Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
Some of you may notice how I am always going on about why pain relief is so important for poorly Rabbits.
Here is a little example from today. At 4pm Lara was absolutely fine, eating and pooing normally and her usual happy self. About an hour an a half later I found her in a state of near collapse.
I picked her up and immediately felt how cold she was. On examination her temperature was only 36.2C. She was not in stasis as there were huge golden poos coming out of her bum and very good gut sounds. However, her intestines had LOTs of gas so before I called the emergency Vet I gave her a shot of metacam and some Ranitidine. My Vet allows me to have these meds at home. I then put Lara on a heatpad. Within 15 mins she stopped wobbling and could sit up unaided. After half an hour she started to eat.
So it looks as though her collapsed state and hypothermia were due to severe pain from gas in her intestines. I will monitor her over the next couple of hour and will take her to the emergency Vet if she relapses.
Rabbits may not vocalise pain but they can have profound and dangerous physiological responses. Thats why I so wish all Vets would realise how important pain relief is. I am just so glad that my Vet does.
Just needed to get that off my chest
Here is a little example from today. At 4pm Lara was absolutely fine, eating and pooing normally and her usual happy self. About an hour an a half later I found her in a state of near collapse.
I picked her up and immediately felt how cold she was. On examination her temperature was only 36.2C. She was not in stasis as there were huge golden poos coming out of her bum and very good gut sounds. However, her intestines had LOTs of gas so before I called the emergency Vet I gave her a shot of metacam and some Ranitidine. My Vet allows me to have these meds at home. I then put Lara on a heatpad. Within 15 mins she stopped wobbling and could sit up unaided. After half an hour she started to eat.
So it looks as though her collapsed state and hypothermia were due to severe pain from gas in her intestines. I will monitor her over the next couple of hour and will take her to the emergency Vet if she relapses.
Rabbits may not vocalise pain but they can have profound and dangerous physiological responses. Thats why I so wish all Vets would realise how important pain relief is. I am just so glad that my Vet does.
Just needed to get that off my chest