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Faithy's ill - she's gone :(

weedug

Mama Doe
My 8 year old Faithy took unwell with breathing problems on Saturday. She was rushed to the vet where they done an X-Ray. It showed her lungs were full of fluid, and that she had bronchitis and possible pneumonia. After a day on oxygen she was sent home with diuretics, metacam and Baytril.

Her breathing has been difficult since although at times she remains alert. Her eating isn't great. Last night she went downhill and collapsed on her side when I was giving her meds. She managed to get up when I put her back outside.

I arranged a vet visit early today with the view of pts, but the vet, who she hadn't seen before, decided because she was bright and still moving around she didn't need pts. I was also told I shouldn't keep stressing her out taking her into the vet every couple of days, even though the original vet asked to see her these times.

I am so upset. Obviously I don't want to lose her but I don't want her to continue to struggle to breathe either. I don't have insurance for her so can't afford other tests. She is a very nervous/aggressive rabbit who hates being handled so meds twice a day isn't helping. I can't mix them in anything because she's not eating well.

I really don't know what to do with her. At times she is up and moving around. Most of the time she is lying around with her nostrils flaring and sometimes stretching her neck out. I've tried nebulising her too.

Sorry, just wanted to vent.
 
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My 8 year old Faithy took unwell with breathing problems on Saturday. She was rushed to the vet where they done an X-Ray. It showed her lungs were full of fluid, and that she had bronchitis and possible pneumonia. After a day on oxygen she was sent home with diuretics, metacam and Baytril.

Her breathing has been difficult since although at times she remains alert. Her eating isn't great. Last night she went downhill and collapsed on her side when I was giving her meds. She managed to get up when I put her back outside.

I arranged a vet visit early today with the view of pts, but the vet, who she hadn't seen before, decided because she was bright and still moving around she didn't need pts. I was also told I shouldn't keep stressing her out taking her into the vet every couple of days, even though the original vet asked to see her these times.

I am so upset. Obviously I don't want to lose her but I don't want her to continue to struggle to breathe either. I don't have insurance for her so can't afford other tests. She is a very nervous/aggressive rabbit who hates being handled so meds twice a day isn't helping. I can't mix them in anything because she's not eating well.

I really don't know what to do with her. At times she is up and moving around. Most of the time she is lying around with her nostrils flaring and sometimes stretching her neck out. I've tried nebulising her too.

Sorry, just wanted to vent.

Oh I am sorry to hear this. On top of all the other stresses you have I am sure you must feel very upset.

Did the Vet who saw the Xray mention anything about her heart being enlarged ? Sometimes this can be a primary cause of pulmonary oedema. If her heart were enlarged then aswell as the diuretic an ACE Inhibitor type drug such as Benazepril may be helpful.

Could you ask the Vet if you can administer Faith's meds by injection. That would probably be less stressful for her, especially given that she is having problems breathing. She wont want her mouth messed with I would not think.

Is she mouth breathing at all ?
 
Oh weedug, I am so sorry to hear this, I can't imagine how you must be feeling. :( Sending you ((((((Huge hugs)))))))
I'm sorry, I don't have any advice, but I wanted you to know I am thinking of you. I hope something can be found to help Faithy. Poor lamb. :( xxxx
 
Hi Jane, thanks for replying. Her heart wasn't enlarged. The diuretic was to get rid of some of the fluid in her lungs. I have a copy of her X-Ray but can't work out how to post it so will need to wait till I'm on the PC.

I haven't asked for injections because I feel she would struggle with them. She is very jumpy.

She doesn't mouth breath, just stretches her neck out or sometimes up, but her mouth is closed. When she is in the "loaf" position, she rocks very obviously, her nostrils flare with most breaths and I can see what I assume is her heart beating when standing some 3 feet or so away.

When she is bright, usually in the morning, it is great. But she seems to get worse in the afternoon, picks up slightly for a little while in the evening, and back downhill again.

I really don't know what to do for the best. I want her to get better, but when she is bad she looks so miserable and slightly blue around her mouth/nose.
 
Thank you so much Mimzmum. It is awful seeing her struggle, but then she is able to jump around in her run for a couple of minutes.
 
Hi Jane, thanks for replying. Her heart wasn't enlarged. The diuretic was to get rid of some of the fluid in her lungs. I have a copy of her X-Ray but can't work out how to post it so will need to wait till I'm on the PC.

I haven't asked for injections because I feel she would struggle with them. She is very jumpy.

She doesn't mouth breath, just stretches her neck out or sometimes up, but her mouth is closed. When she is in the "loaf" position, she rocks very obviously, her nostrils flare with most breaths and I can see what I assume is her heart beating when standing some 3 feet or so away.

When she is bright, usually in the morning, it is great. But she seems to get worse in the afternoon, picks up slightly for a little while in the evening, and back downhill again.

I really don't know what to do for the best. I want her to get better, but when she is bad she looks so miserable and slightly blue around her mouth/nose.

Do the slight improvements occur shortly after she has her diuretic ?
 
i'm sorry to hear this. must be so worrying :( nebulising sounds a good idea if she's comfortable with it. it can make things seem a bit worse before better though as it starts to shift any mucus etc.

can't offer any advice but thinking of you x
 
Do the slight improvements occur shortly after she has her diuretic ?

No, she is usually worse before and just after meds. In the morning she is best from 6:30-8:00. She gets meds at about 8:30 but is on her way down beforehand and continues down. The only thing I can think of is it is usually cooler early morning. But it cools off in the evening too and she is up and down then.
 
No, she is usually worse before and just after meds. In the morning she is best from 6:30-8:00. She gets meds at about 8:30 but is on her way down beforehand and continues down. The only thing I can think of is it is usually cooler early morning. But it cools off in the evening too and she is up and down then.

Temperature could well play a part. Have you noticed that she is now drinking and weeing more ?
 
Thank you for all the replies.

I told the vet on Monday, but he wasn't concerned.

The vet this morning told me to stop giving her the diuretics because she didn't need them
 
Faithy has been on meds for a week now, and there is no difference in her breathing. She is no longer on the diuretics, and her eating/drinking is a bit better off them. She's still on the Baytril, metacam and 2 gut meds. She also gets nebulised twice a day but struggles to breath during treatment and ends up collapsed on her side or gulping air.

I don't know what I should do now for her. At times she seems fairly happy, and at other times she is totally stressed. All the handling isn't helping her stress either.
 
Faithy has been on meds for a week now, and there is no difference in her breathing. She is no longer on the diuretics, and her eating/drinking is a bit better off them. She's still on the Baytril, metacam and 2 gut meds. She also gets nebulised twice a day but struggles to breath during treatment and ends up collapsed on her side or gulping air.

I don't know what I should do now for her. At times she seems fairly happy, and at other times she is totally stressed. All the handling isn't helping her stress either.

Personally I would not nebuliser her any more.

From seeing the Xrays I am assuming they were taken without sedation/GA ?
 
The X-rays were either with sedation or ga, but I'm not sure which. Can I ask why you think they were taken without?

I'll stop the nebulising.
 
The X-rays were either with sedation or ga, but I'm not sure which. Can I ask why you think they were taken without?

I'll stop the nebulising.

Because there are only 2 views. What does the Vet now say about ongoing treatment ? Any mention of changing the antibiotic ?
 
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