry and maybe put the contents of the capsule in some watered down apple juice and see if she will take it that way.

So not good news :( Just a bit of a waiting game now. Does anyone think I should be doing more? What's your opinion on x-ray? At the moment she is eating, drinking and quite happy so I don't want to interefere with that in case she dies in a stressed out state.

I could string up that :censored: breeder. Thats 2 girls I have rescued from this :censored: guy and they've both become very poorly :(
 
Last edited:
Sorry i don`t have any advice to give, but I`m sending loads of vibes to Alice.
hope every thing works out for the poor little bun.
 
I am sorry :cry:
It sounds very much like what happened to Meg :cry:

I agree 100% about not putting her through a GA

Would your Vet consider giving a long acting steroid with a covering abx as palliative care ? This regime has been the most beneficial to many of my Buns who were/are terminally ill with lung disease/metastatic disease.
 
Her story sounds somewhat similar to Badger. Badger is also on the Corvental. I have to keep him on Zithromax permanently too and we have now added in a steroid. Badger was on his lats legs, literally, and we were discussing putting him to sleep but he had some oxygen therapy, and then a steroid, and has since stayed on a steroid, and it has made the world of difference to him.

Steroids should only be a last option really, because of the risks they carry, but if you have no other options, maybe it is worth discussing them with your vet? Badger is on Prednicare.

For Badger and his Corvental the vet told me how to mix up a liquid for him. I have crushed the beads in the Corvental capsule (using a mortar and pestle) and mixed it with the appropriate amount of glycerol. I just syringe it onto a basil leaf and he just takes it like that. He also takes his steroid tablet just as a tablet when its hidden in a basil leaf, so is basil an option?

Alice is very lucky to be with you, and to have someone so clearly caring of her to ensure that she gets whatever is best for her. I'm sorry you are both going through this though.
 
Would your Vet consider giving a long acting steroid with a covering abx as palliative care ? This regime has been the most beneficial to many of my Buns who were/are terminally ill with lung disease/metastatic disease.

:lol: This is the articulate and far more concise way of saying what I was trying to say about steroids.
 
Thanks Jane & Sky-O - my vet did say if she was a cat or dog she would be giving her steroids but she said in her experience buns don't do very well on steroids (tummy ulcers, bring on diabetes and some other things she mentioned) and so she thinks it would do more harm than good really. I am happy with this for now but may mention it further down the line as a palliative care option - thank you.

Thank you so much for the tips Sky-O that is a perfect solution! Can I just ask what exactly is glycerol and where do I get it? Also what do you mean by 'appropriate amount' :oops: Thanks
 
My vets told me to mix a specific amoutn of glycerol with the crushed corvental. So I said what I said based on the fact that was what my vets had recommended for my bunny, and it sounds like it would be different for your bunny because the dose is so much higher for your bun.

That said, recently I was given some more tablets to crush (actually, they were Badger's steroid) and she just said I could use glyercol if I wanted, so I suspect (but don't quote me on this, please check), that the amount of the medication you need is what is crucial, and any amount of glycerol can be used for that specific amount.

for Badger's Corvental I had to crush one capsule, mix it with 10mls of glycerol and give 0.3mls once a day, which is a significantly lower dose than what you're giving. This dose is also impossible to do withough crushing the corvental because its something like 3% of what is in a capsule, which is a bit of a challenge to work out :lol:

My vets ordered it in for me, and it came in a big bottle, fairly cheaply, so I would say ask them to order the right one in for you and you could also clarify how you would mix it with them.
 
Thanks everyone for your kind words

Thanks Sky-O. I spoke to my vet and she said she thinks the drug would work best in water but if I want to put it in glycerol then feel free to give it a go. She didn't tell me how much but seeing I can split the contents in half before I mix it I guess it doesn't matter how much glycerol I use.

Tried to give it to her tonight mixed with strawberry squash but she wasn't interested but then it was sugar free. I just cannot restrain her every day for 2 weeks - she'll have a heart attack. I am going to have to go down the glycerol route I think.

Will keep you all posted.

Thanks guys
 
I have just found this more recent update on alice, sorry to hear she is not doing too well. I had asked how she was on another thread . I will stick to this thread now to see how she is.
Best wishes for Alice.
 
Well Alice appears to be deteriorating but she is still fighting in her own way.

She appears to get more boney by the day despite the additional food :( She is still eating well and functioning as rabbits should. She seems to tire quite rapidly when let out and sits for a while trying to catch her breath I think.

I can't really see the Corvental doing much for her to be honest. I am still going with it although she appears to become wise to the taste and is very suspicous when I try to hand feed her anything.

My poor girl. I am glad she is still well in herself but it's heartbreaking watching her deteriorate. I will contact my vet when I think she needs some more palliative care and ask about the steroids.

Here she is this evening enjoying some grass :)

1144f7e4.jpg


0de2b287.jpg
 
Well Alice appears to be deteriorating but she is still fighting in her own way.

She appears to get more boney by the day despite the additional food :( She is still eating well and functioning as rabbits should. She seems to tire quite rapidly when let out and sits for a while trying to catch her breath I think.

I can't really see the Corvental doing much for her to be honest. I am still going with it although she appears to become wise to the taste and is very suspicous when I try to hand feed her anything.

My poor girl. I am glad she is still well in herself but it's heartbreaking watching her deteriorate. I will contact my vet when I think she needs some more palliative care and ask about the steroids.

Here she is this evening enjoying some grass :)

1144f7e4.jpg


0de2b287.jpg

Bless her :cry:
This is EXACTLY how Meg was.

Lots of love to Alice xx
 
Poor you and her. I'm going to once again just mention steroids. They changed Badger, completely. Its one of those last ditch things, but if she is deterioriating, then maybe you have nothing to lose. Possibly worth a vets discussion?

I really feel for you both.
 
Well Alice has taken a turn for the worse this morning and is not eating her pellets (had a few SS and half a strawberry). She is breathing heavy and generally looks miserable.

Going to try and get appointment this morning but I think she has given up :cry: I don't want to prolong her suffering anymore, especially in this weather, so if the vet suggest PTS then I may have to. I don't want to sound like I am giving up because I am not but she is just sending me vibes that she's had enough and she looks so terribly poorly :cry:

This is just the worst timing as my dad was rushed to hospital last night after suffering a stroke. Hope it cannot get any worse.

Vibes please peeps.

*update* just rang the vets and none of the bunny savvy vets are on but I can't leave it :( Gutted!
 
Just read this, what an auwful time you and Alice have been having lately. Big Hugs xxxx

You know Alice better than anyone and if you feel she is suffering too much then she probably is :cry: I understand you want a rabbit savvy vets advise though. Do you think you can keep Alice comfortable enough to wait until tommorrow?

Sorry I cant be of more help, and Im so so terribly sorry about your dad. How is he this morning??

Loads of vibes for everyone xxxxxx
 
Oh no, I'm so sorry for you :( How is your father doing this morning?

Would you not feel comfortable seeing one of the other vets or is there another surgery you could try?
 
Back
Top