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I think Odin's in stasis :-( UPDATE -his eye burst!!

Jane - it's not the syringe, he's happy to take marbocyl, and he took his metacam tonight quite happily, I think it must be the timing a lot of the time. He really wanted syringe feed tonight even though he was also eating well but he felt very skinny so I obliged and he guzzled it down eating greens in between as I refilled :) His eating is so much better but I think he possibly isn't quite comfortable enough to chew as much as he needs to consume. I'm happy to listen to his needs each day, it was cold today so he maybe needed more than he could chew himself.
Caecals are definitely formed, not runny or anything, trying to sneak fibreplex in where I can but it's nowhere near the dose it ought to be for him. But he won't be getting a/bs by mouth probably past tomorrow if then, we're just using up what's left in the bottle. So hopefully the injections won't have the same effect?
It's a relief to be able to just say good morning and let them out tomorrow morning, and not have to interfere with him first thing.
 
dollyanna said:
Jane - it's not the syringe, he's happy to take marbocyl, and he took his metacam tonight quite happily, I think it must be the timing a lot of the time. He really wanted syringe feed tonight even though he was also eating well but he felt very skinny so I obliged and he guzzled it down eating greens in between as I refilled :) His eating is so much better but I think he possibly isn't quite comfortable enough to chew as much as he needs to consume. I'm happy to listen to his needs each day, it was cold today so he maybe needed more than he could chew himself.
Caecals are definitely formed, not runny or anything, trying to sneak fibreplex in where I can but it's nowhere near the dose it ought to be for him. But he won't be getting a/bs by mouth probably past tomorrow if then, we're just using up what's left in the bottle. So hopefully the injections won't have the same effect?
It's a relief to be able to just say good morning and let them out tomorrow morning, and not have to interfere with him first thing.
Click to expand...

Whilst Penicillin injections are generally well tolerated in Rabbits they are still considered a ‘high risk’ abx and they are prescribed ‘off licence’ This should be explained to the client before they are prescribed. Whilst rare, penicillin injections can cause enteritis/ enteroxaemia.As well as noting the condition of any cecal poo he leaves it is equally important to keep an eye on the FECAL poo. That is what I was referring to in my previous post, if the FECAL poo becomes wet, unformed, has dark fluid and/ or mucous in it speak with the Vet ASAP and BEFORE giving any more injections. Same if his appetite drops right off again or you notice lots of sounds from his abdomen that is similar to water sloshing about in a hot water bottle.

Over the last 25 years I have cared for numerous Rabbits who were prescribed Penicillin Injections, some were on them for several months. Only 2 had an adverse reaction, one an allergic reaction, the other enteritis. Fortunately both survived. So I would never refuse the option of penicillin injections for a Rabbit when prescribed by a Rabbit Savvy Vet. My wonderful Inspector Morse had numerous courses of Penicillin Injections in his life, he had no problems with them at all and they kept his chronic ear infection under control
 
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InspectorMorse said:
Whilst Penicillin injections are generally well tolerated in Rabbits they are still considered a ‘high risk’ abx and they are prescribed ‘off licence’ This should be explained to the client before they are prescribed. Whilst rare, penicillin injections can cause enteritis/ enteroxaemia.As well as noting the condition of any cecal poo he leaves it is equally important to keep an eye on the FECAL poo. That is what I was referring to in my previous post, if the FECAL poo becomes wet, unformed, has dark fluid and/ or mucous in it speak with the Vet ASAP and BEFORE giving any more injections. Same if his appetite drops right off again or you notice lots of sounds from his abdomen that is similar to water sloshing about in a hot water bottle.

Over the last 25 years I have cared for numerous Rabbits who were prescribed Penicillin Injections, some were on them for several months. Only 2 had an adverse reaction, one an allergic reaction, the other enteritis. Fortunately both survived. So I would never refuse the option of penicillin injections for a Rabbit when prescribed by a Rabbit Savvy Vet. My wonderful Inspector Morse had numerous courses of Penicillin Injections in his life, he had no problems with them at all and they kept his chronic ear infection under control
Click to expand...

I understand, I was tired yesterday and misread what you'd written - I will keep a very close eye on him. I am very lucky that whilst my vets aren't specialists (there aren't any that are accessible enough for this frequency) they consult with Jenna at the Royal **** and follow her advice, so I am basically getting access to a specialist via them, and it is her who is dictating the treatment course.
 
dollyanna said:
I understand, I was tired yesterday and misread what you'd written - I will keep a very close eye on him. I am very lucky that whilst my vets aren't specialists (there aren't any that are accessible enough for this frequency) they consult with Jenna at the Royal **** and follow her advice, so I am basically getting access to a specialist via them, and it is her who is dictating the treatment course.
Click to expand...


That’s great. Hope Odin is doing OK today :)
 
InspectorMorse said:
That’s great. Hope Odin is doing OK today :)
Click to expand...

He is very bright but very hungry, took 5.5 syringes of food despite eating well last night. He's still eating hay too though, he went straight from the syringes to eat some hay. Lots of dark poos which I'm now wondering whether they are caecals or a/b faecals, but lots of good stuff too. No liquid or anything more worrying. Had his last marbocyl today. He's a skinny wee bean but hopefully he'll catch up soon enough.
I do wonder if feeding him so much at once is good or bad, but I go with what he wants, and he is still keen to eat after feeding however much he takes, it's as if he knows he can't eat enough calories so is asking to be fed when he needs it, it's very cold and wet again today.
 
Little update, Odin is improving day on day. Managed his jab yesterday with no trouble at all, he never flinched, and I found it easier as I was more prepared for the toughness of the skin.
He's doing his best to catch up for lost time, eating through the day as well as their normal evening-early morning stint (they never normally eat a lot during the day even if offered special stuff). Trying to forage for him every day, he is really enjoying a big pile of cow parsley and I put it in for him early so he gets first bash before greedy guts comes in. He's also eating lots of fresh herbs, normal hay, pretty sure he's eating the dried forage too. And still asking for multiple syringes of food morning and night, averaging 4-5 syringes each time. I've powdered some readigrass and hay to mix in with the pellets and we vary it between pellets and Recovery because the pellets are timothy based and the Recovery is alfalfa.
Still a lot of caecals but maybe less last night, so hopefully his gut is settling - and I've managed to hide fibreplex in each feed too so he is getting that for what it's worth. Slightly underdosing for his size but it makes one syringe last 3 doses exactly so it's a bit easier!
 
I’m glad he is doing better and that the injections are getting easier :wave: topping up the vibes xx
 
I hope the improvement continues. It might be the syringe feeds that are causing excess cecals now. As he is eating so well personally I would reduce them now and see if the excess cecals resolve. Any weight gain will be best achieved slowly as too many high nutrient feeds will cause excess cecals as a Rabbit’s GI tract is not designed to cope with big hits of high nutrient feeds every day.
 
He's eating fresh food really well now so I feel I can reduce the syringe feeds more - yesterday he was eating most of the day. Huge relief. Didn't get him jabbed this morning due to a rushed start so I've got that to look forward to tonight :-( But he is bright and cheerful and grooming Freja lots!
 
NO CAECALS TODAY!!!!!! And he's leaving me lovely little presents everywhere he goes that are much more their normal dark colour, and though still a little small not hugely unusually so for him.

And the little superstar let me do his injection without so much as an ear flick, just sitting in the middle of their floor eating cow parsley :love:
 
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