Any Ideas???

Hi,

I have had my little girl for about 10 years now and have until now been pretty much trouble free (She is a Netherland dwarf called Sherbert). I bring her indoors over the winter months as I believe she has rheumatism in her front paws & being inside means no holding up of paws.
Anyways I let her out on Sunday for her usual run around but noticed something was wrong, she was quiet and didn't do her normal running about and causing havoc. She was still eating although in a reduced amount, on Sunday evening she perked up and was eating more. I let her out yesterday all day, she had a slight trot around but spent most of the time grooming and laying down. When it was time to get her into her indoor cage, to my horror I discovered she had wet on the floor and in it there was a patch of blood.

After talking with the vet over the phone he thought it would be ok to leave her overnight, she was still eating/drinking and no crying or any noise.

I took her to the vet this morning and he believes she has a uterine infection, he felt her tummy and couldn't feel any lumps, but her temp was slightly raised. He gave her a shot of antibiotics and I have been given Baytril to be given once a day until Saturday when I have to take her back to the vets again.

She is now laying in her indoor cage where she is shaking (I am guessing this is due to stress, infection, travelling etc)

Unfortunately when I bought my bunny (from the biggest pet shop in the UK)I was never told that I should get her spayed, I only found this out last year when another illness cropped up and it was on this forum I found out!!. I feel so angry but also guilty as there is still a chance of Cancer and I don't want her to suffer.

Can anyone give me any suggestions on how to help her anymore? I haven't had to go through this before so I am unsure on how to help. All I want is for her to happy and healthy again.

Thank you

Natalie :'( x

So sorry to hear this. Did the vet give her pain relief and give you Metacam to bring home? Pain relief in rabbits is very important.

*Bump*

I'll put a post up in Rabbit Chat asking for help :wave:

get her onto pain relief, i had a 9yr old bun spayed if it is uterine cancer (whcih sadly is my initial thought) then an emergnacy spay with a rabbit savvy vet may save her BUT it depends on if you think she is up to it and depends on if the cancer has already spread (very often it sadly has) make sure she is warm and comortable and pain free. i would seek an expert opinion (sorry not sur eof your location) but there is a very good vet in gloucester who has done spays for me at late ages and other operations on elderly buns, unfortunatly he will only be able to help though if she is up to anestetic and if it not spread (IF thats what it is of course)

Ah bless you and your bun, I can offer any help, but wanted to bump you up and send your bunny some get well vibes, hope she's ok.

I have had an 11 year old Doe undergo an emergency spay for a Pyometra.

Given that Sherbert is/was febrile infection seems likely, but this does not rule out Uterine Cancer as a primary condition.

A spay may be her only option really, but certainly she needs to have been on abx for a few days before going down that route if she does have an active infection.

Is she on a non steroidal anti inflammatory and is she eating, drinking, pooing and weeing OK ??

I don't get why so many vets give buns baytril unless it's a minor infection :S
She desperately needs metacam. Preferably an injection with some for you to bring home and syringe feed her.
I'd keep her indoors and try and keep her warm... if you had a snugglesafe that would be great. Otherwise, on a towel near a warm radiator (mine loves this when they're ill)
I have no idea about bunny cancers but I would look for a more bunny savvy vet who will look into the reasons for the blood. If she's shaking (my Pumpkin often does this when very distressed) then she needs to be calmed down asap. I've always found that popping them in an indoor hutch with a towel over it does the trick. Nice quiet, dark places always help when my buns are panicky or stressed.
Try and make sure she is eating, if poss try and get some critical care food just in case she does stop eating... it's important to keep her gut going
Again, I'd just try and find a bunny savvy vet and get her in again for a thorough examination and definetely some pain relief.
My rabbit who sadly passed away in the summer has a severe abscess and ear infection and if it is a bad infection, like hers was, you really need to have injectable antibiotices at home with you as I did.
It's a case of getting to a good vet asap. I'm by no means an expert on rabbit health but in this instance, I'd be googling!

Zahirre said:

I don't get why so many vets give buns baytril unless it's a minor infection :S

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Because it is one of the few medications licenced for use in rabbits. Vets are legally obliged to treat using licenced medication first but can try something else with the owners consent if the licenced drugs don't work.

