gut stasis (again) U/D post 51 good news

[Crunchie]

I'm not bad thanks, our wee hamster went to sleep in my hands this morning then died about half an hour later. Myself and my partner are both terribly sad we lost him but he didn't seem to be in pain in his final moments, he just stopped breathing while he was curled up in my hands.

Honey is much better and they have taken the feeding tube out of her nose. Seeing as how they asked me to bring in more of her dry food I asked if there was any chance I could see her while I was there. I went through to a wee room in the back and one of the nurses brought Honey through to see me and left her on examination table. She said she'd leave me alone with Honey for 5mins and as soon as she was out the door Honey turned round, put her front paws on my chest and snuggled in for the 5 mins. Her nose was all sticky and she was snuffling (I assume because they'd just taken the tube out), it sounded like she was sobbing away to herself. Normally Honey hates being cuddled so it was a bit strange but oddly comforting.

Before I left she took some corriander and basil I had brought her and looks far less bloaty now.

I've to ring up tomorrow around 9.30am and will hopefully be able to get her home soon after. I was meant to be having work done in the kitchen tomorrow but the guy can't come out now so I can go get her and keep an eye on her for a while afterwards too.

 

[thumps_]

I'm sorry about your little hammy, but what a beautiful way to go, curled up asleep in your hand. Bless him.
I'm so pleased to hear of Honey's progress. I think she loves you to bits. Some buns just aren't "cuddly" buns, but love us just as much.
Every thing crossed that she can come home tomorrow & you get a good nights' sleep.
All the best. Judy & Thumper.

 

[Crunchie]

Hi guys,

I got Honey home today and the nurse was insistant that if she suffered from this again they would have to open her up and check.:shock: Is this right given she only gets it now and then and it can be brought on by stress?

She is eating and pooing fine and I've been given away some metoclopramide and zantac to give her orally for the next few days. I've also been given some critical care.

However as I sat and looked through my itemised bill (£186 from Sunday £264 including Saturday) and I noticed that Honey wasn't given Fibreplex. She was given this before when she had stasis and was better within a day so I asked why she wasn't given it this time given the fact it must have been recorded on her file. No one could tell me why but offered to let me buy some to take home.

They said to bring her back in if she had any more problems but i said I'd do no such thing and would be taking her to a different vet if the problem occured again.

 

[thumps_]

Hi Crunchie, I'm thrilled to hear that Honey is back home with you all.
There are lots of us on this forum with bunnies who get stasis/bloat. They DON'T NEED operations.
OVER MY DEAD BODY would a vet operate on my bun for stasis unless they were of top rank in treating bunnies, and could persuade me of a very good reason to do so. Even so it would be very risky.
Thumper has tiny molar spikes which need frequent dental attention. That has stopped all the stasis issues together with my gradual learning of what stresses him & doing all possible to rectify it. Even the psychological stress of me staying out all night will give Thumps stasis.

I think that insulating a shed for your buns, mindful of the need to keep it cool in summer (not such a prob up in your part of the country) will be very helpful in view of your comment that it usually happens at this time of year. (A top bunny vet once told me that a sudden drop in night temp. often causes stasis, although it's not one of our probs.)
I notice that a few contributors to your thread live fairly close to you. I hope they can recommend a vet to you.

You may consider starting a thread calling us "stasis - bunny mummies" to share the things which give our buns stasis probs. (Good treatment has been well established now, & with early aggressive management our buns are doing well - WITHOUT SURGERY) I also think you need a good night's sleep & celebratory dram!!
Wishing you all the best very sincerely & hoping it's plain sailing from now.
Judy & Thumper :wave::wave:

 

[Crunchie]

In all honesty she's still not looking herself now that shes back from the vet. She's sitting hunched up a lot of the time though she is still eating and has used the litter tray.

Hopefully it's just a bit of stress as I'm having to rebond her with Roly, she seems to have forgortten she had a friend while she was away at the vet.

She's got her meds to get later as well so hopefully she'll pick up a bit.

 

[thumps_]

OK. I hope she can stay somewhere in the house until she's fully recovered. Keep her warm tonight. It sounds as if she's gassy! "got wind" & buns can't burp! I'm sorry but it sounds as if it's going to be a long night for you again.

I'd keep her separate from Roly for now.
I'd give her her pain relief meds up to 11/2 hours early.
Have you any children's Infacol or Woodwards gripe water? or any friends who can give you some? A 3 kilo bun can have 2ml Infacol, it helps gas a lot.

[With the bonding, they haven't forgotten each other. buns have very good memories. They have a highly developed social order & are basically obsessive little social climbers. When separated they can't do their daily ritual of accepting which is the top bun of the 2. So it's sometimes back to the beginning of helping them to sort out who's top bun again. I think it best to take all possible stress off honey until we see how this is going]

Please come back to us.

 

[Crunchie]

I'd give her her pain relief meds up to 11/2 hours early.
Have you any children's Infacol or Woodwards gripe water? or any friends who can give you some? A 3 kilo bun can have 2ml Infacol, it helps gas a lot..

I have infacol yes and I've given Honey the zantec and metoclopramide but the vet never gave us anything else aside from the critical care. Can she have the infacol along with these? I was told just to use the critical care if she had stopped eating.

Her and Roly are more or less back to the way they were after being in the shed for a while. I don't know how we can bring her in tonight as like I say my dad has allergies. We had planned to pack the hut with hay and have made a snuggle box with a couple of snuggle-safe heat pads in it.

If I wanted to keep her indoors tonight I'd need to take her to my flat which would mean another trip in the car and another trip into unfamiliar territory.

