Cleo's Diary - A battle with EC/UD 11th October

[*Bex*]

Friday 7th June
Feeling very down and disheartened about Cleo. She has been a bit quiet these past couple of days, spending a lot of time laid down although still eating well and alert and lively when being handled. She'd got herself really messy again yesterday evening and had to be washed before bed. She got very stressed when being washed which was really upsetting. She seems to have some discomfort in her back legs. There is nothing wrong with them to look at, but she is visibly upset when they are cleaned. She has lost some fur on them from being washed.
I am starting to question if we are doing the right thing or just being selfish but then she is so enthusiastic about her food and she is so alert when she is held....I just don't know what to do. A couple of days ago I was feeling so positive...

 

[Jolysium]

I'm so sorry Bex It must be so hard and emotionally draining. I think it might be harder for you than for her because it's so heartbreaking when you feel like you're stressing them out but I think they get over it more quickly than we do if that makes sense. If she's still enjoying her food and seems alert then she's probably still got a reasonable quality of life and you are doing the right thing by helping her keep going. Have you got anyone around who can help out and provide some moral support?

 

[Mrs. Bunnykins]

Cleo is alert and eating her food so she must be happy with the level of care you are giving her and obviously has a zest for life. IMO you are not being selfish, quite the opposite, you are doing everything you can to help Cleo and to me that is wonderful. The world needs more caring people such as yourself.

Have faith and keep doing what you are doing.:thumb:

 

[bunny mad lisa]

Cleo is alert and eating her food so she must be happy with the level of care you are giving her and obviously has a zest for life. IMO you are not being selfish, quite the opposite, you are doing everything you can to help Cleo and to me that is wonderful. The world needs more caring people such as yourself.

Have faith and keep doing what you are doing.:thumb:

My thoughts exactly... She will tell you if she's had enough, I know its so draining but remember what a wonderful caring bunny mum you are xx

 

[*Bex*]

Thank you. She's been much the same all day. I think she's dizzy and that's why she's been laying around a lot. We're desperately trying to get her something for her dizziness. There is two drugs the vets know of for this - one she can't have because of her size and the dosage and the other we cannot get hold of at all.
I just miss my happy hoppy bunny.

 

[*Bex*]

Monday 10th June
Cleo has been ok over the weekend, no real change in anything other than she's been clean! She hasn't needed an all over wash in days which is great for all of us
The vet has managed to get a chemist in town to order us the oral stemetil! I went to collect it after work but missed the chemist by seconds (had a slight incident with a pigeon at nursery :shock
I'll collect it at lunch time tomorrow. I so hope it makes a difference and she begins to get some balance and mobility back.

 

[hoppetylop]

Just caught up with your thread again.It sounds like Cleo is fighting this really hard=and you too!
I recognise the feelings you have of stress,frustration and worry from when my 2 had EC.You start to wonder if youre being fair etc.I think from Cleos response to her treatment,determination and good appetite she is definately doing well and you are giving her all the support medically and emotionally that she needs.
Good luck with the rest of her treatment.Sending vibes to Cleo........

 

[*Bex*]

Thursday 13th June
Cleo started stemetil to help with her balance. She had her first dose in Tuesday lunch time and within hours it became obvious she was very drowsy. We've reduced her dose and dropped it down to twice daily.
She has stopped eating her soft pellets which up until Tuesday she would devour which has been a big concern. She is still eating her veggies, hay and the odd fenugreek crunchie with great enthusiasm!

I spoke to the vet this evening about her stemetil as she's ignored her pellets all day, not even a little nibble and seemed so very drowsy, more than ever this evening and she's said to stop giving her it. We've since given her some greens and she stood herself up well and ate the lot! There was a dandelion disappearing down her mouth before we'd closed her cage! Did not expect that, we were beginning to worry she was giving up the fight

So, we are now wondering is she just bored of the pellets? Maybe it isn't the medication that's affected her and its just been a big coincidence with her starting it at the same time.
We don't want to take her off a medication that may help her, but we can't afford to give her it and have her appetite drop so drastically....decisions....

She has also gone off her syringe food in the past few days too, and I imagine that is pellet tasting so maybe she is really just sick of the taste? Either way we need to find something to substitute the pellet with as she needs all the food in her that we can give her. Or maybe mix something that smells and tastes really good in with them?

Any ideas welcome!

 

[*Bex*]

Friday 14th June
Cleo has eaten overnight but not eaten an awful lot this morning. Beginning to get very worried about her.
It occurred to me that we finished the lapizole on Monday after a 6 week course. Could this have any effect on her and cause her to be a bit off? Can it be given for longer?

I think we're going to have to take her back to the vets. They haven't seen her for a while as she's been doing ok at home. I'm scared. I'm scared of what the journey will do to her and I'm scared of what they will say. I feel they will tell us we've reached the end

 

[Jack's-Jane]

I donr think that stopping the Lapizole will be the cause of her reduction in appetite.

What other medication is she on now ?

Is she drinking ?

 

[*Bex*]

Metacam, fibreplex and eye drops. Shes not had the stemetil since yesterday morning. I wondered if we maybe stopped the lapizole before it had done its job in killing the disease?

