6th bun with stasis since November - Snowflake - U/d post #124

I haven't time atm to read all through the thread but when I started feeding Fibafirst to some of my rabbits their poohs were very brittle. This is the only thing I can think of although msny feed FF successfully. Sending you vibes that you solve this problem.

I hope that Snowflake's vet appointment goes well. Sending her lots of vibes and I hope she improves soon.

Jack's-Jane said:

Sorry I have not been able to come online until now so I am very late in responding to your thread. I would ask the Vet to do a blood glucose test , this can be an indicator as to whether a full GI tract obstruction is present. IV fluids would be a good idea too. I really hope the Vet can help her xx

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Hey Jane. I know, I realised afterwards she should have had a glucose test. He didn't offer one and he's already doing us such a huge favour.

So what's happened is Vets Now have been extremely kind and have allowed me to pay Monday. It's £239 so I've got to find a way somehow to borrow the remaining money, but right now that's not the issue.
Her abdomen is distended and she's not good. But she was quite active at the vets, she climbed up my arm and ever started digging in her carrier. He's given her a painkiller, motility drugs (metaclop etc) and sub q fluids. He said that's all he can really do for her, it's up to her now. He wants me to take her back to my vet when they open, which is in 25 minutes. Problem is again, there's no way I can pay for it. I have £2.05. I don't know what to do. I'm going to try calling the RSPCA, Blue Cross, even the PDSA but I doubt any are going to be open. If anyone has any other ideas please please let me know. I hate to put a burden on them but right now I just need to do anything I can to get her through.
In terms of how she is she still hasn't passed anything. I've got an awful feeling she's got a blockage, in which case she's going to need surgery. I'm so scared, I don't know what to do.
She has had a very (and I do mean very) small amount of fresh grass since she's been home. Only a few blades but it's the first food she's eaten of her own accord. I can tell she wants to eat it but I think she just feels too bloated to.
She's a tough little fighter but I really do think this is a battle she's going to lose. I can't help but see a repeat of what happened to Maple in november. I don't think she's going to make it.

tonibun said:

I haven't time atm to read all through the thread but when I started feeding Fibafirst to some of my rabbits their poohs were very brittle. This is the only thing I can think of although msny feed FF successfully. Sending you vibes that you solve this problem.

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She's been on fibafirst since I got her (about a year and a half ago?) and she's always been fine with them. I changed all my buns over to them when I got them

I just phoned the RSPCA, they're going to pay her consult fee today at my normal vet and they can pay up to £100 in all. So I've got to take her up and see how it goes and then call her back to see if they can arrange to give some more for any treatment.
So at least I can get her seen, thank goodness.
I hate all this but I'm desperate. I'll donate some money back to the RSPCA when I'm financially more stable as I feel awful taking it from them. But hopefully that's good.
I suppose now it's down to Snowflake

Edit:
While I'm there I'd like to see if they can do a blood glucose test as Jane suggested. I've forgotten, what's the normal range for a rabbit?

I'm pleased the RSPCA have offered to help you. I know most rabbits seem fine on FF but mine were not. Are your bunnies in a group or in pairs? Fingers crossed for today. xx

In Snowflake's case she's on her own at the moment but she has met Pixel through bars and they seem to like each other a lot so we were hoping we'd be able to get them to bond as Pixel is currently alone too. They make the most beautiful pair. We were going to try to start a bond this week with them.
I thought my vet opened at 9 today but turns out I got it wrong, they don't open until 10 so I'm just waiting to call them.
I'm really worried now. It's way over 24hrs and she still hasn't passed anything at all.
I can't see how she can possibly recover from this..

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

I just phoned the RSPCA, they're going to pay her consult fee today at my normal vet and they can pay up to £100 in all. So I've got to take her up and see how it goes and then call her back to see if they can arrange to give some more for any treatment.
So at least I can get her seen, thank goodness.
I hate all this but I'm desperate. I'll donate some money back to the RSPCA when I'm financially more stable as I feel awful taking it from them. But hopefully that's good.
I suppose now it's down to Snowflake

Edit:
While I'm there I'd like to see if they can do a blood glucose test as Jane suggested. I've forgotten, what's the normal range for a rabbit?

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Taken from Lecture Notes emailed to me by Frances Harcourt Brown

Blood glucose is measured in mmol/ml (millimoles/litre)

Normal: 4-8 mmol/ml

2-4 mmol/ltr – needs food – rabbit is experiencing gut stasis
If less that 2 mmol/ltr, call vet

8-15 mmol/ltr Rabbit is stressed, but can stay at home
More than 15mmol/ltr, less than 20 – Call vet, start to worry…
More than 20 mmol/ltr, needs surgery.

