Archie was choking ! :-(

OMG - i was feeding the buns their nuggets this morning...SS and Archie - who is always abit gutsy suddenly stopped eating and started hopping about the dining room and almost trying to vomit!

He looked abit scared and you could see he didnt know what to do and kept trying to get something out his throat and water ran out his mouth or nose and he was looking at me for help & I didnt know what to do...

I got a bowl of water and tried to give him that but he couldnt drink...I went to pick him up but he panicked and so I stopped immediatly and then he just he sat quietly down and I stroked him and he got comfy and ground his teeth...whether that was in pain or cause I was stroking him Im not sure...after that he got up and started eating again.

I really didnt know what to do...I felt aweful - I couldnt help him....I started thinking how long do I leave him to try and sort it out? A few more minutes? Do I rush to the vets now? Do I try the bunny manouvere thing by swinging him back? Oh ..I dont know how to do that - what if I hurt him?

It was aweful - thank god he is ok ..but it was an aweful fight...I usually sprinkle their pellets so they dont try and gobble them all up out a bowl...esp. Archie...now Im wondering if I should give them another way?

I cant believe how quickly it happened....and it was so frightening seeing water drop out his mouth or nose - i coulnt tell and was so worried he would choke on that...

Im so relieved he is ok..but now am gonna worry every time I feed those nuggets.

It's terrifying isn't it, and you got very, very lucky, same as I did with Summer. I would suggest a vet check today though because there are high occurances of pneumonia after choking, so it's best to be seen and check his lungs are ok. When Summer choked, she shifted pellet but nearly drowned on the fluid produced.

I had one of my rats choke before and it was horrible to watch. We rushed him tot he vets but the vet didn't have a clue and told us that rats can't choke :shock: Anything that can swallow can choke! After a few hours of "gagging", drooling and generally looking pretty exhausted he seemed to get rid of whatever was stuck in his throat and fell immediately to sleep. The next day he was perfectly ok.

It is a scary experience but I think as long as their airways are clear it's a case of waiting for them to either swallow or cough up whatever it is. If they seem to be struggling then I'd take them to the vets but I'm not sure if a vet can do much apart from monitor them.

Vegan_Bunny said:

I had one of my rats choke before and it was horrible to watch. We rushed him tot he vets but the vet didn't have a clue and told us that rats can't choke :shock: Anything that can swallow can choke! After a few hours of "gagging", drooling and generally looking pretty exhausted he seemed to get rid of whatever was stuck in his throat and fell immediately to sleep. The next day he was perfectly ok.

It is a scary experience but I think as long as their airways are clear it's a case of waiting for them to either swallow or cough up whatever it is. If they seem to be struggling then I'd take them to the vets but I'm not sure if a vet can do much apart from monitor them.

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oh how aweful....:shock: thank goodness he was ok.
I did wonder what a vet could do..and of course it would take for ever to get to my emergency vets - 45 mins of chocking?

Sky-O said:

It's terrifying isn't it, and you got very, very lucky, same as I did with Summer. I would suggest a vet check today though because there are high occurances of pneumonia after choking, so it's best to be seen and check his lungs are ok. When Summer choked, she shifted pellet but nearly drowned on the fluid produced.

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ok...thankyou Sky-O ....how would they check his lungs?

Is it normal for fluid to come out thier mouth or nose?

What was I supposed to do?

You did the right things There is a bunny heimlich manouver but you didn't need to do it because he shifted it himself, thankfully Yes, Summer had fluid coming out of her mouth and nose and she also breathed it in too.

The vet will listen to the lungs, and with Summer she went on oxygen, had a diuretic and also was given covering antibiotics for a week, but we bundled her in the car and left pretty instantly (and even to this day, three years later, I've never got to the vets faster, a 20 min journey too me less than 15 :lol, so likely if he is breathing ok he wouldn't need the oxygen but they might do the other things if they feel it's appropriate.

Oh no, how worrying! Lucky you were there to help him. Tell him not to be so greedy in future :no:

Sky-O said:

You did the right things There is a bunny heimlich manouver but you didn't need to do it because he shifted it himself, thankfully Yes, Summer had fluid coming out of her mouth and nose and she also breathed it in too.

The vet will listen to the lungs, and with Summer she went on oxygen, had a diuretic and also was given covering antibiotics for a week, but we bundled her in the car and left pretty instantly (and even to this day, three years later, I've never got to the vets faster, a 20 min journey too me less than 15 :lol, so likely if he is breathing ok he wouldn't need the oxygen but they might do the other things if they feel it's appropriate.

