Archimedes. :( UPDATE -he's gone.

tlcwrites said:

We haven't had Archimedes all that long. And, in many ways, out of my 5, he's the one I know the least about by some considerable distance. Athena and Apollo are both young rescue rabbits, and all of Athena's medical "history" has been with me. Elphie and Galinda (Artie's wives) are both lively 5 year olds who have been with me from about 10 weeks old.

Artie, meanwhile, was adopted as an adult. The rescue was informed that he's 2.5 years old. He had/has slight lameness in his rear left leg - but that is already much, MUCH improved since he has been home with us. His leg is nothing like it was when we first met him. He was a fast turnaround for them because they wanted him homed with other rabbits asap as they didn't think he'd thrive in a rescue scenario. They neutered and vaccinated him before he left though.

However, it's his weight/appearance that's worrying me. He doesn't feel or look like a 2.5 year old buck. I'm struggling to get weight on him - he feels like he's losing weight, not gaining it, in spite of being comparatively skinny since we got him from the rescue. His body shape is improved - I think thanks to his leg being better and being able to exercise properly. He eats like a trooper though - without fail, he's always first in the hay. Even when his girls are finished eating, he'll still be going around and eating the rest at breakfast and dinner. Yesterday he had a bit of a mucky bottom. He just looks like a little, elderly man, not a comparative youngster. He makes Elphie and Galinda look like teenagers.

I can't get him to a vet today. I can't drive and all the vets that are open are too far away (and too stressful) to take 3 rabbits to. The emergency vet for our practice is 10 miles away as opposed to up the road (where we'd ordinarily see them) too.

We're taking one of the cats tomorrow for a sedation/biopsy, but I'm going to try and get them to fit Artie in too. I just hate feeling out of control.

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MightyMax said:

It may be that the Rescue was misinformed about his age. I have worked with Rescues for years, and this often happens, as a young rabbit is deemed easier to rehome than an elderly. Have you had the vet assess his age?

Perhaps he needs to build up a bit of muscle tone since his lameness is getting better ...

It doesn't feel like an emergency situation (where you need to see a vet today) - or am I missing something?

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tlcwrites said:

Re: the emergency, it was the messy bottom I was concerned about for needing to see a vet asap. However, he has cleaned himself up which is good.

He was assessed by the vet at the Sanctuary he came from and they assessed him as being good to go. I'm still going to try and get him to our vet tomorrow (hopefully the same one who treated Athena's abscess successfully and is treating Nyssa (the cat's) lump.) I'll mention properly assessing his age too. It doesn't change too much in the sense that he's a good fit for Elphie and Galinda. But it will change the insurance though and I'm not sure how - when I set it up, I could only go by what I was told and that was 2.5. I still need to set up Apollo's but I've been more ill than usual.

I'm glad that the lameness has improved but the fact he feels like he's losing weight despite eating fine is alarming. As is/was the mucky bottom.

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MightyMax said:

The mucky bottom could be due to more pellets than he needs, or arthritis in his spine making it harder for him to clean himself. This would also point to an older bunny. As for losing weight - E.C. can cause this, so perhaps worth asking your vet about a course of Panacur. This would have to be for all your buns and for 28 days.

He sounds like a darling anyway

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tlcwrites said:

So, we managed to get Artie checked out today. He was given a thorough exam by the vet. His heart sounds fine, his lungs sound fine, his gut is moving nicely. His teeth look ok (which is miraculous given his alleged prior diet before I adopted him). His slightly lame leg feels ok too. His eyes are bright and his ears are clear. He does still have a little bit of a mucky bottom though.

The vet doesn't think E.C. is likely given there is no dribbling, no head tilt and although his bottom has been a little mucky, he's still passing solid poos too. Of course, it's always a possibility because he's a rabbit and rabbits hide their illnesses exceptionally well. (to state the obvious!)

He kept chewing on the device as she tried to examine his teeth (his tongue looks beautiful, haha) but I didn't expect anything less of him. And he was chowing down on hay whilst waiting for his appointment AND directly afterwards. The girls meanwhile were being stompy and sulky.

Because he has lost weight and is very skinny, he could look older than he actually is. The vet said that rabbits present older very quickly when run down/with weight loss. However, she also believes he could easily be as old as 10 rather than the 2.5 we've been told. She kept saying he could be in his "retirement home" with us as opposed to what we initially believed. I'm fine with it either way; I just want him to live a happy life with me however long it ends up being.

Artie's been sent home with metacam, baytril and SS Recovery diet. If we get especially concerned, he has to go in again on Friday for bloods to be taken and more examinations that way. Regardless, he needs to go back for a follow up check up next week.

On a positive note, I had Elphie & Galinda weighed as they were there. Both have shed the extra poundage they were carrying and are healthier for it. :thumb: That's a relief for certain.

Also the vet who saw us today was Charlotte rather than Hayley. Charlotte is the one who picked up on Athena's abscess. She was delighted to hear that Athena is doing so well, that she's showing no signs of it redeveloping and even has a husbun in Apollo.

Now we just have to wait to hear about Nyssa Noodle Cat who is having a biopsy taken today. And keep a very firm eye on Mr. Artie over the next few days and keep everything crossed that he picks up again. My poor silly man.

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tlcwrites said:

Last night, I brought him inside. The girls were snuggled up together in the hutch. He was outside, in the run, just sitting there. He looked so skinny, so depressed and I was so scared that he would pass away in the night. It was a toss up between leaving him with Elphie and Galinda (who are very rambunctious 5 year olds) and hoping for the best and bringing him in and hoping the bond won't break during his absence. The latter felt more important.

Artie is a little perkier this morning than he was last night. Except for when I'm giving him one of his very frequent cuddles, I'm leaving him crated for now. He's very awkward and clumsy when moving; sometimes it's like he doesn't know what his legs are for. He's still eating and drinking well and gets very excited over any type of food being put in the crate, even for something as simple as more hay. He's definitely passing poos but they are a bit on the small side (not excessively), a bit misshapen and hard. Haven't seen him pee since he came in last night. He's also been grinding his teeth. Would it be wise to give him a little extra painkiller? I don't want him hurting.

A photo of us having cuddles: https://instagram.com/p/5tsORQp4kY/?taken-by=tlcwrites

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Jack's-Jane said:

Sorry not to have read all the posts on here, but has he had a blood profile run to check his kidney function ?

Personally i would want this done asap, I would be reluctant to give a high dose of Metacam until his renal function has been established

Also, I would keep him indoors all the time for now. It does not sound as though he can maintain his body temperature at the moment and overnight temperatures are unseasonally low.

Sending vibes for him xx

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