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

I just phoned the RSPCA, they're going to pay her consult fee today at my normal vet and they can pay up to £100 in all. So I've got to take her up and see how it goes and then call her back to see if they can arrange to give some more for any treatment.
So at least I can get her seen, thank goodness.
I hate all this but I'm desperate. I'll donate some money back to the RSPCA when I'm financially more stable as I feel awful taking it from them. But hopefully that's good.
I suppose now it's down to Snowflake

Edit:
While I'm there I'd like to see if they can do a blood glucose test as Jane suggested. I've forgotten, what's the normal range for a rabbit?

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I did think about suggesting you contact a charity, so I am so pleased they have agreed to help you!

I am glad to hear she made it through the night - really good to hear

My fingers and toes are all crossed for the both of you xx

Many vibes for your lovely Snowflake, I hope the appointment goes well. Please don't feel guilty about using the RSPCA's help, I donate to the PDSA when I can in the hope that it will help out people in exactly this kind of situation xx

I'm so sorry Snowflake is so poorly Sending her lots and lots of vibes that she will start to perk up and things start moving through her system soon.

Thank you all. And thank you so much Jane, that's great! I'll write that down somewhere so I can remember it for future.

Snowflake's been admitted and will finally be getting i/v fluids (which I think she should have been yesterday personally) and the vet has said he'll do an ultrasound for free. He said that he'd do that yesterday but didn't for some reason.
The estimate for today is £78 and it sounds like the RSPCA are willing to cover that so all going well I should have just Vets Now to worry about paying off.
What's worrying me is she is looking quite distended now and she still hasn't left a single dropping. I don't see how it can be anything other than a blockage? But the vet won't comment without tests. So I don't know. I asked him to test the glucose and he said he'd do that and something else (lactate?). Weird thing is I've had to actually ask for it, when the others went down with stasis that was the first thing the vets did.
So I don't know what to think at the moment. I'm really worried if it's a blockage that she'll need surgery.
She was quite lively again at the vet but still no eating. They're going to give her more critical care.
I'm supposed to collect her at 3 so see how things go then. I will of course update here if anything else happens.
Thank you all so much for your help and advice, I really appreciate it

Thinking of you and Snowflake. Lots more vibes xxx

Sending lots of recovery vibes for Snowflake xx

I hope she has picked up now she is better hydrated & they have been able to rule out blockage. Many more vibes xx

~ILoveMyBunny~ said:

Thank you all. And thank you so much Jane, that's great! I'll write that down somewhere so I can remember it for future.

Snowflake's been admitted and will finally be getting i/v fluids (which I think she should have been yesterday personally) and the vet has said he'll do an ultrasound for free. He said that he'd do that yesterday but didn't for some reason.
The estimate for today is £78 and it sounds like the RSPCA are willing to cover that so all going well I should have just Vets Now to worry about paying off.
What's worrying me is she is looking quite distended now and she still hasn't left a single dropping. I don't see how it can be anything other than a blockage? But the vet won't comment without tests. So I don't know. I asked him to test the glucose and he said he'd do that and something else (lactate?). Weird thing is I've had to actually ask for it, when the others went down with stasis that was the first thing the vets did.
So I don't know what to think at the moment. I'm really worried if it's a blockage that she'll need surgery.
She was quite lively again at the vet but still no eating. They're going to give her more critical care.
I'm supposed to collect her at 3 so see how things go then. I will of course update here if anything else happens.
Thank you all so much for your help and advice, I really appreciate it

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Lots more vibes being sent xx

Right, update;
She's just been sent home as the vet is closing. She had an ultrasound and although there's no sign of a blockage she is full of gas through her GI tract which is what's bloating her. The vet says there's not much that can be done other than just massaging her abdomen but I wanted to check with you on here because I know you're all very up to date with things. Is there a way to remove the gas? Can't they syringe it out or something?
My vet said really for her to have her best chance she needs to go back to Vets Now overnight so I'm trying to find a loan quickly. It's difficult to find one in my position but I'm hoping I can find a company that can help and that Vets Now won't just turn us away.
Her glucose is 5.9 which he said was good because they often shoot up to 20 when they're like this.
Any advice would be very welcome

Sylar had to spend 3 days in hospital when he was gassy like this. They continued to give him fluids, syringe feed him, give him belly rubs and pain meds but he was also on zantac, emeprid and cisapride too. It took about 4 days for him to do any poops but they did come.
I hope that you manage to scrape together the money for the out of hours vet. Have you asked them about a payment plan? Maybe if you can get a reasonable amount together for Monday they will let you pay the rest in installments? Xx

No, they want money up front and Vets Now. They made a special exception by allowing me to pay tomorrow for her visit this morning. I phoned them just now and she's going to speak to her colleagues but the senior vet doesn't start until 6pm so she said if I haven't heard from them by then to call back. I'm really frustrated because Carefree Credit is supposed to have a 24/7 system but they're not going to get back to me until tomorrow when it's too late.
What about gastric decompression? Is that an option for her?

I know I keep on about peppermint tea, but it really is good stuff for gassy guts. You need to syringe it in for bunnies who don't like peppermint (mine hated it).