Pip is having problems :( U/D Post #10 eating and eliminating

[MimzMum]

Why is it always on a weekend, after hours and during a blimmin' snowstorm??

I've been nursing Pip since around 6 this evening. She has presented with tummy pressing, general depressed attitude, returning to her litter box repeatedly but producing very little wee or poos (the poos are of good size though) and of course I have no current gas meds. I let her out on the kitchen floor to have a gad about and get whatever is bothering her moving, and it's taken me until now to see her even somewhat comfortable (at least she is no longer belly pressing and looks brighter) but she's been really flat all evening and is only now beginning to nibble at the voluminous amounts of goodies I have strewn about her.
I gave her the usual amount of metacam that she gets each night (0.3 mls) just a wee bit ago. I think it has improved her mood.
She has passed a bit of sludge into her water bowl earlier today. (Yes, she tends to pee in her water bowl :roll I thought we had this sussed and she wasn't having this issue any longer. I think she's only getting small amounts of wee out tonight because yesterday I discovered she went most of that day and the night before without water in her bowl (luckily she has a bottle but doesn't really enjoy drinking from it) and I only remedied the oversight yesterday afternoon. (I feel so damned stupid! I've done this with Fiver's bottle too lately...I can't imagine how I am blatantly forgetting these very important things! It's very dry and warm in the house currently too as we have the heat cranked and winter has definitely set in.)

She is also moulting for England (I would say Alaska but that would sound really dumb) and I had to brush her tonight to get her moving about...normally that would set her off oinking and stamping/flicking her feet at me, but that at first she didn't even seem to care really worried me and I was about to beg my OH to bring the car over and off we would go to the ER...honestly though there is little they can do there that I can't do here, so instead of taking the chance of getting us all killed on a dark and unsafe road I figured I'd give it a little while and as she has improved slightly I am less anxious. However it will be a long night and I'll be up first thing to call the vet.
I only wish I could be sure she could see our good vet...I doubt she is there tomorrow though.

I wondered...can bladder sludge cause a bunny to decide to refuse food? Or are we really just dealing with stasis induced by moult? She will take syringed water (thank God) plus some bunny tummy tea (peppermint and chamomile) and she has nibbled a bit of dried herb mix and is sat here chilled right next to Mimzy, who is passed out cold in his habitat. However I can't have her here all night, I won't be able to monitor her and her exercise pen is currently needing cleaning. (Not a problem to clear it, but I know she will be unhappy in it, she just doesn't like it as much as I'd hoped she would.) I don't want to return her to her smaller habitat in my room though as I think she needs to keep moving overnight to help shift whatever is ailing her, be it sludge or fur.

She is chewing some hay now so I think for the moment she is doing better, but would appreciate any advice and also vibes for her this evening. It's almost 10 PM here and I've been exhausted all day, but I'll likely be up most of the night as well.
ETA: She just had a dental in August and is not a regular dental bunny, so I'm not really thinking teeth, but who knows? Her tum was seeming kind of empty today and alternately felt crowded under her ribs and then this would move to the lower abdomen, so I'm guessing there's fur trapped and gas building up. Tummy sounds are there, but not obvious.

Many TIA. :wave:

 

[weedug]

Bunnies always take ill at the worst times :roll:.

I really don't know about the sludge. Was it really thick? I suppose it would cause pain, which would make her feel like not eating. But a bad moult could cause problems too, as you know.

