Happy Hopping
Wise Old Thumper
Well, after reading quite a no. of posting on fellow members' rabbits passed away, I knew eventually
it would be my turn.
My rabbit, a Flemish Giant, passed away on Mon. morning around 9 am, he is just over 4.5 years old,
and myself and my vet (an Exotic Pet specialist specialize in rabbit) and a senior breeder who has
breeding rabbit for 30+ yr. is still wondering what is the cause of death:
On Sat. afternoon, he was hopping so fast in the backyard, I can't catch up w/ him. He did quickly
take one quick bite on some wild weed in the backyard, I can't stop him fast enough (obviously there
shouldn't be any weed in anyone's backyard, but just like everyone's yard, they pops up from time to
time)
On Sat. night around 10 pm, I fed my bunny with the usual--one slice of cantaloupe (the orange round
type) and let him eat as much as he wants.
He used to eat just a little bit, but in the recent weeks, he ate half a slice of a cut piece, in
other words, if you cut a round cantaloupe in 8 - 10 pieces, take one of those, and he ate half of
that one piece, which is a very significant amt. for a rabbit.
However, he has ate the same amt. the night before, and the night before, 4 nights in a row. And
repeatedly the last month or two.
At 1 AM passed Sat. night (i.e. 1 AM on Sun.) he sat on my lap for a much longer time than I expected,
usually he goes away after 5 min. or so.
Because my bunny doesn't eat enough fiber, since he was young, he does has soft poos sometimes.
In the recent mth. starting April after he recover from the sickness of a bacteria infection at the
end of March (his penis touched something on the soil, sickness started around Dec 29,2004), he does
have totally soft poos at around midnight due to the 5 leaf of spinach at 6 pm, and cantaloupe around
10 pm, the soft poos occurred at midnight and I'm used to seeing it, it happened almost every night.
This Sun. at 1 am, surprisingly there is only very little soft poos.
Everything is fine and nights out and bed time around 3 am or so.
On Sun. 8:30 am, he can still walk around. I carried him outside to pee on the garden soil as I
always do it 4 times a day in the summer, but after 1/2 hr. of waiting for him, he won't pee. So I
took him back in the house. He should have pee because it's been 5.5 hr. since his last urinate.
Around 11:30 am or so, something seems to be seriously wrong. I took him outside to pee the 2nd time
that morning, no bunny pee. When I carried him back to 2nd floor, as I put him on the floor like I
always do, he lost his footing. But from the carpet to his feet when I let go, there is only an inch
or so of space gap. Shortly after, his body is soft and laying on the ground.
At first, I gave him 190 cc of SQ fluid (NaCl) because I thought he didn't get enough NaCl on time the
day before, because on Sat., I should have given him 150 cc at 2:30 pm as that's the time he always
gets the NaCl, but for the first time, it's 5 pm instead. The reason was I was planning to use the
juicer to make some carrot juice for him, but I didn't get back until 5 pm, so 150 cc NaCl as usual.
Then came 2 servings of baby food, 6 cc each of potatos organic from Heniz, and 2 cc of anti-biotics,
Enrofloxacin.
From Sun. afternoon till 2 pm, I knew it is quite possible that he is dying. I called my regular vet,
whose an exotic pet specialist, but because it's Sun., noone home, send an email and there is no
reply.
I didn't call the other hospital of the other Exotic Pet specialist (Vet) because I never thought he
will work on any given Sun. Turns out that he was, and left him a mesg. at 3 pm or so. By 3:30 pm,
got an appointment and went to see him.
After 4 X-rays, blood test which didn't came back until Mon 6:30 pm, a no. of other tests, the doctor
said he has a lot of gas build up, my guess is due to the soft fruit cantaloupe. I later on fuond out
the very same slice that he ate, and I also ate the other half, and 1 more slice after that, had
caused me a slight diarrhea as I need to go to the bathroom twice for a bit of soft poo myself. And
he ate that same slice, which is not good.
So the doctor diagnosis at the time was the massive gas build up in his entire body from the x-ray is
causing his body to totally shut down.
He prescribed anti-gas Ovol, Metoclopramide that my rabbit had used in the past yr., Meloxicam, and
Cisapride (think it's a pain killer). Also 45 ml of OXbow Critical Care.
