Spay help please!!!

I know there has already been a thread tonight about this problem, but I have just got back from the vet's having had to rush Phoebee back in following her spay last Friday and it's not looking good.
She was understandably quiet on Saturday, a bit more perky Sundy, but only wanted a few dandelion leaves. On Monday I was thinking she was well enough to go back outside as she was weeing and pooing and starting to eat a bit more. However, I put her in the run Monday with Alfie and although they were happy to be back together, I was worried Alfie would be a bit too boystous with her in their hutch, so kept her in doors for an extra night. Tuesday I thought her poos looked a bit drier and smaller, so i kept an eye on her. I wasn't entirely convinced she was ok, but there was no real problem showing. Tonight, I went to giver her her antibiotics and she just went limp. Called the vet and raced to the surgery. He can't find anything obvious, but has kept her in. It's not looking good. I feel sick with guilt I really didn't want to risk uterine cancer, so had her spayed, but this time last week she was binking in the sunshine with Alfie and as fit as a flea. Has anyone had anything similar?

I can't help with any advice really, but thought I'd bump it up to see if there's anyone around who can give you some support.

Thank you Capel. I'm really upset. We lost her sister about a month after she was spayed. I couldn't face having Phoebee spayed straight after as the vet's PM on Dotty was inconclusive and we just had no idea why we lost her. I knew I would have to get Phoeb done and couldn't really put it off any longer as she'll be 3 in October;but now I just feel really miserable. The vet has just said he has concerns. The wound looks really good, but he has said there could be something going on inside, but she's so sick she'll not cope with another GA, so we're just playing the waiting game. She's had anti-inflamatory and anti-biotics tonight and I've got to ring in the morning ( unless he calls me first).

Can't think of anything off the top of my head, other than is she being given fluids?

Sending lots of get well vibes to Phoebee

Both of my 2 girls went into GI stasis only a few days after being spayed - one was about 3 days after, and the other about 7 days after. Sounds like this is what might have happened here? Am a bit tired so haven't read your post properly, I don't think. Is she at the vets now??

Let me know how Phoebees doing. Im taking Daisy back to the vet this morning as ive only been able to get pineapple juice in her shes refusing the recovery food :roll: shes really quiet which is totally out of character for her
Sending lots of vibes for phoebee

I'm really sorry to hear your problems, I have everything crossed for you that she improves

Kathryn xx

Oh Maizy I don't know what to say. If they were sisters I wonder if there could be a genetic component at work here? To have the same problem twice is really awful, esp if it's the same vet. Thinking of you and hoping for the best.

I haven't had my 5 girls spayed and it's threads like this that keep me arguing against it when everyone else on the forum tells me I'm wrong. It's so heartbreaking for you but don't blame yourself - you trust your vet. Personally I wouldn't trust a vet to do a PM on an animal that had died in his care - he's hardly likely to find himself incompetant is he? I am blaming the vet. Not that that helps your poor bunny

Thanks everyon for all your kind thought's. Been at work all day, hence haven't been able to respond until now. It's been one of the worst day's i can remember. The vet asked me to ring at 10 this morning afterthe morning rush. I knew if I heard before then it would be bad news and sure enough the call came in at 9.30. Phoebee slipped away this morning having picked up a bit during the night. At 10am I then had to listen to an announcement at work that my office is closing and the rest of the day I was made to attend meetings I had no desire to be in, listening to patronising plattitudes from management about decisions that had already been made!
As with Dotty, we don't have any answers, Capel you mentioned the gentic link, it's all I can think of too. I don't have any other girls from that litter and I just feel wretched. I just feel as though I'm responsible for ending the life of a bunny that was so full of beans last week and for destroying the bond between her and Alfie. They were so close and now he's all alone.

I've been and collected Phoeb from the vets and she's back home where she belongs but I feel horrible. The vet did offer a PM, but I said no this time, nothing can be learned from it that will benefit the others I will post a separate thread on Rainbow Bridge in a bit, but I thought I'd update you all first and say thanks for your thoughts.