Rhian33 said:

Because it is one of the few medications licenced for use in rabbits. Vets are legally obliged to treat using licenced medication first but can try something else with the owners consent if the licenced drugs don't work.

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I did gather that I just don't understand why they don't just cut to the better meds if it's clear the infection isn't minor.
The first vet I went to with Pumpkin popped her on Baytril and I didn't trust this so went to a different vet the day after who immediately put her on injectables as the infection was clearly so severe and definetely wouldn't have cleared up with Baytril.
It's so sad that there's not many liscenced meds for buns, they'd probably get better meds in the first instance if there was

Jack's-Jane said:

I have had an 11 year old Doe undergo an emergency spay for a Pyometra.

Given that Sherbert is/was febrile infection seems likely, but this does not rule out Uterine Cancer as a primary condition.

A spay may be her only option really, but certainly she needs to have been on abx for a few days before going down that route if she does have an active infection.

Is she on a non steroidal anti inflammatory and is she eating, drinking, pooing and weeing OK ??

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I agree with Jane. I don't think considering her age you can rule out uterine carcinoma and metastatic disease, but she does need this infection addressing first and pain relief is essential. I think she certainly needs some investigations performed pronto (urinanalysis, full bloods etc) whilst she is put on antibiotics and pain relief. I hope she feels better soon x

Zahirre said:

I did gather that I just don't understand why they don't just cut to the better meds if it's clear the infection isn't minor.
The first vet I went to with Pumpkin popped her on Baytril and I didn't trust this so went to a different vet the day after who immediately put her on injectables as the infection was clearly so severe and definetely wouldn't have cleared up with Baytril.
It's so sad that there's not many liscenced meds for buns, they'd probably get better meds in the first instance if there was

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According to my vets, there is an unwritten rule that baytril, as the licensed medicine for rabbits should always be tried first, as any unlicensed medicines may have additional side effects.

I've had to sign an agreement to usse depocillin for Ginger, as its not licensed and i have to accept that because its not licensed, there could be consequences.

All of that said, PL & Jane have given excellent advice that i hope the OP can use to help get the bunny better.

Lots of vibes.

GrahamL said:

According to my vets, there is an unwritten rule that baytril, as the licensed medicine for rabbits should always be tried first, as any unlicensed medicines may have additional side effects.

I've had to sign an agreement to usse depocillin for Ginger, as its not licensed and i have to accept that because its not licensed, there could be consequences.

All of that said, PL & Jane have given excellent advice that i hope the OP can use to help get the bunny better.

Lots of vibes.

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This is what my vets have said too. Fortunately I've not had any health issues with my rabbits so far but whenever I take a rat in I have normally either tried or ruled out baytril and as long as i can explain why baytril is of no use and suggest a suitable alternative they normally give it to me. New vet is due to start soon though so am slightly concerned she won't be as willing to listen as the other guys that have worked there up until now.

GrahamL said:

According to my vets, there is an unwritten rule that baytril, as the licensed medicine for rabbits should always be tried first, as any unlicensed medicines may have additional side effects.

I've had to sign an agreement to usse depocillin for Ginger, as its not licensed and i have to accept that because its not licensed, there could be consequences.

All of that said, PL & Jane have given excellent advice that i hope the OP can use to help get the bunny better.

Lots of vibes.

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It's actually a legal requirement and it is called the Prescribing Cascade

http://www.bsava.com/Advice/BSAVAGu...gcascadeandofflabeluse/tabid/360/Default.aspx

Jack's-Jane said:

It's actually a legal requirement and it is called the Prescribing Cascade

http://www.bsava.com/Advice/BSAVAGu...gcascadeandofflabeluse/tabid/360/Default.aspx

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As per usual Jane, you come up with the goods

I wasn't aware it was actually a legal requirement and that does actually make perfect sense. That explains why i had to have a course of Baytril before depocillin could be tried and then possibly Zithromax when the results of the C&S come back.

Thanks for that, as ever Jane

Back to the OP, if you post a thread in 'Rabbit Chat' for a vet in your area, you may get a suggestion of a rabbit savvy vet. It does sound like you rbunny could be quite poorly

Hi guys, thanks for all you messages I really appreciate it.