My bunny got all the medication at 6:30 pm, w/ the Meloxicam given to him at the clinic around 5:30
pm. But his body was very weak by then and the vet is concern he won't make thru Sun. night.
My bunny slept besides me the whole night in my bed for the first time in history. By Mon. 2 am he
had occasional rapid breathing, by Mon. 5 am, he had constant rapid breathing, and I knew this is the
end.
I advanced those mediciation w/ the Oxbow to try to gain his strength at 5 am. 36.5 cc. of Critical
Care from Oxbow and by 5:30 am Mon., the Ovol, Cisapride, and Metoclopramide (meloxicam is not needed
as it is a 24 hr. / application drug).
Shockingly he won't swallow the Oxbow at the beginning, he won't or may be can't move his jaw.
Fortunately, 5- 10 min. later, he swallowed the Oxbow and all the medication.
His body got weaker, by 8:45 am or so Mon., there is some uncontrollable pee, and his body started the
uncontrolable shaking movement, so I took him to my bed, comfort him for his final moment, and around
9 am or so, he passed away.
Theory 1:
After his death, I spoke to that 30+ yr. breeder for 2.25 hr., she said:
1) the earlier anti-biotics Enrofloxacin killed the good bateria and the bad bacteria in my rabbit
back from Jan 13 to April 15 or so. The good bacteria is Bactrim Pediatric Susp
2) Although 150 cc of NaCL is given, his intentine still need water, in which the injected NaCl can't
reach, as such, my bunny has a craving for the water content in the soft fruit cantaloupe
3) Hot weather causes my bunny to eat more cantaloupe as well
4) can't explain why he just won't drink the water on the bowl
5) that slice of cantaloupe causes me diarrhea, thus, it is too much for my rabbit
6) shouldn't eat cantaloupe due to moisture contents, and in the wild, no rabbit can reach cantaloupe
tree, or mango tree etc.
Theory 2: By 6:30 pm Mon. the Vet (exotic pet specialist) called for the blood test:
1) something about anemic--my bunny's Jan 13, 2005 test shows Red blood cell count is at the low end
of 31, the new test show 28.
2) High Liver Enzyme indicates either an immediate liver problem caused by bad trauma like injured
from running down the stair or poison or degenerative liver problem caused by cancer.
3) won't make a difference if I see him first thing on Sun. morning
4) cantalopue is a coincidence, wasn't the cantalopue, in all the rabbits he treated w/ gas build up,
they are still all alive today
5) NO chronic kidney damage as per Jan 13, 2005 diagnosis from another Exotic Pet specialist, kidney
is normal w/ a very slight elevated level of ?? from blood test. No kidney stone
6) the non-milky yellow urine is quite normal, the milky yellow urine that my bunny had in the old
days is due to calcium build in, hasty color urine is ok
7) dry fur is not due to lack of NaCl or any kidney failure, rather causes by mal-nutrition, mostly
due to lack of fiber
8 ) My treatment w/ the Na Cl daily, and the hand feeding daily (my bunny is off Hand feeding pellet
since July 6) of pellet extends his life for these months, or else the Liver failure would have kill
him long ago
9) Enrofloxacin is the best, it does NOT kill the good bacteria. 150 cc of NaCL daily injection DOES
gets to the Intestine.
10) the rabbit should drink water even on NaCl injection (he did drink it twice in the past 4 months),
the Not drinking of water is a sign of sickness, primary related to the liver damage
His conclusion is the liver causes the above, not the cantaloupe.
If there is immediate liver damage, he must have fall from the stair or ate the poison on Sun.
-) My rabbit Absolutely didn't fall down the stair or hurt himself, he did eat that single bite of
weed, but can wild weed gets in your garden be poisonous?
I'll double check any moles on the cantalopue, but I don't see how that can be poisonous enough to
kill my bunny.
Which left w/ degenerative liver problem caused by cancer.
It's been a very sad day for me, now I can see how that mother Beth Holloway lost 10 lb. in 10 days
after she lose her daughter in Aruba, I can't eat any meal properly on Sun. & Mon. Lunch and dinner, I
bet I'm already loosing weight.
But before I write my opinion as to which theory is the truth, what do you guys think, which theory is
true? Because the disovery of the truth can help my next rabbit, and perhaps yours as well.
it would be my turn.
