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Maa's all better now! (photos added)

elve

Banned
Maa has had a teary eye since being (I assume) kicked in the eye at feeding time by one of her daughters one day last week - she was very shocked when I went in after they'd eaten breakfast, but totally recovered by tea time, apart from a slightly teary eye.

Due to the bonding complications and the fact that I've never handled 'the wild bunch' and am working on taming them, I was reluctant to take her to the vets unless absolutely necessary as it would stress her so much, and if she needed prolonged treatment would break the bond with her daughters as she'd need to be nursed in the house.

However, although she seemed to be in no pain at all, skipping about and eating normally, it became obvious after a week that she had lost sight in that eye - didn't really seem to matter to her though - and the eye looked too swollen to get better by itself as I'd hoped it would.

So off to the vets we went (she's now in shock and has stopped eating, as I was afraid she would after being manhandled ) and the vet says she's in no pain but her eye must come out as it's beyond saving. I had confirmed before I went that they would be able to do surgery today, to minimise to-ing and fro-ing stress to her, but suprise suprise, they lied about that and it was impossible today because they had a ferret in, which would apparently cause the rabbit to almost die of fright :?

Friday's the day then - Sadly I guess she will be split permanently from the girls as they won't accept her back after a week?

I don't know what to do with her! The house is FULL - I mean not a spare inch anywhere...Benny hates her...Tia won't like another bunny invading her new patch...It's too cold for her to go back with the girls when she's just had surgery - isn't it? I could put a dog crate in the shed for her, but there's no heating in there...I am totally at a loss what to do with her! I could buy a hutch for her but again it's too cold outside...Any ideas anyone? Will the shed be too cold for her post op, or is that a better option than her losing the bond with her daughters?

I'm really annoyed the vets wouldn't operate today too - it's a nightmare getting there with no car - they even had the nerve to prescribe antibiotics which she doesn't need, and eye cream which is pointless as her eye's coming out Friday - I don't agree with giving unnecessary meds so I'm not using either of them, but they cost me £20! I was too worried to argue at the time :roll:
 
Hiya,

Could you bring one of her daughters in with her - rotate which. They smell funny after the vets trip too so rub her in their bedding. That might be enough to keep them familar?

Or... maybe you could get a greenhouse heater for the shed?

Tam
 
Awww Elve poor maa XXX I had to seperate Lavender for 10 days form her group (5 of) as she was on baytril for a resp infection. I brought Hester in with her and after 5 days put her outside in a kennels with hester. I reintroduced them back to there group after the 10 days were up and lavender was better and they just accepted her back no problem! As Tamsin says rotate her daughters with her and try and make her smell as much as poss of them. You should be ok to put her back outside after a couple of recovery days in the house, if you put her in a kennel you could cover her with blankets and stuff to keep her extra warm XXXXX
 
hi

thanks guys :)

Might have to put the dog crate on my bed and sleep on a chair :lol:

I know which daughter I'd put with her - Primrose was very solicitous and caring about her all week, and fussed over her today when she got back - the other 3 are just wild women out for a scrum - no wonder she got kicked :roll:

I won't know till I try and rebond the group though I guess - horrible feeling butterflies in your stomach! :?

I don't think I can fit a heater in the shed really - I might try my calor gas heater with a fireguard round it - but I'll probably lie awake worrying about them setting some hay on fire...maybe I'll sleep in the shed too - I love slugs and spiders! :)
 
elve, sounds like your having a nightmare!

I think a hutch in a shed will be ok and put lots of blankets over and hay inside a snugglesafe heat pad too- i think the weather is still quite mild (is where i am anyway) and as the other have said, rotate the daughters?!
 
hi

ah yes - a snugglesafe! Knew I had something missing from my bunny kit - I wouldn't be happy about her being with Zinneia come to think of it - it could be Zinneia who caused the injury as she's a very fanatical eye/ear washer - she practically chews them off in her keeness to do a thorough job :?

I guess I will muddle through - I seem to be doing a lot of that since I got the piggies :roll:

I just hope she survives the op - The vet nurse was the one who lied to me on the phone about surgery - she's a typical jobsworth and couldn't stand the fact that I knew Maa needed her eye out...Then she had Maa in an armlock wrapped in a towel for ages after the vet had finished, and I said 'do you think she'd like to go back in the carrier now?' and she reckoned Maa was enjoying the fuss! I said either that or she was too terrified to move because she was at the vets...I'm pretty sure Maa wasn't enjoying a cuddle :?

£300 on Friday :shock: I just paid for Charlie piggie's unnecessary antibiotics too (he had an impaction a few weekends ago, which the emergency vet didn't recognise) £80 for a weekend callout :shock: :shock:
 
Oh poor Maa :cry: And what a dilema :?
She really needs to be in the house after the surgery, somewhere warm and quiet. Don't worry if she needs to go in a smaller cage temporarily, she won't feel like racing around anyway. One of the guinea cages would do. I use them for sick bays. They are easier to cover for warmth than a dog crate anyway. A plastic milk bottle full of hot water can act as a mini radiator too. Putting her with Primrose after the first recovery period sounds like a good idea if they are the most compatible. She should be alright to go back into the shed once she is recovered from the anesthetic providing all goes well and may even go back with the whole group once the wound has healed.