I'm really sorry, its not your fault, you were only doing what you thought was best and trying to prevent her from a nasty illness.
Personally, after going through the worry of these ops 4 times now, I think i'd have to go for a rescue bun that had already been spayed or neutered next time.

I am so sorry - I so hoped there would be a happy ending to this one. Please don't blame yourself.

I'm so sorry

Was it the same vet that lost your other bunny post spay? Just wondering if it was the vet who isn't experienced enough with rabbits to try and stop it happening to someone else.

Sending you hugs, you must feel awful but as everyone else has said please don't blame yourself, you did what is advised for the best and you didn't have the benefit of hindsight

So sorry this happened

kayjay said:

I'm so sorry

Was it the same vet that lost your other bunny post spay? Just wondering if it was the vet who isn't experienced enough with rabbits to try and stop it happening to someone else.

Sending you hugs, you must feel awful but as everyone else has said please don't blame yourself, you did what is advised for the best and you didn't have the benefit of hindsight

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It was the same practice, but different vet. They've been our practice for more years than I can remember. Obviously over time the vets have come and gone, but the main partner has remained and I have to say he's been brilliant and really really kind with all our animals. My own thoughts for what it's worth, are that we lost her to stress related GI stasis, ( it's all I can think of that fits the symptoms of both Phoeb and Dotty). The surgery would have been a big part of that stress and maybe my having to ply her with antibiotics twice a day plus zantac didn't help and it all got too much, I don't know really. Just know I feel really miserable

It's so sad and I feel so sorry for you that you've had to go through this more than once

When you feel ready to find your male bunny a friend I would do as Estelle suggests and seek out one who is already spayed. I spayed my bunny Pippa but found the whole process so stressful (for me as well as her) that I've sworn I won't get another unspayed bunny unless it's one who is unspayed for a reason and will remain so.

Why was she receiving Zantac? I know it's an anti inflammatory for the stomach, but it's a human medicine and can cause liver damage and pneumonia.

Regarding your vet - rabbit medicine has come on greatly in the past 5 years, but if your vet is older and maybe complacent about his skills, he will not have bothered to attend the voluntary conferences held every year. My vet stressed that they regularly attend small animal conferences, and are very knowledgeable about small animals.

Rabbits are not like cats and dogs - they have delicate livers for one thing, and also suffer unusual bruising to the intestines if these are not handled by an experienced vet - it's best to bathe them in fluid during surgery and handle them as little as possible or adhesions may form during the days following surgery, causing the death of the rabbit.

I am sure your vet is a lovely person, and that all the practise vets are well-qualified, but it is important to ask for a vet who has attended small animal conferences and taken an interest in them. Often older vets have the old fashioned attitude that rabbits are nothing important, compared to cats, dogs and horses.

And like I said in my post on the previous page, if the PM is done by the vet who originally treated your animal, they are unlikely to blame themselves for the rabbit's death. My vet refuses to do PMs on her client's animals as she obviously has a vested interest in the findings - a PM needs to be done by someone external to the practise.

I know all this won't bring Phoebe back, but after 3 years of hearing countless (yes I did actually lose count today ) stories like this one on the rabbit forums, I am very wary of vets and submit mine to an annoying barrage of questions every time I go. I want people to realise that a good vet isn't necessarily a good rabbit vet, and you must shop around for one.

I've just read this.
I'm so so sorry for the loss of your bun, Phoebee and her sister Dotty before her.
How very sad
I'm sure Dotty will be waiting in the sunshine for her x

So sorry to hear this Maizy.

Please do not blaim yourself. If its risking uterine cancer or a spay you must spay every time. I've lost a 2year old doe to uterine cancer and trust me it is something I never want to witness again. Its horrific and the guilt I felt was immense.

Elve is right - our vet has an excellent reputation and when my friend took her rabbit to him he said he could do the myxi and vhd together when they aren't licensed to be given together. I now go to the other, much younger vet who is very good. The male vet is good with cats and dogs but unfortunately rabbits aren't really covered much in training and it's down to the individual vet to gain the knowledge required. Of course your vet maybe excellent, but I would be wary of him spaying or operating on another of your rabbits if it were me.