My rabbit, a Flemish Giant, passed away on Mon. morning around 9 am, he is just over 4.5 years old,
and myself and my vet (an Exotic Pet specialist specialize in rabbit) and a senior breeder who has
breeding rabbit for 30+ yr. is still wondering what is the cause of death:
On Sat. afternoon, he was hopping so fast in the backyard, I can't catch up w/ him. He did quickly
take one quick bite on some wild weed in the backyard, I can't stop him fast enough (obviously there
shouldn't be any weed in anyone's backyard, but just like everyone's yard, they pops up from time to
time)
On Sat. night around 10 pm, I fed my bunny with the usual--one slice of cantaloupe (the orange round
type) and let him eat as much as he wants.
He used to eat just a little bit, but in the recent weeks, he ate half a slice of a cut piece, in
other words, if you cut a round cantaloupe in 8 - 10 pieces, take one of those, and he ate half of
that one piece, which is a very significant amt. for a rabbit.
However, he has ate the same amt. the night before, and the night before, 4 nights in a row. And
repeatedly the last month or two.
At 1 AM passed Sat. night (i.e. 1 AM on Sun.) he sat on my lap for a much longer time than I expected,
usually he goes away after 5 min. or so.
Because my bunny doesn't eat enough fiber, since he was young, he does has soft poos sometimes.
In the recent mth. starting April after he recover from the sickness of a bacteria infection at the
end of March (his penis touched something on the soil, sickness started around Dec 29,2004), he does
have totally soft poos at around midnight due to the 5 leaf of spinach at 6 pm, and cantaloupe around
10 pm, the soft poos occurred at midnight and I'm used to seeing it, it happened almost every night.
This Sun. at 1 am, surprisingly there is only very little soft poos.
Everything is fine and nights out and bed time around 3 am or so.
On Sun. 8:30 am, he can still walk around. I carried him outside to pee on the garden soil as I
always do it 4 times a day in the summer, but after 1/2 hr. of waiting for him, he won't pee. So I
took him back in the house. He should have pee because it's been 5.5 hr. since his last urinate.
Around 11:30 am or so, something seems to be seriously wrong. I took him outside to pee the 2nd time
that morning, no bunny pee. When I carried him back to 2nd floor, as I put him on the floor like I
always do, he lost his footing. But from the carpet to his feet when I let go, there is only an inch
or so of space gap. Shortly after, his body is soft and laying on the ground.
At first, I gave him 190 cc of SQ fluid (NaCl) because I thought he didn't get enough NaCl on time the
day before, because on Sat., I should have given him 150 cc at 2:30 pm as that's the time he always
gets the NaCl, but for the first time, it's 5 pm instead. The reason was I was planning to use the
juicer to make some carrot juice for him, but I didn't get back until 5 pm, so 150 cc NaCl as usual.
Then came 2 servings of baby food, 6 cc each of potatos organic from Heniz, and 2 cc of anti-biotics,
Enrofloxacin.
From Sun. afternoon till 2 pm, I knew it is quite possible that he is dying. I called my regular vet,
whose an exotic pet specialist, but because it's Sun., noone home, send an email and there is no
reply.
I didn't call the other hospital of the other Exotic Pet specialist (Vet) because I never thought he
will work on any given Sun. Turns out that he was, and left him a mesg. at 3 pm or so. By 3:30 pm,
got an appointment and went to see him.
After 4 X-rays, blood test which didn't came back until Mon 6:30 pm, a no. of other tests, the doctor
said he has a lot of gas build up, my guess is due to the soft fruit cantaloupe. I later on fuond out
the very same slice that he ate, and I also ate the other half, and 1 more slice after that, had
caused me a slight diarrhea as I need to go to the bathroom twice for a bit of soft poo myself. And
he ate that same slice, which is not good.
So the doctor diagnosis at the time was the massive gas build up in his entire body from the x-ray is
causing his body to totally shut down.
He prescribed anti-gas Ovol, Metoclopramide that my rabbit had used in the past yr., Meloxicam, and
Cisapride (think it's a pain killer). Also 45 ml of OXbow Critical Care.
