Heidi cancer update March 15 2024

[joey&boo]

That's good the snow had cleared enough to get Heidis meds. I hope she gets relief from the gabapentin when she needs it - if not there are lots of other drugs your vet can try.

How is she in herself now?

 

[bunny momma]

That's good the snow had cleared enough to get Heidis meds. I hope she gets relief from the gabapentin when she needs it - if not there are lots of other drugs your vet can try.

How is she in herself now?

Thank you for asking. I checked her overnight and she looked bright. This morning she went right for her pellets, so her appetite is good.
Thank you for the reassurance that we have other options if necessary.

 

[joey&boo]

Thank you for asking. I checked her overnight and she looked bright. This morning she went right for her pellets, so her appetite is good.
Thank you for the reassurance that we have other options if necessary.

Glad she is bright and has a good appetite. Nose bumps from the Trawden buns

 

[kattymieoww]

I hope she remains comfortable for as long as possible.gentle nose rubs for her.

 

[bunny momma]

I hope she remains comfortable for as long as possible.gentle nose rubs for her.

Thank you.

 

[InspectorMorse]

How did she get on with the small dose of Gabapentin? Therapeutic effects are unlikely to be evident but if an adverse reaction were going to occur it would be more likely early on. Hopefully she will tolerate the drug well.

Personally I would prefer to start with adding Paracetamol to the meloxicam rather than other types of analgesia. But I know that in the US Vets appear to have a very different approach to some aspects of analgesic use and dosing for Rabbits than Vets do over here.

 

[bunny momma]

How did she get on with the small dose of Gabapentin? Therapeutic effects are unlikely to be evident but if an adverse reaction were going to occur it would be more likely early on. Hopefully she will tolerate the drug well.

Personally I would prefer to start with adding Paracetamol to the meloxicam rather than other types of analgesia. But I know that in the US Vets appear to have a very different approach to some aspects of analgesic use and dosing for Rabbits than Vets do over here.

Thank you for asking. She had no adverse reaction to her first two small doses, so she got a full dose tonight. She made a huge hop into her litterbox after it was cleaned this evening, and her appetite is not diminished based on how quickly she went for her pellets.
You are right that they have different views of analgesia for rabbits. My vet said he preferred to start by adding Gabapentin since it uses a different mechanism for pain control than Medicam, unlike Tylenol.

 

[MimzMum]

I'm glad to hear that Heidi seems to be tolerating the gabapentin well. I admit I am a bit biased against it and will never use it on another animal. Jenna had such horrible consequences from it. But that is my experience and does not suggest it can't be beneficial to others.

Yeah, Tylenol (paracetamol) is definitely seen as dangerous to pets here. It's also considered to be a leading cause of liver damage in humans even at recommended dosages. In dogs it can cause kidney failure. Vets here consider it unusable for animals.
Sadly, most analgesia for pets here has some negative consequence or other if used long term. I have yet to find pain relief that I can be completely happy with the effects/side effects.

 

[InspectorMorse]

I'm glad to hear that Heidi seems to be tolerating the gabapentin well. I admit I am a bit biased against it and will never use it on another animal. Jenna had such horrible consequences from it. But that is my experience and does not suggest it can't be beneficial to others.

Yeah, Tylenol (paracetamol) is definitely seen as dangerous to pets here. It's also considered to be a leading cause of liver damage in humans even at recommended dosages. In dogs it can cause kidney failure. Vets here consider it unusable for animals.
Sadly, most analgesia for pets here has some negative consequence or other if used long term. I have yet to find pain relief that I can be completely happy with the effects/side effects.

I think when dealing with any Pet living on very borrowed time one has to take a very different approach to analgesic cover. Long term adverse effects are not really relevant in cases when life expectancy is short.

All drugs in all classifications have side effects. It is therefore always going to be a case of weighing up risks v benefits. This can only be done on a case by case basis. What is the right prescribing protocol for one patient, be they human or animal, will not necessarily be the right one for another patient with the same condition.

I think we all do what we believe to be the best for the Pet in our care based on the information we have at the time and in discussion with a Vet whom we trust.

 

[bunny momma]

I'm glad to hear that Heidi seems to be tolerating the gabapentin well. I admit I am a bit biased against it and will never use it on another animal. Jenna had such horrible consequences from it. But that is my experience and does not suggest it can't be beneficial to others.

Yeah, Tylenol (paracetamol) is definitely seen as dangerous to pets here. It's also considered to be a leading cause of liver damage in humans even at recommended dosages. In dogs it can cause kidney failure. Vets here consider it unusable for animals.
Sadly, most analgesia for pets here has some negative consequence or other if used long term. I have yet to find pain relief that I can be completely happy with the effects/side effects.

I recall how hard it was to stop the drug with Jenna.
You are right about Tylenol.