Sorry I'm not much help, but sending loads of vibes for little Pip, and hugs for you. I hope you manage to get a little rest x

 

[Jack's-Jane]

sorry this will be a brief reply

sounds like bladder sludge causing cystitis

are you able to very, very gently palpate her bladder ? does it feel very full/tender ?

she will probably need ongoing metacam, fluid therapy (IV/SQ aswell as oral), possibly abx if secondary bacterial infection present

abdominal xray (to check bladder and kidneys)/manual expression of bladder/bladder flush under sedation may also be needed

blood profile could be useful to assess renal function-bladder sludge can progress to involve the kidneys too

sending lots of vibes for her xx

 

[Rabcat]

It's always the way! I'm so sorry that I can't offer any advice but I'm sending lots of vibes for little Pip and I hope she is feeling better xxxx

 

[biscandmatt1]

i think sludge can definitely cause discomfort. enough to stop eating. poor baby. sending lots of vibes x

 

[MimzMum]

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate the responses.
Well she's only eating sporadically but it's 2 AM here and she's just tucked into one of her homemade hay cubes and she wasn't interested in them at all for most of the evening. I take this as a good sign. (ETA: She's started responding to me better when I go past her, so that is really good news, but her poos are too tiny still and sparse and she's really gurgling.)
Jane, I could not feel anything that would tell me it was her bladder, but then I am not well versed in such things. Just had to look up on Medirabbit to find out about where it should be.
Interesting that liquid magnesium is suggested there to rid bunnies of chronic sludge. If anyone has used this with good results, I'd love to hear it.
So now I'm thinking this may more be stasis than a bladder problem, although cystitis was my first thought from her earlier posturing. But I am feeding her about 2 mls of her tea/water as often as she'll take it and it seems to make her perkier each time she does, so I'm hoping she just needs some irrigation to push things through.
She's attacking a willow wreath at the moment, so I'm going to try to rest a bit. To see her acting more herself though is a huge relief, but I'm trying to keep perspective. I've never seen her so poorly before so this could still turn back around for the worse.

Thanks again everyone for the vibes and especially thank you, Jane. I know things are difficult right now so your input has been greatly appreciated. xxxxxxx

 

[Zoobec]

Sending lots of vibes for her xx

 

[Captain Helen]

Hope she feels better soon, and the drive to the vets isn't too horrific. Sending lots of vibes for Pip xx

 

[Roly Poly]

Lots of love and vibes for Pip xxx

 

[MimzMum]

Thank you for the vibes everyone. They have been a great comfort and seem to be working.

As of 3 AM Pip was really going at her hay and willow wreath and was still passing tiny poos and decent wee during the night. Nowhere near her usual volume but output is always welcome. I was terrified last night that it was either bloat or a blocked bladder in the worst case so when she began moving on her own to explore the kitchen I was somewhat relieved. I knew she'd not have the desire to do that if it was as bad as I feared and it would've been a mad dash in.

I set my mobile to wake me every hour overnight so I could check on her (took the chance and brought her back to her familiar habitat in my room because she was looking really scared in the dark kitchen and I'll take her back out there today for some forced exercise.) Funny, the other day she was doing mad binks and popcorns in here so to see the 180 degree turn in 24 hours was shocking.

Each time I woke she was trying to eat something and her posture is greatly improved. She isn't running to the litterbox every time she eats either and may finally be drinking on her own just now. As expected all the extra treats to tempt her to eat have set off her poorly cecals but this should right itself now that she's eating more hay. Still...I've only got some green leaf lettuce but I'll see if that interests her as she needs more fluid I'm sure.
Her poos are tightly packed and seem strewn with fur. Poor thing...no matter how I brush she can still shed a boatload. The joys of lionhead x bunny ownership!

Vet doesn't open for another hour I think. But she is currently bun loafed and tooth purring so I can relax just a bit. I am so wiped out from all this up and down. Getting a bit too old for all this drama! :roll:

My daughter noted last night that Pip has also been rather unsettled by the earthquakes we've had recently. Lots of grouchiness and stamping at odd hours and for no apparent reason. So I'm sure she has been stressed for awhile now and that may also have had a part to play.

 

[Mandmcc]

Poor Pip! And poor you too, I've done my share of night time nursin; you must be exhausted with lack of sleep and worry! Hope the vet can put your mind at ease and that Pip is binkying again in no time! :xx


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