It is hard when they are so nervous. I am trying to get Cherry used to handling before I book him in to be castrated or I think he would be at serious risk of a heart attack :( I have him snuggled against me right now. :love: I doubt that ferret would have been any more of a stressor than the extra journey :?

It would probably be as well to use the antibiotic if the vet gave it to you as the surgery is far more risky if there is infection present. The cream is also probably antibiotic and also may make her more comfortable in the meantime.
 
Re: hi

elve said:
£300 on Friday :shock: I just paid for Charlie piggie's unnecessary antibiotics too (he had an impaction a few weekends ago, which the emergency vet didn't recognise) £80 for a weekend callout :shock: :shock:

OMG Elve is that £300 just for Maa's eye :shock:
 
OMG! Elve, I'm so sorry about Maa! :cry: It must be so upsetting! If you need anything, i.e. a small hutch (I've got 2) or a GP indoor hutch, then pm me and I'll come across with one. I'll get onto Celia and tell her about it all... I can't believe it's costing that much! That's shocking! :( *hugs*
 
Just tried ringing you, Elve. £300 sounds awfully expensive, so I phoned Celia and she says that she doesn't think it should be that much.
So if you like, I could take Maa to our vet, Tony Riley in Sutton in Ashfield, and see what he says. It might save you quite a bit of money coz he gives the rescue money off... also Celia has offered to pay for half of the bill....
What do you think? Would that help you out a bit more?
I'm practically in tears here, poor Maa! :(
 
hi

Thanks for that info Louise :D

Yes Ju :shock:

Thanks Angie - I've got loads of spare cages so don't worry on that score - the piggies are all in big ones now, so I have 10 spare 2' cages, and a spare dog crate that Benny was in before he moved outside :)

It's just one of those things - If I'd taken her in last week then it might not have got so bad, but because it wasn't bothering her and I didn't want to risk upsetting the group dynamics, or her, I played wait and see - If she'd been in pain I'd have been straight to the vets, but it seemed so trivial at first...I've been trying to decide what to do for the best for days - I would be happy to leave her eye as it is, even though it looks ugly, if it's not bothering her - but I was afraid that the blood supply might cut off or something in the long term, so best to have it removed...

She's still a lovely girl, enjoying life - I will concentrate on her surviving surgery - if she's got to move out of the shed then it's not a disaster - I'm sure she could rebond with Primrose at least :)
 
hi

missed your last post Angie - thanks for offering to help :D no-one can ever get me on the phone as I always have the ringer switched off at night then forget to put it on again :roll:

Don't worry about it - I've hardened myself to forking out unmentionable sums of money recently :lol:
 
It sounds well worth getting a second opinion when that much money is involved - and another vet might not even think it needs to some out. Strawberry has one blind eye - it is completely white and smaller than the other but doesn't bother him at all. I was told it was from an old injury and my vet agrees that is what it looks like. So Maa's might end up like that without surgery.
 
My house Bun Harvey lost the sight in his eye after an op on his ear :roll: the eye ball went white and just looked dry, the vet said just to leave it. but then Maa's is a wound so might be different.
 
hi

the vet said it was glaucoma - which can be caused from a kick to the eye. the reason I was thinking the eye needed removing was because it looks like it will pop out of the socket now - If the fluid has reached its max then it will start going down eventually I guess, but meanwhile I was afraid it would burst or something, maybe give her blood poisoning :? She looks like something out of a horror movie, but the vet assures me it's not hurting her - she checked it out with a light...

Meanwhile the scenario I dreaded is happening - the girls must have had a tiff over who was boss while Maa wasn't there - I noticed Zinneia had a small bite on her muzzle last night, and she refused to eat her pellets for supper - Maa has never refused pellets through all this, so I'm really worried about Zinneia getting stasis now - hope she's OK this morning :(

Zinneia has always avoided me, whereas Maa asks to be stroked sometimes...
 
hi

thanks duck :)

Zinneia is now in full blown stasis, in a cat carrier, on top of a guinea pig hutch in my kitchen (I picked her up! :shock: ) - I now have to make porridge for my starving son (didn't get to the shops yesterday due to Maa) do the piggies water bottles, do the washing I didn't get around to doing yesterday either, have a bath, clean the rabbit's shed and litter trays out (5 days worth of muck can't be left - that's me and the rabbits :wink: ) clean the hutch in the kitchen (10 days now) and I guess I could leave the living room carpet another day, although Tia thinks it's a litter tray :roll:

I can't get to the vets or the shops - aarrgh!!!! Think I need a car....
 
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