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berties breathing problems are even worse..worried sick

purplebumble

Warren Veteran
last night...well 22nd jan......bertie had become pretty congested for 24hrs..BUT he sneezed up a lot of white thick snot so we knew it was a big problem but because hes only been on septrin for a few days we thoguht wed wait.
well al day yesterday (23rd jan) he was sniffly snotty and a bit chesty...but was still ambling aorund looking for treats and nose rubs..even tho eating and drinking has become a chore and catching his breahts a bit harder than usual..

1pmish i rang the vet who dealt with bertie last time he was like this..and i told him what was going on and he said if the snot was being sneezed out it was still flowing not hardened...but it could chamge and totally block his sinuses and nasal passages and hed die.
I asked him what i could do as he is on virtually the same meds as he was in hospital...cept he had bisolvon injections there. he said to continue with septrin and take him down to the local surgery for a shot of alamycin la....its an antibiotic thats very good with rhinitis. On its own bertie had become immune to it or seemed to...but along with septrin whilst he was hospitlaised it helped a lot. he came home sounding like this and within 2hrs he stoped sounding like bellows on legs.

i think im cruel..ive started to cry on phone to vets just as i said goodby..altho the silent tears had already escaped. The taxi driver upset me on way home....and to hear and see bertie like this made me cry a lot and im at it again:cry:

Quality of life is what counts right? The fact he ambles across to see what nikkis doing on the bed settee and if shes got anything norty for him to have as a treat.:love: but he loves his nose rubs.
Today he did that this evening...and scoffed half a bag of cut mint...a nice handful or two of sliced greens and 3/4 grated carrot...he loved it and tried to eat with gusto..but had to stop to try and breathe.

eventually he lay down with bluebell and they had a quick cuddle and a wash...and i realsied how hard his sides were going up and down and how awful he sounds...it goes quiter if he doesnt move or try to eat and drink.

shes not spending much time with him..is it becasue he smells of the vets office...or does she sense something tragic in the offing.

If he wasnt eating drinking weeing and pooping and trying to remain mobile like he does then id not have a qualm about having him pts. But these displays make me think hes determined to stay as long as possble without dying in agony.

But am i being selfish..am i seeing things that arent there....is it because my dad died of resp failure after being in hospitla hooked up to venitlators etc that wants bertie to stay a bit longer but also break my heart as im transported right back to 2006:cry::cry::cry: And seeing bertie in so much discomfort...:cry:

if hes no better by morning..im giving the alomycin shot a chance to work overnite. Then i will ask for him to be admitted...if i get up and hes dead..ill not forgive myself....if the vet says its kinder to have him pts even tho hes showing signs of some quality of life....then i will go by vets judgement...im biased and in tears....cant make that descision on my own.

last time i felt like this was with my cat salem and a few hours later he died in agony of heart failure on the floor in front of us after jumping off the low edge of the bed settee.

where do you draw the bloomin line...where where where:cry::cry:
 
Sorry to hear he's so ill :( I dont know what to say, but I think you'll make the right decision for him, whichever one that may be. Can he not be given oral bisolvon at home, as it seems that was helping? I hope Bertie is okay overnight xx
 
When a bun is still showing his 'norty' tendencies as you say, even when they are quite ill, it makes it hard to tell whether it's that time or not. Only you can say for sure. Usually if they are still eating and eliminating they've still got some spunk left.
A vet can give you a clinical diagnosis/prognosis, but it would have to be a vet I trusted implicitly to take their word on how much my bun was languishing.
I live a long way from my vets (30 minutes in summer and 45 at least in winter) and I don't know if in a crisis I can get my pets to them in time to pts. Sometimes I think it would be better they passed at home where they are familiar with surroundings and I can just hold them as I had to for one of my cats years ago. But it is a decision with drawbacks and this is not everyone's choice.

What you said about your dad struck a chord with me. My grandfather raised me. When he was spending his last day of his life in hospital I was unable to help with certain directives in his living will and trust and he passed in the wee hours hooked up to machines. It was very sad and it's taken me years to accept that things happened that way for a reason and I can't beat myself up about it.
I've lost animals at home because I waited too long and I've had them hang on out of sheer stubbornness or loyalty until the last moments at the vets. If Bertie is still fighting and interested in life going on around him, I'd say he deserves the chance to improve. If he were suffering and unable to partake of even the smallest joys it might be a different choice.
Only you know whether he is ready or not. Listen carefully to him and trust both your hearts. I pray you'll find the answer you seek.
God bless. ((((((((((Hugs))))))))))
 
I'm sorry I don't have much advice but just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear Bertie is so ill :(

Honey had an upper rti in the summer, and we were going to use a nebuliser for her, but she recovered well enough on Depocillin injections. I don't know if you have used, or could use, a nebuliser for Bertie?
 
I'm on leave this week, Debbie.

If you would like I could come over tonight or tomorrow and give you my honest opinion - and I promise I will be totally truthful. I haven't seen Bertie for some time so will be able to see how much he has deteriorated.

I worried so much that I was keeping Sue alive for me but you reassured me and I think the opinion of someone who knows buns and who I trust really helped (obviously not instead of a vet's view:oops:)

Sam is coming over shortly and I am going to ask her opinion over Dylan as he is hating having his lump squeezed and his eyes bathed sooooooo much, I am wondering if it's fair to him.
 
I hope Bertie picks up soon, Bluebell too is having a rough few days so I know exactly how you feel. :cry:
 
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