 

[joey&boo]

I'm glad the gabapentin was well received. Topping up the well wishes for Heidi

 

[a reader of books]

I hope the Gabapentin's working well for Heidi. It's good that she had no adverse reaction to it. I'm sending her lots more vibes.

 

[bunny momma]

I'm glad the gabapentin was well received. Topping up the well wishes for Heidi

She made a huge jump into her litterbox last night, and she seemed more relaxed. Fingers crossed.

 

[bunny momma]

I hope the Gabapentin's working well for Heidi. It's good that she had no adverse reaction to it. I'm sending her lots more vibes.

Thank you. So for it is going well.

 

[bunny momma]

On Thursday morning Heidi is going to the vets to be evaluated for the cancer that was diagnosed last month. She is on two pain meds and continues to eat and drink, looking forward to lots of pellets and treats. She likes her Fibafirst sticks that come from UK and her favorite part of the hay is the seedheads we take out of the Timothy. My lionheads have not seen a seedhead in months because we hand pick them out of their hay for Heidi. Her tumor in her arm has grown and another one is palpable above her breast on the opposite side. Yet she still hops in and out of her litter box about 2/3 of the time and she had fun playing with the wicker ball she got for her 11th birthday. She is enjoying the new soft fleece blankets I made her and she is putting her mark on them too.
When she is held we always put her on her towel and she still likes to play with the towel, scratching with her arms with occasional chewing. It is amazing to see her moving the arm with the tumor trying to scratch like she does with her opposite hand. I hope this means her tumor is not causing her pain even though it is bent and she does not bare weight on it. She tries to wash with her bad arm too, though each week I clean any crusts from her beautiful brown eye on her bad side.
While her breathing seems normal, I hope the vet will not hear anything I cannot. I hope she can be comfortable for a while longer.
I am having another knee replacement in 11 days, so I hope she can remain stable while my spouse provides her care and meds.

 

[a reader of books]

I'm so glad to read that Heidi is still doing relatively well. I'm glad she's getting spoiled, too, receiving all the seedheads in the house. It's amazing that she's doing things like digging and still tries to use it for washing herself. I hope that means, too, that the tumour's not causing her pain. I hope her evaluation will go well, and that the vet won't find anything that has gotten much worse. Sending Heidi so, so many vibes.

Best of luck with your second knee replacement, too, bunny momma. I remember your recovery from the first one was quite unpleasant, so I hope this time it'll be easier on you.

 

[bunny momma]

A Reader of Books,
Thank you for your you lovely comments on Heidi. I know her cancer progressed, yet as long as her pain is controlled and she is enjoying life, we will give her the best care we can.
You are right that my right knee replacement came with a very difficult recovery and I am still trying to regain all my strength. It was long overdue due to covid and other delays, so I am hoping the left knee replacement will go better.

 

[InspectorMorse]

On Thursday morning Heidi is going to the vets to be evaluated for the cancer that was diagnosed last month. She is on two pain meds and continues to eat and drink, looking forward to lots of pellets and treats. She likes her Fibafirst sticks that come from UK and her favorite part of the hay is the seedheads we take out of the Timothy. My lionheads have not seen a seedhead in months because we hand pick them out of their hay for Heidi. Her tumor in her arm has grown and another one is palpable above her breast on the opposite side. Yet she still hops in and out of her litter box about 2/3 of the time and she had fun playing with the wicker ball she got for her 11th birthday. She is enjoying the new soft fleece blankets I made her and she is putting her mark on them too.
When she is held we always put her on her towel and she still likes to play with the towel, scratching with her arms with occasional chewing. It is amazing to see her moving the arm with the tumor trying to scratch like she does with her opposite hand. I hope this means her tumor is not causing her pain even though it is bent and she does not bare weight on it. She tries to wash with her bad arm too, though each week I clean any crusts from her beautiful brown eye on her bad side.
While her breathing seems normal, I hope the vet will not hear anything I cannot. I hope she can be comfortable for a while longer.
I am having another knee replacement in 11 days, so I hope she can remain stable while my spouse provides her care and meds.

I am pleased to read how well Heidi is coping and how happy she is within herself. I hope that her Vet check goes well on Thursday and that Heidi can remain with you for as long as possible.

I didn’t realise that you are having your second knee replacement soon. This must make coping with two health compromised Rabbits especially stressful. I am sure that your Spouse will take on the responsibility of being the care giver whilst you are incapacitated. It’s good to know you can rely on him, even if I suspect you would still feel happier to be able to do it all yourself. I can empathise with feeling like that.

 

[Zoobec]

I’m glad Heidi is doing well, she seems happy and enjoying life and her treats. I hope your knee replacement goes well xx

 

[Pets mum]

Sending lots of vibes for a good vet visit, Heidi sounds a happy little bunny, which is the most important thing, and long may this continue. Really hope your knee op goes well and that you have a quicker recovery this time xxx