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Jazzie's really ill again :( - U/d #30 - Looking better :D

~ILoveMyBunny~

Alpha Buck
Wasn't going to post anything about this but I've gone from 'normal worried' to extremely worried. Jazz went into stasis a few days back and has been hospitalized for the best part of three days. Yesterday evening they let me take her home as she was finally picking at grass (not a lot) and she had some (again not a lot) output. Knowing how easily frightened Jazzie is, and the fact that she's never been to this surgery before so it's all new, I thought she'd pick up well after being home for a bit in familiar surroundings etc. That hasn't quite happened as I expected.
I was initially very encouraged by the fact that within 10 seconds of her being in her pen she was nibbling at hay. Not a lot but hey, that's amazing so quickly I thought. Usually takes them a couple of hours to start touching food.
On and off we saw her pick at the hay (and I think only the hay, possibly also a strawberry leaf but not sure) but we're talking very small amounts. In the end I decided I'd have to give her some food by syringe. The little pain has developed a lovely technique of 'holding' the recovery food in her mouth and just won't swallow so getting her to take it has been a nightmare, but we got her to have some.

She's definitely not herself, she's a very happy little bunny most of the time but she's sitting hunched into a ball, eyes looking so sad. She just looks so ill poor girl :( Then she has moments when she looks quite bright, relatively active and has spent a lot of time cleaning herself.
She's on the usual, emeprid, ranitidine, metacam but the metacam doesn't seem to be helping. She'd had buprenorphine at vets too (hence why I thought she looked so out of it at first).

Now I don't know what to think. The day before she went down she was fine, ran around (well, fast walked - Jazzie doesn't really do 'run') - she was happy. And readily ate her dinner that night. The next morning she'd gone down and we have no idea why. I put it down to the fact that we'd cut her nails, which she finds quite stressful, that night. But she ran around and had dinner after that. She didn't seem stressed.
I did also note she's got a good few fur mites which is further worrying me that something else underlying is going on.
After her last bad episode a year or so ago when her kidneys basically shut down and an exotic consultant told the vet she didn't know how she was even still alive I've been fearful of her ever going down like this again. Though she had a blood test which showed her creatinine was back to normal shortly after her last bad episode I'm still worried that some damage was done.

All this because the vet looking after her admitted her for the whole day and never put her on fluids :evil: She was completely dehydrated. I had her whole record while she was there (though somewhere along the line they got them back off of me - I still don't know how) and I could see from the times that he hadn't even given her meds until two hours after she was admitted.... And no fluids at all. All day.
Anyway, that's past now. Just still infuriates me. Thankfully we've got a good surgery here (our last surgery was absolutely fantastic, just had that one terrible vet) and they've looked after her well. They also work with an exotics specialist vet chain who come in and do clinics one day every two weeks so all vets seem really familiar with rabbits. They open at 9.30 so unless there's a miraculous change in the next few hours it looks like she'll be heading back :( I missed her so much over the past few days, I've never been seperated from any of them for so long.
I'm not sure what to ask for at the moment. I'm definitely thinking blood tests, though unfortunately they don't have an in house laboratory so I don't know how long results will take.
It's so horrible seeing her like this. She's just not herself at all :(
 
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I’m so sorry she is so poorly:cry: I’m sending lots of vibes to her and hugs to you xx
 
I'm so sorry to read this, I've no suggestions or advice, but just want to send loads of vibes for Jazzie. I hope the vets visit goes well for you both xx
 
Thanks everyone.
No signs on any improvement as such. She looks quite bright and has a least left her litter tray, but she's getting quite cold again. She's not interested in anything, not even banana or peach (her favourite).
Just under an hour to go. Looks like she's going to be up there again today :cry:
Goodness I hate her being away.. I really don't want her to go back. I'm getting scared something more is going on here than 'just' stasis.
My poor girl :(
 
Lots of vibes for Jazz. I hope she picks up soon. It’s always such a worrying time so lots of hugs for you too. xx
 
Adding my vibes for Jazz. I always feel so helpless when a bun is poorly and I am not sure what is going on or what to do for the best.

Thinking of you both and hoping she will improve today xxx
 
Poor Jazzie :cry: Given her previous history I think it may be beneficial for her to remain on fluid therapy until her blood test results are back. Perhaps it'd be worth asking the Vet about this. Sending lots of vibes for her x
 
Thank you all. She's back up there at the moment. The vet has been absolutely fantastic, very very thorough. He's done a blood draw, waiting for results any time now. I'm hoping nothing shows because I can't imagine it can be good.
Poor girl, she looks horrified at being back :(
There's a nurse there who looked after her yesterday, I think she'll look out for her too. Apparently there was some chewing of i/v's yesterday.... :roll:
 
Vet just phoned, results came back with a few things high but crucially the kidneys look okay. I tried to note down what he said, I got that calcium is a bit high, globulin and ALT. Her glucose is rather high for my liking at 13, though he doesn't seem too concerned at this stage. He mentioned he's been looking at Frances Harcourt Brown's book which I found encouraging.
I didn't understand a lot of it but I am concerned after some googling about the high ALT now as they mentioned a possible liver problem during her major episode but then put it down to the kidneys instead and never mentioned anything further.
As he was on the phone she started to eat. So he's going to monitor until this evening and decide whether to keep her overnight or send her home based on how she goes. He also mentioned potentially imaging but I guess we'll see how she goes.
 