Yes she drinks, not a great deal though.

Since I posted that she's eaten some dandelions and veggies!

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Metacam, fibreplex and eye drops. Shes not had the stemetil since yesterday morning. I wondered if we maybe stopped the lapizole before it had done its job in killing the disease?

Yes she drinks, not a great deal though.

Since I posted that she's eaten some dandelions and veggies!

She may benefit from some subcutaneous fluids as she could be somewhat dehydrated. EC effects the kidneys as well as the central nervous system. If a Rabbit is dehydrated they will not want to eat much. What they will eat is usually things like grass/weeds/veg. I would certainly discuss this with the Vet, as keeping her hydrated is an important part of treatment.

 

[*Bex*]

I never even thought of dehydration. Ok, shall discuss this with the vet, I'm waiting for a call from her today.

She has now eaten half a bowl of her soft pellets, and the rest of her greens.

We offered her water in the syringe but she was not interested, she did have two big syringes of watery recovery food.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

I never even thought of dehydration. Ok, shall discuss this with the vet, I'm waiting for a call from her today.

She has now eaten half a bowl of her soft pellets, and the rest of her greens.

We offered her water in the syringe but she was not interested, she did have two big syringes of watery recovery food.

She may be getting enough water in her feeds then, but still worth mentioning subcutaneous fluids to the Vet

Also, if her food intake is minimal she may benefit from having Ranitidine (Zantac) added to her drug regime. This can not only help protect the GI tract from ulceration ( a potential side effect of Metacam, especially in a Rabbit with a poor appetite) but it can also help increase the motility of the lower GI tract.

 

[*Bex*]

She may be getting enough water in her feeds then, but still worth mentioning subcutaneous fluids to the Vet

Also, if her food intake is minimal she may benefit from having Ranitidine (Zantac) added to her drug regime. This can not only help protect the GI tract from ulceration ( a potential side effect of Metacam, especially in a Rabbit with a poor appetite) but it can also help increase the motility of the lower GI tract.

Thanks for the info, will discuss with the vet. She never got back to me today so must've been busy.

Aside from the first week of her illness, where I think she was feeling pretty rubbish and wondering what was happening to her, her appetite has never faultered. Even when she hit rock bottom, lost all mobility, couldn't sit up and her head was on upside down she still ate and ate and ate. It's what gave us the strength to carry on when she was so bad, as we and the vet took that as a sign she was fighting. That was 5 weeks ago now. Now she can sit up when she wants, and she sits up well and brings her head up to eat (still very tilted, but she brings it up and reaches out for food)
I've seen her chinning things and poking at things with her nose if she sees anything different in her cage.
It's just been this week her appetite has faultered with her pellets and syringe food. It's coincided with her course of lapizole finishing on Monday, and giving the stemetil a go from Tuesday - Thursday. It could have nothing to do with it though. Could she just be getting bored of the pellet flavour? She has been having a lot of it.

We gave some soft pellets earlier with some banana mixed in. She sat right up and reached her head to the middle of the plate where the banana was and started eating!

I don't know if im just being stupid and selfish in thinking she can get through this. If she's willing to fight and she can get better we will battle on with her for as long as it takes.

 

[*Bex*]

Sunday 16th June
Cleo's appetite has picked right back up! Overnight she'd eaten the same amount as my NZW and he eats a lot!

We have a vets trip tomorrow evening. I'm worried about the stress of the journey on her. They haven't seen her for a while so need to check her over. She is going to start on metaclop injections to hopefully help with balance.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Sunday 16th June
Cleo's appetite has picked right back up! Overnight she'd eaten the same amount as my NZW and he eats a lot!

We have a vets trip tomorrow evening. I'm worried about the stress of the journey on her. They haven't seen her for a while so need to check her over. She is going to start on metaclop injections to hopefully help with balance.

This helped Morse alot !!

Hope the Vet appointment goes well xx

 

[*Bex*]

This helped Morse alot !!

Hope the Vet appointment goes well xx

I'm really hoping it helps her. Aside from her balance being very poor, and her weight loss, she seems ok in herself. She eats plenty, poos plenty, and remains alert and interested in what's going on around her. She's lively and very strong when she kicks and wriggles when being held. It's just getting her back on her feet which is the problem.

 

[Tuckerbunnies]

I have just read this and I'm so sorry to hear Cleo has E.C , Helen and Baby Saint were both diagnosed with E.C also last year but at the moment they are doing ok although Helen had an awful ulcer on her eye just recently and we were told she may have to have the eye removed but we managed to save it.

We are sending all the vibes we can muster for little Cleo xxxxxxxxx

Fingers and paws all crossed for her here.

Thinking of you xx

I remember them both boarding with us

 

[*Bex*]

Hi Maysie!

Thank you! I'm sorry to hear about Helen and baby Saint but glad they are doing ok and you have saved her eye. They are such a sweet little pair

I'll be getting in touch shortly about boarding in September if you'll have space. Hopefully Cleo will be back to her usual cheeky self by then. We just need her to be able to get back on her little feet and start hopping again! These last few weeks have been so heartbreaking for us all seeing her so poorly and unable to get around.

Polo is doing fine, just his usual big mischievous self! Xx