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ok - thankyou so much. Summer sounded very very lucky - she obviously choked for longer...:shock:

It happened ever so fast and he is now in the litter tray with one of the girls eating hay. They have managed to get the hay rack off the side of the hutch and its balancing on Archie back whilst they chomp down.:lol:

Im gathering its still advisable to get his chest listened to? or should he be ok?

Tinsel said:

Oh no, how worrying! Lucky you were there to help him. Tell him not to be so greedy in future :no:

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aah thanks hun! thing is I couldnt actually help him at all..it was aweful...I just watched in horror. I almost wanted to pat him on the back like we do with humans

I would still suggest getting him looked at and his chest listened to incase he has inhaled something, obviosuly if you leave it and it turns into pneumonia then he would stand a smaller chance of beating it than if he is seen today

Sky-O said:

I would still suggest getting him looked at and his chest listened to incase he has inhaled something, obviosuly if you leave it and it turns into pneumonia then he would stand a smaller chance of beating it than if he is seen today

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Im ringing the vets now...unbelieveable...2 vets that are really close - ones £35 for a consultation! and the other one says they have to register me first which will take a day!?:shock:

I might have to make the long journey to my normal vets....just thought a closer one would make it less stressful for Archie.:?

:shock:

How comes you're so far away from your regular vet?

Wonder why it takes so long to register you.

Really sorry for your fright. Nose rubs for little Archie xx

Oh gosh, how scary. I hope Archie's ok.

Phew one very lucky bunny!! There has been a few cases of choking on here and its something I'm terrified off especially with Daisy as she wolfs her pellets down. Ive heard people mention the bunny heimlich manouver could anybody try and explain how you do this? I mean it would only be used as a very last resort because realistically I dont think a bunny would make it too the vet in time!

There seem to be different techniques.

I don't think I would ever try this one.

http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/Heimlich.html

This is another one

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/2008/10/Bunny-choking.htm

I think this is probably the best thing worth reading (of course, a thread on RU)

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?160213

Thankyo all - Archie seems fine but will take him to get checked out...

Sky-O said:

:shock:

How comes you're so far away from your regular vet?

Wonder why it takes so long to register you.

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I joined this vet as a particular vet used to see all the buns at a local rescue - over 100 buns - so because I was paranoid about the girls spays (Indiana was a runt) i used them as recommeneded. Im now gong to see them at 4:30 pm this afternoon with Archie, they are really good...well do far anyways. When Arrabella had her spay she had to stay in overnight...and they were really good with her.

Anways - Im now thinking of chaning to a closer one..http://www.waltonlodgevets.com/.
I just dont know that any of them seem to speacialsie in exotics especialy...well I get worried about making the wrong choice.

Im thinking of joining Walton Lodge. I have 3 surgeries near me and they have an emergency one too within one of their surgery...so travel would be alot closer.
They also said that if they cant deal with a buns condition - they recommend :
http://vets.uk.net/index.htm
OR
http://www.wylievets.com/

They quite far buuut at least they had some specialists to use if needed I guess.

Its a shame as my usual vets are so friendly and really professional and experienced.

Anyone else use Walton Lodge?:?

glad he is ok, how scarey, ive had a guinea pig do that a number of years ago

thankyou...Ive been ok until I told OH then I cried, but Archie is ok so thats all that counts..Ive an appointment later so road-trip here we come!

Does anyone know where there are good vet surgery reviews?

Ive found 1 review on waltonlodge and it was not good...it was all about money - they charged these people meds for thier puppy - the pu had a re-action and had to have the anti-meds and they charged for that to. then they hadnt bought their purse in the panic and the surgery said we have to keep the dog until you pay.

I can understand about the non-payment part..buuuut not about charging a customer for meds that you animals reacts to and then again for saving the animal.
maybe it was a once off situation but I like to know that the vets or more so the surgery policy I join have some degree of waivering things etc.

I know they dont do trio discounts either.

The Myxi vac: £19.12
VHD £19.12

Consulation fee: £22.45


mmm... :? really unsure...dont want to rely on just one review but there are no others...

Is it worth starting a new thread about looking for a new vet and making asking about this one, potentially with your location in the title? That will likely get more seen than this.

Good luck at the vets for tonight

Sky-O said:

Is it worth starting a new thread about looking for a new vet and making asking about this one, potentially with your location in the title? That will likely get more seen than this.

Good luck at the vets for tonight

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thanks hun...I think youre right...I did think this is turing to another topic all together!:roll:

thanks for your help - very much appreciated!:wave:

Hope Archive is okay :shock:

It's so scary, i often think of this with the speed my two eat them down, but im so glad Archie managed to sort himself out and you were vigilant and ready to act!