I thought I would update you on her condition at the moment, the best news is she has stopped peeing blood (it only has happened once) and it is back to her normal colour. I have let her out and she is hopping about and starting to get into mischief (this being her normal behaviour ). She is also starting to eat and drink more often too and I can see in her little face that she is starting to perk up.
With regard to taking the bun to see a specialist, believe me I would love too but I live in the extreme Southwest of Cornwall and after trailing the broadband for 30-40 mins with no luck I decided the local vets was better than nothing as it was clear I needed to get her in to be seen. By the way if anyone is in Cornwall and know differently I would love to find a practice that specialises in rabbits

Are there any foods I can give her to pick her up a bit more?? I am currently feeding her hay, home grown baby cabbage leaves and dandelion leaves and a very small amount of kale (well that is all she wants to eat at the moment)

Thanks once again & hopefully fingers crossed I will be able to add some more good news shortly

Natalie x

Natalie1988 said:

Hi guys, thanks for all you messages I really appreciate it.

I thought I would update you on her condition at the moment, the best news is she has stopped peeing blood (it only has happened once) and it is back to her normal colour. I have let her out and she is hopping about and starting to get into mischief (this being her normal behaviour ). She is also starting to eat and drink more often too and I can see in her little face that she is starting to perk up.
With regard to taking the bun to see a specialist, believe me I would love too but I live in the extreme Southwest of Cornwall and after trailing the broadband for 30-40 mins with no luck I decided the local vets was better than nothing as it was clear I needed to get her in to be seen. By the way if anyone is in Cornwall and know differently I would love to find a practice that specialises in rabbits

Are there any foods I can give her to pick her up a bit more?? I am currently feeding her hay, home grown baby cabbage leaves and dandelion leaves and a very small amount of kale (well that is all she wants to eat at the moment)

Thanks once again & hopefully fingers crossed I will be able to add some more good news shortly

Natalie x

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Dandelion *may* not be the best feed to give her, as its a diuretic (removes water from the system) but that said, its important she eats too

Lots of favourties for buns include herbs, such as Parsley, Basil, Mint, Coriander.

Keep the amount of Kale low also, as its very high in calcium, which is bad for bunny :wave:

I'm so glad she's picking up - what did the vet say was going on?

Gray

I told the vet she had almost overnight become lethargic and didn't really want to eat. She had also had one wee which contained blood (one wee contained blood and since she began antibiotics there hasn't been anymore). The vet took her temp and said it was slightly higher and told me he thought it was A Urinary tract infection this was on Tuesday morning 10amish.
I have given her the antibiotics and she is gradually starting to improve and is starting to eat more. This at the moment is worrying me, generally she is a little dustbin and gets through quite a lot of food and at the moment she is eating not even half of what she usually does. I am worried in case she goes into stasis or something like that. I am offering her food and water every 2-3 hours (she has biscuits and hay in her cage also) she is taking some food from me but I am worried it isn't enough, I have checked on her several times and seen her eating hay, straw and green by herself (she wasn't doing this until this afternoon).
I have just given her more water and she has eaten a little more kale and hay (refused apple). I have left her with some kale in case she is hungry (still finding it hard to get her to eat).

She continues to look brighter too

Any tips or advice will be appreciated thank you

kind regards

Natalie

Is she receiving any analgesia aswell as Baytril ? Pain will cause a reduced food intake or total anorexia.

Baytril can cause a degree of inappetance when given orally, especially around day 5-6 of treatment.

What are her poos like ? If they are very small and/or few in number I would give the Vet a call this morning for their advice xx

I have booked an appointment with the vet (the only thing is they are fully booked until tomorrow at 2.30pm). Whilst chatting with the receptionist at the vet, my brother said he heard her crunching on a biscuit, I have managed to get 4 very small dandelion leaves into her and I have also just picked some grass from her run in the garden (enough to fit in the palm of your hand) and she has almost eaten every bit

I am thinking she is ill so therefore she doesn't want to eat; she is on meds too which all will affect her appetite. She also fought me and my brother when we tried to give her the meds, trotting around her cage and not wanting to lie down. I think she is angry with me too, as she turned her back to me and laid down (something she would do before she got ill).

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO worried, if anyone has any ideas then please throw them at me. I don't know if I am just panicking too much, or if I am right in what I am thinking. Again she has never been this ill for this long.

Thank you