Pallative care suggestions.

Suggestions for pallative care......

Got up early this morning to check the buns as I had a 'feel' Teasel was not 100% yesterday but nothing definate.

I am taking Teasel to the vets in the next twenty minutes- they have made an emergency appointment for her because I asked and they know I would not ask for fun.

All my instincts are saying 'its back' she had an op to remove carcinoma four years ago and sprang back but the vet at the time was not convinced he had managed to remove everything suspect. She had analgesics and very good critical rabbit care at the time but she is not interested today, nibbled some hay and pellets but just seems to be in pain like she was last time- the sort you know is not right but have a devil of a time fixing on the cause.

She hates the vet even though she has been in their critical care section more than once- she is the sort of rabbit who picks fights, gets into scrapes and tries to take on anything bigger than her. She even managed to fight off myxi' which killed two of my other vaccinated buns.

She is eight now so this time I think I would prefer to give her as much quality of life as possible so I know I may have to make a hard choice for her soon but for now I am looking at pallative care.

Told the vet to sort out some good analgesics for her and see if we can locate what is going on and then decide what can be done for her to make her as pain free and comfy as possible. Not fair it was cancer that finally got old Fred three months ago and Teasel is the last of four rescued buns who came almost together.

I am hoping we can get on top of the pain for her and I can bring her home. Does anyone have any suggestions for making her comfy.

I have vet bed, her indoor cage and cold pacs, hot pacs for sick buns and some rabbit rescue food.

Hello :wave: I don't have any advice as such, but I hope if you are right about Teasel you can enjoy her final days with her as much as possible and give each other comfort. Hopefully you could bring her home from the vets? Thinking of you x

For what I've read your doing what I would do- mainly keeping comfortable. Pain meds, warmth and comfort, I would also give some sort of pro biotic and an easy, high energy food that they like.

I could kick myself.

Thankfully she saw the vet who removed the last lot of cancer so he knew where he expected to find problems. He took his time carefully checking her over and thinks her medical history meant she has not coped well with the VHD vaccine she had last week.

Her poor immune system has been pushed so hard by so many nasty things over her life time that this time she should not have had the wretched thing, I however erred on the side of she should because I live near a huge wild bunny population and she loves to be outside romping in the grass and in doing so I have made an elderly old bun rather poorly.

As far as he can tell there is no sign of the slow cancer she does having suddenly become aggresive. However having that plus the VHD and her age have made her one poorly and very sorry anorexic little rabbit today. The vet could not rule out that the wretched things ready to flare again either but agreed getting her out of pain was the most important first thing to try as that would put any bunny off their food and instructed me to watch her carefully and see if I could pick up any more clues. :evil:

She has had a massive injection of metacam; her temp was up so she has also had a baytril jab and baytril and metacam oral for at home. Seems to be helping with the pain but she has not perked up.

From her history of picking up infections since she had her cancer op the vet plays on the side of caution with this one hence the baytril. He thinks she has another hidden infection running thanks to the possible reaction to the VHD. I think he is right because my instinct is telling me I have a sick rabbit.

As she needs TLC at this stage and may be inclinded to eat more at home than she ever does at the vets I have bought her back home. She is not as hunched up but she is still not right. If she does not pick up a bit and try nibbling she is going back and will be booked into critical care until we know if this is a nasty blip caused from the VHD or if the cancer is resurfacing in her guts and the VHD was the final push for it do so.

Thankfully my vet offers 24/7 small animal care at night and weekends but right now I feel awful and wish to God I had not had an old rabbit with slow cancer immunised against VHD.


Half-penny any suggestions for a pro-biotic I could try?

Teasel normally has unlimited long bale hay, some Timothy Hay, egg cup of SS pellets with about eight SS mature rabbit pellets, small selection of fresh greens/wild leaves from garden and one teeny piece of fruit a week.
I have picked her up the bunny muesli she had last time she was very poorly and went right off SS in the hope forbidden Burgess muesli in amongst her SS may entice her to nibble a bit more.
Even strawberry leaves are not getting her attention today. Poor old girl.

sorry to hear this. i really hope she perks up. i've been given bio-lapis in the past for both my buns but they hated it and refused to drink the water it was in. hope someone knowledgeable will be along soon x

I like firbreplex, although it can be difficult to administer. I used to squeeze it onto a bit of banana and Smokey ate it all up.

Thanks Halfpenny, thankfully she has finally this morning perked up. I swear she is now sat there sniggering about getting her paws on Burgess bunny muesli again.

Thank God for steroids, metacam and anti/bs. I have more grey hairs but she is eating more, lying in a more relaxed posture and looks a less stressed rabbit. If she keeps behaving herself she can go out for a romp in her run later. So very pleased that she pulled through yet another scrape- I honestly thought she had hit the 'give up' point.

One day I will locate her Dorian Grey picture she must have hidden in the back of her indoor cage. She has been on borrowed time for the past four years - I honestly did not expect her to survive the op to remove the cancers then but then she also stunned my vet by pulling through that and a few months later myxi'. She will never be a fit bunny but as long as she is enjoying life, out of pain and munching her fave foods then all is well.

Aww Im so glad Teasel is feeling better, what an absolute fighter

Vibes that your lovely old girl continues to surprise you