 

[thumps_]

OK You are dong your bit fine. Snuggles & hay box will keep an out door bun nice & warm.
Try 2ml Infacol. It CAN'T do any harm & it's brilliant for dispersing gas.
I think everyone on this forum which includes some rabbit specialist vets, would agree that pain relief is of paramount importance for any bun in stasis & during the recovery period. I am deeply surprised that you were not given any pain relieving drugs for Honey eg Metacam is commonly used.
Pain anywhere can cause stasis in a bunny.
I'm so very sorry for your situation, it must be an absolute nightmare for you.
Try posting a thread URGENT bunny savvy vet needed Falkirk/Steriling area & pm those near you who have replied to your threads.
My lovely, you are doing great, but I'm not happy with your back up.
If Honey starts to grind her teeth she's in a lot of pain & will need some pain relieving drugs from the emergency vet.
I really hope this helps.

 

[ShazzaBunny]

Im glad Honey is back with you now. I do hope she picks up soon, its been awful for you both.

Sorry to hear about your wee hamster xx

 

[Crunchie]

Hi again thumps,

If she'll be OK in the shed tonight I'll leave her there, I sat in there with the pair of them for about an hour and certainly noticed the difference in temperature between that and outside.

I have already posted a thread in rabbit chat asking for another good rabbit vet and two people have recommended one in Stenhousemuir which is not far from me. I'll give them a phone tomorrow morning and explain my situation. I have an itemised bill from McGuire and Lawrie so I can show them exactly what she's had if need be.

Thanks for all the advice again, I'll update you tomorrow.

OK You are dong your bit fine. Snuggles & hay box will keep an out door bun nice & warm.
Try 2ml Infacol. It CAN'T do any harm & it's brilliant for dispersing gas.
I think everyone on this forum which includes some rabbit specialist vets, would agree that pain relief is of paramount importance for any bun in stasis & during the recovery period. I am deeply surprised that you were not given any pain relieving drugs for Honey eg Metacam is commonly used.
Pain anywhere can cause stasis in a bunny.
I'm so very sorry for your situation, it must be an absolute nightmare for you.
Try posting a thread URGENT bunny savvy vet needed Falkirk/Steriling area & pm those near you who have replied to your threads.
My lovely, you are doing great, but I'm not happy with your back up.
If Honey starts to grind her teeth she's in a lot of pain & will need some pain relieving drugs from the emergency vet.
I really hope this helps.

 

[thumps_]

I reckon you're doing all the right things. Perhaps warming things up just before you go to bed. Any chance you can check on her through the night?

Come on Honey my girl lets have some wind!

All the best. Very well done !! Judy & Thumper.

 

[Crunchie]

She was looking much more herself when I left and was hopping around in the shed and scoffing hay. Mum says that she went in just there and both Honey and Roly came to the door of the shed when she opened it (we have a wire grill over the front to stop them just dashing out).

Mum and dad are going to take it in turns to check on her through the night and I'll go out first thing tomorrow morning, they've also paid for some of her vet bill but the best thing they've done I will post about in the bunny housing thread.

I reckon you're doing all the right things. Perhaps warming things up just before you go to bed. Any chance you can check on her through the night?

Come on Honey my girl lets have some wind!

All the best. Very well done !! Judy & Thumper.

 

[thumps_]

Awww Bless your Mum & Dad for keeping an eye on her through the night.
It's sounding much better now. Buns get over wind quite quickly usually.
Well done!

 

[Crunchie]

Hmmm honey certainly seems a bit better since we brouht her home yesterday but she's still not right. She was hopping about the garden earlier, nibbling things, sniffing Roly's bum etc but now she's back to lying down an awful lot. She's also still doing the little stretches that rabbits do when they have an upset tummy. In saying that she is eating and pooing, just not as much as she normally did.

Should I go and get some Fibreplex from the vet do you think? I've registered at a new vet that was rcommended by people on here but they're all booked up way in advance and recommended I take her back to the old vet if I wasnt happy with her. I really dont want to have to take her back there if I can get away with it.

 

[donnamt]

aww poor little soul. i really hope shell bounce back soon.

loads of vibes xxxxxxx

 

[thumps_]

Yes, fiberplex will help her gut to move.
I'm worried she's still gassy, (like colic in children) & the pain alone may be preventing her recovery. She needs pain relief.
It's possible to be firm, about being seen - this is genuinely urgent. Goodness you have my sympathy here.
Please may I pm you?

 

[Crunchie]

please do feel free to send me a PM. So I should ask for fibreplex and metacam?

Yes, fiberplex will help her gut to move.
I'm worried she's still gassy, (like colic in children) & the pain alone may be preventing her recovery. She needs pain relief.
It's possible to be firm, about being seen - this is genuinely urgent. Goodness you have my sympathy here.
Please may I pm you?

 

[Crunchie]

Righty ho I've just rung the old vet and they're going to give me fibreplex and metacam to take away (unless the vet can find a reason not to do so before I get there). Apparently they did not give her metacam away as it isn't great on the gut despite being a good pain killer. They couldn't offer any explaination as to why she didn't recieve fibreplex before now.:evil:

 

[thumps_]

You poor soul! OK metacam may not be enough when a bun is admitted, But helps a lot when the bun is back at home. If the vet makes excuses about stomach ulcers, Honey is taking Zantac which will protect her from this.
Good luck.

 

[donnamt]

Righty ho I've just rung the old vet and they're going to give me fibreplex and metacam to take away (unless the vet can find a reason not to do so before I get there). Apparently they did not give her metacam away as it isn't great on the gut despite being a good pain killer. They couldn't offer any explaination as to why she didn't recieve fibreplex before now.:evil:

see if you can get some gut stimulant tablets to home treat with too. i keep them going (with my vets blessing) for atleast 3 days after Alvin has started eating/pooping normally.