My bunny got all the medication at 6:30 pm, w/ the Meloxicam given to him at the clinic around 5:30
pm. But his body was very weak by then and the vet is concern he won't make thru Sun. night.
My bunny slept besides me the whole night in my bed for the first time in history. By Mon. 2 am he
had occasional rapid breathing, by Mon. 5 am, he had constant rapid breathing, and I knew this is the
end.
I advanced those mediciation w/ the Oxbow to try to gain his strength at 5 am. 36.5 cc. of Critical
Care from Oxbow and by 5:30 am Mon., the Ovol, Cisapride, and Metoclopramide (meloxicam is not needed
as it is a 24 hr. / application drug).
Shockingly he won't swallow the Oxbow at the beginning, he won't or may be can't move his jaw.
Fortunately, 5- 10 min. later, he swallowed the Oxbow and all the medication.
His body got weaker, by 8:45 am or so Mon., there is some uncontrollable pee, and his body started the
uncontrolable shaking movement, so I took him to my bed, comfort him for his final moment, and around
9 am or so, he passed away.
Theory 1:
After his death, I spoke to that 30+ yr. breeder for 2.25 hr., she said:
1) the earlier anti-biotics Enrofloxacin killed the good bateria and the bad bacteria in my rabbit
back from Jan 13 to April 15 or so. The good bacteria is Bactrim Pediatric Susp
2) Although 150 cc of NaCL is given, his intentine still need water, in which the injected NaCl can't
reach, as such, my bunny has a craving for the water content in the soft fruit cantaloupe
3) Hot weather causes my bunny to eat more cantaloupe as well
4) can't explain why he just won't drink the water on the bowl
5) that slice of cantaloupe causes me diarrhea, thus, it is too much for my rabbit
6) shouldn't eat cantaloupe due to moisture contents, and in the wild, no rabbit can reach cantaloupe
tree, or mango tree etc.
Theory 2: By 6:30 pm Mon. the Vet (exotic pet specialist) called for the blood test:
1) something about anemic--my bunny's Jan 13, 2005 test shows Red blood cell count is at the low end
of 31, the new test show 28.
2) High Liver Enzyme indicates either an immediate liver problem caused by bad trauma like injured
from running down the stair or poison or degenerative liver problem caused by cancer.
3) won't make a difference if I see him first thing on Sun. morning
4) cantalopue is a coincidence, wasn't the cantalopue, in all the rabbits he treated w/ gas build up,
they are still all alive today
5) NO chronic kidney damage as per Jan 13, 2005 diagnosis from another Exotic Pet specialist, kidney
is normal w/ a very slight elevated level of ?? from blood test. No kidney stone
6) the non-milky yellow urine is quite normal, the milky yellow urine that my bunny had in the old
days is due to calcium build in, hasty color urine is ok
7) dry fur is not due to lack of NaCl or any kidney failure, rather causes by mal-nutrition, mostly
due to lack of fiber
8 ) My treatment w/ the Na Cl daily, and the hand feeding daily (my bunny is off Hand feeding pellet
since July 6) of pellet extends his life for these months, or else the Liver failure would have kill
him long ago
9) Enrofloxacin is the best, it does NOT kill the good bacteria. 150 cc of NaCL daily injection DOES
gets to the Intestine.
10) the rabbit should drink water even on NaCl injection (he did drink it twice in the past 4 months),
the Not drinking of water is a sign of sickness, primary related to the liver damage
His conclusion is the liver causes the above, not the cantaloupe.
If there is immediate liver damage, he must have fall from the stair or ate the poison on Sun.
-) My rabbit Absolutely didn't fall down the stair or hurt himself, he did eat that single bite of
weed, but can wild weed gets in your garden be poisonous?
I'll double check any moles on the cantalopue, but I don't see how that can be poisonous enough to
kill my bunny.
Which left w/ degenerative liver problem caused by cancer.
It's been a very sad day for me, now I can see how that mother Beth Holloway lost 10 lb. in 10 days
after she lose her daughter in Aruba, I can't eat any meal properly on Sun. & Mon. Lunch and dinner, I
bet I'm already loosing weight.
But before I write my opinion as to which theory is the truth, what do you guys think, which theory is
true? Because the disovery of the truth can help my next rabbit, and perhaps yours as well.