I hope she starts to feel better soon, sending vibes for you both, she sounds like she's in good hands xx
 
Vet just phoned, results came back with a few things high but crucially the kidneys look okay. I tried to note down what he said, I got that calcium is a bit high, globulin and ALT. Her glucose is rather high for my liking at 13, though he doesn't seem too concerned at this stage. He mentioned he's been looking at Frances Harcourt Brown's book which I found encouraging.
I didn't understand a lot of it but I am concerned after some googling about the high ALT now as they mentioned a possible liver problem during her major episode but then put it down to the kidneys instead and never mentioned anything further.
As he was on the phone she started to eat. So he's going to monitor until this evening and decide whether to keep her overnight or send her home based on how she goes. He also mentioned potentially imaging but I guess we'll see how she goes.

Any period of gut stasis can lead to some abnormal liver function. I am glad that her renal function is OK.

Has the Vet ruled out any bladder sludge problems ? x
 
Thanks all. And thanks Jane, I didn't know that. I was researching myself and getting a bit worried about hepatic lipidosis, which he did briefly mention but didn't seem too concerned about in her case.
I've just spoken to him again and clarified it a bit more, it is only slightly. The ALT is 70. He's mentioned potentially imaging if she doesn't pick up a little later.
He said her hydration is good and he's seen her eating but it's still not a lot. Only two droppings since she's been in. They haven't syringe fed her for a bit as she was picking and it took him and the nurse just to give oral meds and that was near enough impossible. She really is one of the most stubborn rabbits I've ever seen (and that's saying something) so I sympathise with them!
They're going to monitor a few more hours, if she doesn't pick up eating she's going back on i/v and I presume more syringe feeding, though if she does pick up a bit hopefully she'll still be coming home this evening.
It's a real tricky one knowing what's best for her. On the one hand they can administer things I can't there but on the other it's a stressful environment for her. Plus it's a decent journey to and from vet which adds to the stress of going back and forth.
She's being rather unusual in that she seems to be staying at the same point rather than the usual getting much better or getting much worse that rabbits tend to do. I don't know what to make of it.
I'm worried sick about her.

Regarding sludge, wouldn't that have been picked up in the blood test as high levels of something to do with the kidneys/urinary system? As far as I know that was all normal, minus slightly raised calcium but not by very much. I know excess calcium causes sludge but would it go along with it only being raised a little bit? If there's no improvement I'll ask him if he's considered sludge. At that point I think we'll have to go with imaging. He's been absolutely wonderful, his rabbit knowledge seems great to start with but he's been looking everything up in books to double check which I think is brilliant. He checked her over more thoroughly than I've ever seen a vet do and he's really working hard to do what's best for her.
I guess we can only wait for a few more hours and see what happens, though it's getting very hard to do. I've never known any take this long to bounce back. Snowflake took three days with her bad episode of syringe feeding etc and that was touch and go (again, I think her stubbornness got her through). Pixel also struggled for a week post dental with stasis problems, but it wasn't like this. While I'm relieved she hasn't got worse I'm concerned that she's also not improving.
So hard :?
 
Sorry you are and Jazzie are going through this, but have to say, your vet sounds amazing. I really hope he can find the cause of her problem, and that she'll soon be home. Sending big hugs for you xxx
 
Sending vibes for Jazzie. I think Pip went through something similar years ago and they got her back to herself with lots of fluids and motility drugs. She tended to present with the slightly high liver values too. I hope Jazzie will be home soon. xxxx
 
In for another night :( Vet didn't sound as happy when he called, I think he's disappointed as he was thinking she'd pick up and be able to go home. So was I.
Back on an i/v now but they're not sure about syringe feeding. Apparently she'd giving them the same problem she gives me, that holding it in her mouth and not swallowing, and just giving meds by syringe stressed her out.
She is picking at food (mainly grass) and leaving a few droppings, it's just all very, very small amounts.
The poor vet has been working since this morning, at least 12hrs. I can't believe how wonderful he's been.
I still don't know what to think. It's the fact she's just staying the same that's confusing me, she's not getting better or worse.
If she's not picked up by morning I will ask for imaging. They're going to phone me early.
 
I hope you can get to the bottom of whats ailing Jazzie & she turns a corner soon. Not knowing what your working with is so stressful
 
It is :( I really thought she'd pick up by the next day.. I was not expecting this. She was so happy the night before.
She is a tough, stubborn little thing despite her timidness and I think that's what got her through her last episode. But stubborness can only go so far and I'm worried about how much longer she can maintain without going downhill.
This is awful :(
 
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